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How to treat for carpenter ants


How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) can be found nearly anywhere in North America. Although they don’t eat wood, they tunnel through it to create hollow areas for their nests. If they get indoors, they’ll begin at spots with moisture damage, but from there, they can get into stronger wood, eventually weakening it and causing serious structural damage.

We’ll show you how to identify and get rid of carpenter ants on your own. However, since it’s nearly impossible to see the extent of an infestation or its damage at first glance, we strongly suggest hiring a professional exterminator to treat a carpenter ant problem. In this article, we’ll also offer our recommendations for the best pest control companies in the United States that treat carpenter ants.

How to Identify Carpenter Ants

There are multiple carpenter ant species, and they vary by color and size. However, the most common carpenter ants in North America are very large, from one-quarter inch all the way up to five-eighths of an inch in length. They’re usually black or reddish, and some may have wings. These wings assist the ants in swarming to find a new location for a colony, which happens in the spring—May through August in the eastern U.S. and February through June in the west.

Because carpenter ants build nests in wood, winged carpenter ants are sometimes confused with termites. However, you can easily tell these two pests apart with the naked eye. Carpenter ants have a narrow “waist,” or middle body segment (thorax), and their antennae have an angle to them, like an elbow. If these ants have wings, there are few veins, and the front pair of wings are longer than the rear pair.

Termites, on the other hand, have veiny wings, all four of which are the same size. They have straight antennae (no “elbow”), only have two body segments, and their midsections are thicker.

Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

You’ll likely see the worker ants before you find the nest. The appearance of a few carpenter ants inside your home doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a large colony indoors—it may be that a few ants have ventured inside from an outdoor colony. However, if you see a springtime swarm of winged carpenter ants, that means an established parent colony is nearby, as these swarms don’t emerge unless a colony has been around for at least two years.

Other signs you might see are small holes in the surface of wood where the ants have burrowed in. If the holes were made by carpenter ants, there will almost certainly be small piles of coarse sawdust (called frass) beneath the holes.

There may also be dead ants or ant body parts within the wood shavings. These ants most commonly nest in damp, decaying wood, so if you’re looking for a nest, look in areas near water leaks like in bathrooms, under sinks, or around windows and door frames.

Threats of Carpenter Ants

Where you live does matter—for example, the black carpenter ant that lives in the northern U.S. is more likely to make its home indoors than southern species. Fortunately, carpenter ants don’t pose a significant threat to your health, as they don’t spread disease, and while their bites can be painful, they’re not dangerous and they don’t bite often.

However, the threat they pose to the structure of your home can be significant. Since they hollow wood out to build their nests, if they get into the wall voids of your house and stay there undetected, they can cause catastrophic levels of damage.

The good news is that carpenter ants don’t do quite as much damage as termites, and they don’t work as quickly. Since they must leave the nest to find food, they’re also easier to spot. Nevertheless, once you spot the signs of a carpenter ant infestation, you need to act fast.

DIY Home Methods to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Because these insects live in hidden nests, it’s important that you don’t immediately start killing the first carpenter ants you see inside your home. The first step is to locate the nest so that you can destroy the colony.

Finding the Nest

As soon as you see carpenter ants in your home, follow them. As these ants walk, they lay down scent trails that allow other ants to follow them to and from food sources. You may need to be patient and follow them back to baseboards, cabinets, doors, or other wooden structures. You may even need to follow them outside if they’ve nested in tree stumps or dead trees.

However, even if you have an ant problem, you might not always see actual ants out and about. If this is the case, you may need to lure them out with some sweet bait, like diluted honey or sugar milk.

Carpenter ants are nocturnal, so set the bait out at night and then wait. When you get to the suspected area of the nest, listen closely—you may be able to hear a faint rustling sound. You can also tap on areas of suspected nests to listen for hollow sounds of damaged wood.

Killing the Ants

Once you’ve located the carpenter ant nest, you have several options for extermination.

Insecticides

The most common solution is to use an insecticide that contains pyrethroids. The trick is getting insecticidal spray or dust into the nest. You should never spray liquids around electrical outlets or junction boxes, but insecticidal dust can be used in these areas.

You can spray into any existing crevices, but you’ll probably need to drill additional holes into the voids in walls or hollow doors to access the colony. When using pesticides, always follow the instructions on the packaging. Also, only apply it to nests—killing individual worker ants won’t make a dent in the problem.

Boric acid dust also kills carpenter ants on contact, and it may be safer and easier to get into tiny spaces. Boric acid dust should be available at most hardware stores, and you’ll typically use an included applicator to puff the dust into holes or crevices.

Baits

Ant baiting is another possible solution, but it takes a bit longer to work. You simply apply the poisoned bait along the ants’ walking paths for them to pick up and bring back to the nest. There are special baits for carpenter ants, as generic ant baits might not be effective. Even so, ants can be picky, and if they ignore one type of bait, you may need to try another.

Desiccants

Desiccants are products that kill insects by destroying the outer protective layer of their bodies and causing them to dehydrate. Only licensed exterminators can apply silica gel, but diatomaceous earth is another common desiccant that anyone can purchase. It’s non-toxic to people and animals, but make sure not to breathe in any of the fine dust, which can cause lung damage. You can apply it into nests the same way you would an insecticidal dust.

Natural Solutions

Both diatomaceous earth and boric acid are non-pesticidal ant killers. If you do an internet search, you’ll find results claiming that all manner of essential oils or household products “repel” carpenter ants. Even if this is true, you don’t want a repellent at this stage of an infestation, as the ants will likely just relocate within your home or property, probably to a harder-to-treat location. You need to kill off the colony within your home before you concern yourself with repelling ants.

When to Call in the Pros

Unfortunately, because carpenter ants can nest deep within the structure of your home, they’re difficult to remove on your own. If you haven’t had any success with DIY methods, it’s better to call a professional exterminator sooner rather than later.

A pest control company will have access to better equipment and pesticidal products than most homeowners, and they’ll know how to access hidden nests while causing the least possible amount of structural damage to your home.

Our Top Picks for Professional Pest Control

Most professional exterminators should be able to take on a common pest like carpenter ants, but here are our top picks:

Terminix

Terminix offers a premium ant plan for getting rid of carpenter ants, in which trained technicians will locate and treat the primary colony as well as any satellite colonies. For a free quote from Terminix, call 866-569-4035 or fill out this quick form.

Orkin

With more than 400 locations across the country, Orkin is almost guaranteed to have a branch to serve you. With one of the company’s residential treatment plans, you’ll qualify for the Orkin Guarantee, a money-back offer that’s good for 30 days after treatment. For more information, enter your contact info or call 877-868-1416.

Bulwark

Although Bulwark isn’t available everywhere in the U.S., this family-owned company is now available in many major urban centers. Its technicians prioritize customer service and can perform either one-time carpenter ant treatments or regular pest control visits. Fill in your information or call 844-567-2094 for a free estimate from Bulwark.

Frequently Asked Questions About Carpenter Ants

How do I prevent carpenter ants?

Whether you’ve just treated an infestation or you want to avoid one in the first place, here are some tips for carpenter ant control and prevention.

What’s the difference between termite damage and carpenter ant damage?

Termites produce a mud-like material as waste from eating wood, which they’ll leave behind in their nests; carpenter ants only leave behind wood shavings. Holes and tunnels created by termites have a rougher look, whereas those created by ants look smooth and polished. If you’re unsure, contact a pest control professional to perform an inspection.

What do carpenter ants eat?

As previously mentioned, carpenter ants don’t eat wood. Instead, they prefer honeydew, a sugary liquid secreted by aphids. In fact, carpenter ants actively “farm” nearby aphids for this food.

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How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

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Learn how to identify carpenter ants and the damage they cause. We'll teach you how to get rid of them inside your home and outside.

Learn how to identify and get rid of carpenter ants. The first step is to identify and look for carpenter ant signs and/or carpenter ant damage. After that, you can determine how to treat and control carpenter ants yourself with professional ant control products.

Carpenter ants are indigenous to many parts of the world. They nest outside in dead, damp wood, building smooth, distinctive-looking nests. They remove wood to create passageways through the wood grain to provide access to various nest areas known as galleries. Indoors, carpenter ants nest in any natural hollow, such as hollow-core doors, window sills, and wall voids.

Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood; however, they damage wood, from hollowing out trees to damaging the materials used in the construction of buildings. Sometimes you can find their nesting location by observing the presence of frass, the very fine sawdust they leave behind when constructing nests.

Carpenter Ant Identify and Inspection

Small Ants to the larger Carpenter Ant

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Carpenter Ant Identification and Inspection

Black Carpenter Ants

Black Carpenter Ants

Eastern United States: (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)

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Black Carpenter Ants

Florida carpenter ant

Florida Carpenter Ants

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Florida Carpenter Ants

Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants ( 3 Steps )

1. Inspection

The first step in carpenter ant control is an inspection. The purpose of the inspection is to determine if they are located outside and simply foraging inside for food or if you have a colony or satellite colony inside your home.

Click Here: Carpenter Ant Inspection Tips.

2. Determine Treatment / Control Measures

Once you complete your inspection and identify nest locations and foraging trails, the next step is to determine which control measure to use. Carpenter ants are controlled through the application of insecticides and sprays in various forms. These forms include liquid concentrates, baits, dust, and foams.

3. Prevention

The final step is to prevent further infestations by ant-proofing your home and yard, clearing away rotting trees and lumber piles, fixing plumbing leaks, etc.

Click Here: Prevention Tips.

Non-Repellent Insecticide Sprays for Carpenter Ant Control

Spraying Procedures for Foraging Carpenter Ants

At times you will have foraging ants that come inside, forage for food, and then return to their outdoor nests.  You can block these foraging ants using a perimeter treatment with a non-repellent residual insecticides such as Navigator SC or Termidor SC also control a wide variety of insects including Termites, Spiders, Roaches, Centipedes, Millipedes, Ticks, and many more.

Carpenter Ant Bait Products

Baiting Procedures for Foraging Carpenter ants and Carpenter ants in recessed areas.

Apply carpenter ant baits after inspecting their trails. The ant baits listed below are designed to attract carpenter ants. The foraging carpenter ants pick up the bait and share it with the entire colony, killing it.

A good treatment choice is to bait both inside and the ground outside with a combination of baits.

Maxforce Fleet Ant Bait

Maxforce Fleet is a Fipronil carbohydrate-based gel with a high moisture content that gets rid of ants within 3-5 days. If the carpenter ants are feeding on sugar, they will eat it and store it and regurgitate it later to share with other ants. Apply Maxforce Fleet with the syringe applicator or bait injector in small amounts where you see the ants running.

Advance 375A Ant Bait Gel

The Advance 375 A Ant Bait is a protein-based food for the Ant's protein needs. Use Maxforce Fleet if they are feeding on sugar or carbohydrates.

Carpenter Ant Bait Combo

Combines both Maxforce Fleet and Advance 275A in kit forms for greater savings.

Treating the Voids (Colonies Inside a Hollow Area)

Indoor nests (voids) are found in hollow doors, window sills, behind baseboards, or other natural hollow areas. These are the areas that warrant a complete inspection. Indoor carpenter ant damage oftentimes indicates water damage and wood decay. Making necessary repairs will help prevent re-infestation. If you suspect the nest is in a wall, drill and treat at least 2–6 feet on either side of where the Ants are entering in order to maximize the opportunity to contact the nest directly, so you can get the queen.

Note: Do not use a liquid insecticide in a wall void. Treat wall voids and other hidden spaces where Ants hide by carefully drilling a series of small (1/8-inch) holes and dusting the area with a residual insecticide dust such as D Fense Dust. You can also use a non-repellent aerosol with a crack and crevice tips such as Spectre PS Aerosol, Alpine PT Aerosol, or foaming aerosol such as Alpine Ant Termite Foam. These methods provide a long-term residual effect.

WARNING: Never use liquid insecticides or metal-tipped devices around any electrical outlets.

Use Dust To Apply Into Void Areas

D Fense dust is to be used as a dust in void areas. Use a duster with it for the best application.

Use Aerosols To Apply Into Void Areas

Both Spectre PS Aerosol and Alpine Aerosols are non-repellent insecticides with crack and crevice tips. They work well in void areas where you don't know exactly where the nest is located.

The aerosols will flow into the void area.

Use Aerosol Foam To Apply Into Void Areas

Fuse Foam and Alpine Foams are non-repellent foam insecticides. Fuse Foam has a 30:1 expansion ratio to foam into ant and termite nests and galleries and structural voids. It's great for getting into hard-to-reach areas.

Carpenter Ant Prevention

Follow these steps to prevent carpenter ant infestations:

  1. Correct moisture problems, roof leaks, and plumbing leaks.
  2. Cut back tree limbs or branches that could serve as a bridge to your structure.
  3. Seal cracks and openings around the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside.
  4. Stack firewood away from the house, elevated off the ground if possible. Carpenter ants love to nest in firewood.
  5. Contact Us for further information and help with your carpenter ant issue. 1-800-476-3368

how to get rid of an aggressive insect

Insects have never been long-awaited guests in a person's home, and he has always tried and is trying to get rid of them. One of these uninvited guests is the European wood borer ant, a carrier of dysentery, plague, poliomyelitis and other dangerous diseases.

ContentsShow

Description, reproduction

There are several types of carpenter ants. The most common of them are black, they live in deciduous forests and build anthills in rotten stumps or in hollows of trees, gnaw their nests in damp wood. This is their main food.

The second species differs in color and length: red-breasted, shiny, large (from 12 to 15 millimeters), females with wings.

Among these ants there are even larger individuals. These are soldiers, they reach 18 mm in length. These insects like to settle in wooden houses, choose places for their nests indoors, in rooms, gnaw out passages in wooden walls and details. Ants breed endlessly, the uterus is able to reproduce offspring until the end of life, up to 15 years.

There are several clans in the ant family and each of its members has its own role. There are worker ants, soldiers, nannies and nurses. The latter monitor the laying of eggs and care for the larvae. Mating of woodworms occurs in the warm season, after which the female sheds her wings and lays her eggs in a new anthill, and the male ant dies. Goosebump eggs are small, white, round in shape. First, the queen feeds the larvae herself, and then gives them to nurses to raise and lays eggs again.

Signs of ants in the house

Ants are easy to spot. They do not walk alone, but prefer to move in groups or along a path, following the same route. Woodworms leave dust next to their nests, which is obtained from the wood frayed by their mandibles.

How to find a nest?

It is useless to breed insects one by one, you need to find a place where the whole population lives. You can try to find the nest by searching the house and rooms, but it's better to go for the trick. Any ant will drag food to its anthill, therefore, having found a path or dust, it is worth putting bait there (they love sweets) and follow where the insect will run with it.

If the nest is in furniture, then such an object can be sprayed with special means, an anthill in a wooden box is easier to take out into the street entirely, but it is difficult to eradicate settlements invisible to the eye. Then poison comes to the rescue: drugs that destroy both egg laying and adults.

How to poison?

Humane measures with woodworms do not work. These insects cause irreparable harm to individual wooden objects and are able to gnaw not only the veranda, but also ruin the house. Therefore, it is necessary to act radically: to fight with the help of chemicals. If animals and children live in the house where the ants have settled, it is recommended to try gentle methods.

Folk ways to kill ants

Where children and animals live, it is recommended to use organic products first. Their systematic processing of a wooden house allows them to get rid of a few insects that are just looking for a place for a new nest and did not have time to gnaw out passages in the wood.

The wood-boring ant does not like boric acid. It is mixed with sugar or honey, laid out on saucers and placed next to the anthill.

These pests are controlled with vinegar, yeast, garlic and black soap. Garlic scares away ants, and they leave the houses where this plant lies.

Carboxylic acid (2 tbsp) can be used to control woodworm ants, which is mixed with black and laundry soap and diluted with water. This solution should be poured into the anthill three times in one day and do this for two days in a row.

A solution prepared from yeast and granulated sugar can also be poured into the nest. You can prepare such traps: cover the bottom of a bowl with honey or sugar syrup and set it next to the insect population. Woodworms crawl to feed, climb to the treat and get stuck in it. If the nest is on the site, it can be burned by dousing it with gasoline. But near the house to do so is prohibited.

You can also use ammonia to repel carpenter ants, as for their garden counterparts:

  • Mrowkofon;
  • Drione Pest Insecticide Dust;
  • Feverfew;
  • Kieselguhr;
  • Delta Dust.

    • When the nests are visible, they can be treated with powders or gel. The gel is applied along the ant paths, and the insects drag it into the houses, and the powder infects the uterus and the entire population.

    Chemicals

    When a nest is found, it is recommended to place traps or baits mixed with something sweet at its intended entrance. An ant that likes a treat will bring it to its brethren and infect the whole population in the anthill. Within three days after infection, all insects die.

    Gel preparations:

    Make three baits for each nest by mixing any of the preparations with jam or sugar. The poison contained in the gels will destroy all insects, they will disappear forever.

    Sprayers:

    Spray only works on carpenter ants that are visible. It is difficult to cause great harm to the entire population. However, if the nest is found within reach, the following agents should be used:

    Treatment must be carried out in a room free of animals and children, as this preparation is odorous. A description of the use of the sprayer can be found in the photograph on the can: "Direct the jet into the nest when all the insects are in it (after five o'clock in the evening)". Spraying such a product is done at least 3-4 times.

    It is worth remembering that you can not apply the drug on the ant tracks themselves. This scares off insects, over time they will learn to bypass the poisonous place, and the fight against them will not lead to the desired result.

    Ants are useful by working in the forest, but in human habitation they are all trouble and anxiety.

    Nadezhda Sobchenko

    Can carpenter ants bite you?

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    Contents

    Carpenter ants are black, red or brown ants that tunnel through wood to form colonies. They live throughout the United States, especially in the north. There are over 1,000 species of carpenter ants.

    These ants rarely bite humans and their bites are not dangerous. You may feel a burning sensation after the bite, but it should pass after a short time.

    Do carpenter ants bite?

    Carpenter ants may bite you, but this is rare. Most likely, they will do it in self-defense. These bites are not dangerous to your health.

    Carpenter ant sting symptoms

    Carpenter ant stings are not serious and do not present as a bite or sting from a single insect.

    You may notice a bite if you have been outside and close to the colony. There is a chance that your skin may turn a little red from the bite, but it shouldn't be too much. You may feel a burning sensation after being bitten. These symptoms will not last.

    Carpenter Ant Identification

    Typically carpenter ants are red or black or a combination of the two. They may also be brown. Carpenter ants have six legs, three body sections, antennae, and sometimes wings.

    Carpenter ants can be 1/4" to 3/4" long.

    In the United States, they live primarily in the northern part of the country.

    Fire ants vs carpenter ants

    Carpenter ants are not dangerous to humans, but fire ants can be dangerous.

    While carpenter ants may lightly sting you, fire ants may crowd and sting you. These stings are very painful and lead to the formation of raised pimples on the skin. You can get an infection or experience an allergic reaction from fire ant stings.

    Fire ants are very small, usually 1/4 inch or less. Their color is reddish brown. They are aggressive and live in raised earth mounds. They are common in the southern United States.

    Fire ant stings are fairly common. One study found that 79percent of those who lived in Texas experienced a fire ant sting in the same year.

    Carpenter Ant Against Termites

    Termites, like carpenter ants, target wood and gnaw through it very quickly. But termites actually eat wood, unlike carpenter ants.

    Termites can destroy woodwork in your home very quickly if you don't treat an infestation soon after it starts.

    You are unlikely to be bitten by a termite.

    Termites live throughout the United States and often arrive in new habitats as winged insects. They shed their wings as soon as they find a new feeding area.

    Carpenter ants may be winged, with wings larger at the top than at the bottom. Termites have wings of the same size from top to bottom. Termites have antennae pointing straight ahead, while ants have antennae pointing at a 90-degree angle.

    What to do if you get bitten

    Carpenter ant stings cause minor irritation, so it may not be necessary to do anything to treat the sting.

    You can avoid being bitten again by moving to another location after noticing the bite.

    If your skin reacts to a bite, you can give simple first aid to the area. This may include washing the bite site with soap and water and applying a cool cloth to the area.

    While carpenter ant stings should be harmless, chances are that what bit you was something more dangerous than a carpenter ant.

    If you experience swelling, prolonged pain, fever, or the bite site gets worse, see your doctor. This may be a sign of an infection or an allergic reaction.

    Do carpenter ants pose any other danger to people, pets, or our homes?

    Carpenter ant stings are relatively harmless. But carpenter ants can damage the wood in your home. These insects do not eat wood like termites, but they tunnel through it to build their colonies.

    What attracts carpenter ants?

    Carpenter ants love moisture and fungus in wood. Areas where there is excess moisture due to leaks, rainfall and buildup can be attractive to them.

    How to get rid of carpenter ants

    There are several ways to kill carpenter ants: