More than we bargained for...

It's early spring.  Way too early to see critters crawling around on our carpets and nosing by our garbage.  Unfortunately, that is what we're seeing.

More accurately, this is what we're seeing:

Black carpenter ants.  Curiously, they're creepy-crawling on the second floor of our home rather than on the main floor or the basement where they have a fighting chance at finding some food.

I did a bit of research on them and discovered that they like moist, soft wood.  Given the questionable workmanship we've seen in this house, we're pretty well convinced that there is some moisture in the attic and it has attracted a nest.  Ugh.  "Nest of ants" - doesn't that give you the heeby-jeebies?!  My skin is itching just thinking about it!

In the winter we suspected that one or more of our vents weren't properly installed and are blowing warm air into the attic (our friend who's a roofer mentioned it when he saw that parts of our roof had melted snow on it).  Warm air + cold air = moisture.

An exterminator is coming to check things out this week.  As far as I'm concerned, working with poisons in the home is not a DIY project when you have no knowledge of what to do and kids/pets that could be harmed.  This is money well spent in my books.

Wish us luck and happy DIYing!