Last spring I received a call from a homeowner in Virginia who thought he had termites. When I arrived, I found something even more common but just as destructive — a large carpenter ant colony living inside the exterior wall near the kitchen. The ants had already hollowed out several wooden studs. The repair bill ended up close to $4,800.

That case stuck with me because most of the damage could have been prevented if the homeowner had known what to look for and how to act early.