How to Protect Your Home from Wood-Destroying Pests This Spring
Spring brings blooming trees, longer days—and a spike in wood-destroying pest activity. For Long Island homeowners, that means carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and termites are on the move, searching for damp wood, weak points, and opportunities to expand their colonies. If your home isn’t protected, you could be looking at expensive structural repairs that your homeowner’s insurance may not cover.
Understanding which pests pose the biggest threat—and how to protect your home from them—is key to staying ahead of infestations. Keep reading as we break down the top wood-destroying pests Long Island homeowners should watch for in spring, how they behave, and how Knockout Pest Control can help protect your home from the outside in.
Why Spring is Peak Season for Wood-Destroying Pests
On Long Island, warmer temperatures and increased moisture from spring rainstorms create ideal conditions for carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and termites to become active. These pests overwinter in soil, logs, and wall voids, then emerge in the spring to forage, mate, and build new colonies.
Unlike many common pests, these insects don’t just enter your home—they damage it. That’s why wood-destroying pests should never be taken lightly.
Understanding the Threat: Termites
Subterranean termites are the most destructive wood-destroying pests on Long Island. Each year, they cause millions in property damage across the region. They live in underground colonies and build mud tubes to reach above-ground wood sources. Once inside, they feed 24/7, working silently behind walls, under floors, and in crawlspaces.
Termite infestations often go unnoticed until significant damage has been done. Warning signs include:
- Winged swarmers inside or near your home
- Discarded wings along windowsills or baseboards
- Mud tubes on foundation walls or near wood
- Hollow-sounding or blistered wood
Understanding the Threat: Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants don’t eat wood, but they do tunnel through it to create nesting galleries. On Long Island, these ants typically nest in moist or damaged wood—like leaky window frames, water-damaged soffits, or damp wall voids. If you see large black ants (especially at night), hear rustling behind your walls, or find sawdust-like material (frass), carpenter ants may already be inside your home.
Understanding the Threat: Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are solitary insects that drill circular holes into softwoods to create nests. You’re most likely to find them around eaves, railings, fascia boards, and decks. While one bee might not seem like a major concern, carpenter bee damage adds up over time—especially when woodpeckers come to feed on the larvae, creating even more destruction.
Signs of carpenter bee activity include:
- Round holes about ½ inch in diameter in wood
- Piles of sawdust below the holes
- Yellowish staining or bee activity near eaves and trim
Wood-Destroying Pest Prevention Tips for Long Island Homeowners
While you should always leave pest control to the pros, homeowners can play a big role in protecting their property. Here are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk of a wood-destroying pest infestation:
- Repair leaky gutters, downspouts, and plumbing that cause wood to stay damp
- Replace or seal cracked or rotting trim, siding, and deck boards
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from your home and elevate it off the ground
- Trim back shrubs and trees that touch the house or foundation
- Schedule seasonal inspections to catch pest activity before damage begins
Why Knockout is the Right Choice for Long Island Pest Control Services
Knockout Pest Control has been serving homeowners across Long Island and New York for over 50 years. We’re proud to be one of just 135 companies nationwide certified QualityPro Green by the National Pest Management Association—an achievement that reflects our commitment to environmentally responsible pest control practices.
Our team has been using green pest control techniques for over 30 years, including industry-leading treatments like Sentricon® and Cryonite®. That experience, combined with local knowledge of Long Island pest pressures, allows us to design highly effective plans tailored to your home and your needs.
If you’ve noticed signs of termites, carpenter ants, or carpenter bees—or want peace of mind as spring kicks off—now is the time to act.
Schedule Your Spring Pest Control Inspection Today
Don’t wait until you see damage. Wood-destroying pests are already active across Long Island this spring—and they’re not slowing down.
Schedule a spring inspection today with Knockout Pest Control. We’ll inspect your home, identify any threats, and build a customized plan to knock out pests and keep your home safe all season long.
