If you see a large number of ants or hear scurrying sounds, you may have carpenter ant nests in your home. These insects can cause serious damage if left untreated over a long period of time. Although they aren’t as destructive as termites, carpenter ants can still weaken the structural integrity of support beams and wall studs and ceiling and floor joists. They tunnel through wood, creating hollow areas for their nests. They are most commonly found in moist, decaying wood, but will nestle in stronger, drier wood as well.
Carpenter ant infestations can be difficult to get rid of. The main colony is often located outside in rotting logs, wood piles or old tree stumps, with satellite colonies indoors. You can help prevent a carpenter ant invasion by clearing away rotting wood and debris around your house, and by fixing any leaks. Foraging ants are attracted to sweets and other food, so keeping these foods sealed in airtight containers will help to deter them.
You can also kill foraging ants by spraying them with a solution Carpenter Ants Removal of two parts water to one part dishwashing liquid. This will suffocate the ants. To prevent ants from entering your home, you should regularly spray entry points with this mixture, as well as other areas of your home that are likely to be targeted, such as the baseboards and door frames.
Using bait traps is another way to catch and destroy foraging carpenter ants. Mix powdered sugar with boric acid to create an ant bait. Place the bait stations where you’ve seen ants, and in sheltered spaces such as behind cabinets and in the walls. The ants will carry the bait back to their nest, where it will kill them. Boric acid is low toxicity, and can be used around kids and pets.
Another effective ant killer is desiccants, such as silica gel and diatomaceous earth. These products cling to the ants as they crawl through them, serrating their exoskeletons and dehydrating them until they die. You can sprinkle these products in the affected area, and also in other carpenter ant habitats outside your home.
If you’ve tried the DIY options above and are still seeing ants or hearing scurrying noises, call in a professional. A pest control technician will have access to better equipment and more powerful pesticides, and will be able to locate and destroy hidden nests without causing any unnecessary structural damage to your home. They’ll also have the expertise to treat carpenter ant infestations more quickly and thoroughly than you can.