Finding Carpenter Ant Nests. Carpenter Ant Infestation. Natural Carpenter Ant Pesticide. Boric Acid and Carpenter Ants. Carpenter Ant Identification. Red and Black Carpenter Ants. Carpenter Ant Size. Life Cycle of Carpenter Ants. Carpenter Ant Larvae. Carpenter Ant Queens. Call Residential Commercial. Resources Carpenter Ants Home Protection. The extent and potential damage to a home depends on how many nests are actually present within the structure, and how long the infestation has been active.
Although large carpenter ant colonies are capable of causing structural damage, the damage is not normally as serious as that from termites. In some cases, the damage may be relatively insignificant, but this can only be determined by locating and exposing the nest area. The best way to control carpenter ants is to find and destroy the nests. This is often easier said than done. Recent studies have shown that carpenter ants follow distinct scent trails between the satellite colonies and the parent nest.
Carpenter ants also rely on scent trails to recruit their nestmates to food. With patience and a little effort, homeowners can use this trailing behavior displayed by carpenter ants to locate and eliminate the nests. When carpenter ants are observed, don't spray them ; instead, feed the ants small dabs of diluted honey placed onto the back nonsticky side of pieces of masking tape.
The best time to do this is late at night since this is when carpenter ants are most active. After the ants have fed on the honey, follow them on their journey back to their nest. Be patient -- eventually the ants will disappear behind a baseboard, cabinet, or into some other concealed location such as the hollow space void within a wall, door casing, or porch column.
The boric acid powder will disperse in the hidden void and contact and kill the ants. If you suspect the nest is in a wall, drill and treat at least feet on either side of where ants are entering so as to maximize the chances of contacting the nest. Carpenter ants prefer to travel along wires, pipes and edges. Consequently, the homeowner may end up following the ants they have baited with honey out of the house and into the yard, possibly to a nest located in a stump, or under a log or railroad tie.
Once the outdoor nest is discovered, treatment can be performed by spraying or drenching the nest with an insecticide such as carbaryl Sevin , diazinon, or chlorpyrifos Dursban. If outdoor nests are suspected, the homeowner should also inspect around the foundation of the building at night with a flashlight, especially around doors, weep holes and openings such as where utility pipes and wires enter the structure. The baiting approach using honey can also be used to trace carpenter ants which are foraging outdoors back to their nest.
Oftentimes, it will be difficult or impossible to locate and destroy the carpenter ant nest s. In this case, the homeowner may wish to call a professional pest control operator.
Pest control companies approach carpenter ant problems differently. If a home has an outdoor kitchen or cooking area, food can be left out to attract carpenter ants. Keep food cleaned up and stored away.
If there are dogs or cats in a home, sometimes pet food is left outside as an attractant. Refrain from doing this, if possible, or consider putting food out only during meal times. When shaded areas around a home begin to create moist areas, or moss develops, it can make a home more inviting to carpenter ants. Trimming trees and bushes can allow the sunlight through to dry the soil near the home.
When leaves and sticks are allowed to lay on the ground, it can trap moisture in the soil beneath, which will draw carpenter ants in. It is best to keep leaves and sticks raked up. Be sure to not leave piles in the yard or, worse, underneath a deck or a porch. Piles of decaying organic matter are a prime foraging location for these insects. And, if they're foraging under your deck or porch, it is likely that they will find vulnerabilities to exploit.
A common harborage choice for carpenter ants in the wild is old trees with holes, knots, or hollow cavities.
If you have an old tree in your yard, it could become a home for carpenter ants. If the tree is 20 feet from the home, it may be fine. But old trees near your foundation perimeter should be treated routinely for pest issues to prevent unwanted attention from a wide range of insects, bugs, and rodents. A carpenter ant isn't much to look at.
Even though these ants are the largest ants you'll find in your home, they're still pretty small. So it can be easy to just crush them with a piece of paper towel or toilet paper and throw them away without giving it another thought.
But you shouldn't. You need to address the real problem. The damage caused by carpenter ants can build up over time and become extremely costly.
Here are some signs you may be tempted to ignore:. Winged ants appearing on interior window panes. When a carpenter ant nest releases male and female, winged reproductives, they sometimes gather on interior window panes as they attempt to get to the light outside.
It is easy enough to vacuum them up and forget about them. But you should know that there is no possible way those winged ants came from a colony on someone else's property.
When you see signs of carpenter ants , it is possible that a carpenter ant infestation hasn't taken root yet, and that you could avoid one. It is also possible that you have a satellite colony in your home and by having a pest control expert address it, the parent colony could be found before more carpenter ants can invade the walls of your home.
It costs less to prevent carpenter ant infestations than it does to arrest a carpenter ant infestation. Along with the additional cost of pest extermination, there is the cost of repairing the damage done by these wood-destroying insects, which can be difficult. There is sometimes no way to know how extensive the damage is, and it can lead to structural issues as a home ages. Routine treatments to the perimeter of your home can keep carpenter ants and other unwanted pests out of your home.
It provides essential surveillance and control for carpenter ants. With routine inspections from an experienced and trained professional, you'll get the feedback you need to make sure carpenter ants don't take advantage of vulnerabilities. You'll also get the treatments needed to resist and control those destructive pests before they have a chance to eat away at your equity. Best of all, Home Protection Plus controls more than just carpenter ants.
You'll get protection from over 30 other common pests that can damage your home, destroying your belongings, infest your foods, spread diseases to the people living in your home, and leave bites on your skin.
In certain communities, we offer monitoring for subterranean termites, which can be far more dangerous to the equity of your home. Don't wait to get your protection in place. Learn more about our Pest Control Programs. Arrow will install a passive subterranean termite monitoring system at critical or conducive areas along the exterior perimeter foundation of your home.
This system will include up to 4 in-ground subterranean termite monitoring stations. These stations will be serviced and inspected as part of your routine service. Our solutions are designed for even your toughest pest problems.
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