Tips for Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants can wreak havoc on the wooden structures of your home if you don’t do anything to stop them. This damage is intended to create nests, rather than provide food for the ants. Here are some suggestions on how to get rid of carpenter ants once you’ve found them in your home.

Locate and Destroy the Carpenter Ant Nest

The best way to deal with a carpenter ant infestation is by locating and destroying their nest. This is important because carpenter ant queens have been observed to live for up to 25 years! That is a long time for the queen to lay eggs and grow the ant population on your property. Modesto pest control experts suggest that you observe your home, both indoors and outdoors, for frass (fine wood debris looking like sawdust). You should also check for damaged wood and observe whether these ants have nested inside that wood.

Alternatively, follow their trail until you discover where their nest is hidden. Spray a residual insecticide in that nest so that all the ants that return to it will be killed as soon as they get in contact with that pesticide. Talk to AAI Pest Control for advice about the most appropriate insecticide to use so that you don’t endanger your family and pets.

Use Baking Soda and Sugar on Carpenter Ants

You can also make your own carpenter ant killer by mixing equal amounts of powdered sugar and baking soda. Ants love sweet substances, so the sugar will attract them to this bait while the baking soda will deliver the killer blow. For maximum effect, place this bait in the places where carpenter ant activity has been observed. The chemical trail that the ants leave will guide all the members of the colony to that bait and they will eat the deadly concoction.

Use Boiling Water on Carpenter Ants

This remedy is suitable for use when you have located the nest of the carpenter ants. Boil several liters of water and carefully pour that water into the nest of the ants. All the ants there will be killed. Repeat this treatment several times until no more carpenter ants remain. Additionally, you can add some drops of essential oil to this hot water for an extra punch.

Spray Soapy Water on Carpenter Ants

You can also prepare a mixture of soap and water (in a 1:2 ratio) and place this mixture in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the ants you see. The spray will not only kill the insects it touches, but it will also eliminate the chemical trail that ant colonies rely upon to find their way to a food source identified by one of their own. Modesto pest control professionals warn that it may take longer for you to eliminate the entire colony since this method only kills the ants that come in contact with the soap/water mixture.

Use Essential Oils to Repel Carpenter Ants

As already indicated, carpenter ants rely on pheromones to communicate with each other and mark the way to a food source. However, their chemical receptors can get overwhelmed if an essential oil is smeared or sprayed in the areas where they operate. Experts at AAI Pest Control suggest that any essential oil, such as peppermint and lemon oil, will repel the ants and they will leave. Dab a cotton ball into the oil and rub this ball over countertops, windowsills and other surfaces close to the places where you suspect an entry point for the ants. Repeat this treatment on a daily basis until no ant is visible on your property.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Another of the methods you can use if you are interested in how to get rid of carpenter ants is to sprinkle DE in the carpenter ant nest if you can find it, or spread the powder in the areas where you have observed these ants. Any ant that walks over the powder will be injured and it will eventually die due to the abrasive effects of the powder.

The discussion above explains how to get rid of carpenter ants once they invade your home. However, it is always better to prevent a pest problem before it manifests instead of trying to fix the problem after the fact. Contact us at AAI Pest Control if you need help in pest-proofing your home against carpenter ants or any other pests. You will then have your home to yourself and your family without having to share that space with freeloaders.