Sound Gardener: Waging war against insects that wreak havoc on wood

Into everyone's life a few ants must crawl. It's a good thing most of them are harmless.

When the ants that crawl into your life are large and black, however, you need to pay attention. They may be carpenter ants, and that kind can inflict serious damage on your house.

Kitsap area residents began reporting this season's carpenter ants about three weeks ago. Some of us will see the winged reproductives for another few weeks and wingless workers the rest of the summer.

Then, just about the time the furor over ants abates, we'll be stirred anew by the mating flights of the dampwood termite. Will some of those amorous insects spinning in the breeze like maple seeds settle in the cellar and eventually bring the structure down around our ears?

We worry a lot about wood-damaging insects. Some of that concern is appropriate, but it needs to be tempered with basic knowledge about how these insects operate and what choices we have for controlling them. Here are a few points to remember:

* The presence of ants in or on a house does not mean you have a nest inside. Ants forage, and in the course of their travels, occasionally stray into or onto buildings. If you find termites in or on a structure, though, that's not a good sign. They don't forage; they inhabit and eat wood.

* Most people can't tell an ant from a termite, let alone differentiate one species of ant from another. If insects you can't identify are crawling through your house, send several un-mashed individuals in a crush-proof container to Cooperative Extension, Courthouse Annex -- MS16, 614 Division, Port Orchard, Wash. 98366. We'll identify them.

* If the extension service identifies your critters as structural pests, educate yourself about their habits and your choices for control.

The extension bulletins on carpenter ants and termites are cheap sources of unbiased information. You have plenty of time to get informed. Ants mine and termites eat only a miniscule amount of wood each day.

* With the help of an extension bulletin, you may be able to determine whether you have an infestation of ants or termites.

* You may be able to treat the problem safely and effectively yourself.

* Should you need professional assistance, reputable, local pest control firms are available.

If you need the services of an exterminator, how can you find a reputable one? Begin by calling several established, local firms for their procedures and prices.

Compare what they propose to do with what you've read about controls in your extension publication.

If you like, ask them for references from people they've served. And make sure that any exterminator that works for you is licensed.

Unscrupulous operators frequently give themselves away with pressure tactics. They want to treat your house quickly before it falls on your children.

Their special price )s only offered for one day. They have some new miracle method that's better than considerably cheaper standard controls.

Ants and termites may crawl into our lives but we don't have to panic. A willingness to inform ourselves and a bit of common sense should help us deal with them.

Cooperative Extension agent for Kitsap County. If you have questions about gardening, please call Cooperative Extension ,