Whats the best way to get rid of carpenter ants?

Similar questions: Whats rid carpenter ants.

Destroy the nest! 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.

Treat wall voids and other hidden spaces where ants are entering by carefully drilling a series of small (1/8 inch) holes and puffing boric acid (available at most hardware stores) into the suspected nest areas. 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 3-6 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. If you suspect the nest location is in a wall, also treat behind pipe collars and behind --not in-- the junction box for electrical switch plates/receptacles. NEVER SPRAY LIQUIDS OR INSERT METAL-TIPPED DEVICES AROUND ELECTRICAL OUTLETS!

). As noted earlier, carpenter ants seen in the home may actually be nesting outdoors, foraging indoors for food and/or moisture. 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.

Tips When Calling a Professional 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.

Some attempt to locate the nest and selectively treat only in specific areas. Other companies take more of a "shot-gun" approach, drilling and dusting as many potential wall voids and nesting sites as possible. Most companies also apply a perimeter spray treatment around the outside foundation of the home in an effort to temporarily prevent reinvasion.

The approach which should not be used is simply to spray each month where carpenter ants are seen. If no effort is made to locate the nest(s) or probable nest areas, the problem will most likely continue. Typically, there will be wide differences in price depending on the company and amount of effort expended.

Since carpenter ant problems are not always solved on the first attempt, the type of guarantee and reputation of the company should be factored into the purchasing decision. Carpenter Ant Prevention A number of steps can be taken by homeowners to reduce the potential for future carpenter ant problems. Correct roof leaks, plumbing leaks and other moisture problems which will attract carpenter ants.

Eliminate wood-to-ground contact such as where landscaping has moved soil or mulch up against the wood siding of a home. Clip back tree limbs and vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house. Limbs and branches serve as "bridges" between carpenter ants nesting in a dead tree limb and the structure.

Seal cracks and openings in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside. Stack firewood away from the foundation and elevate it off the ground. Never store firewood in the garage or other areas of the home, as firewood is a prime nesting area for carpenter ants.

Sources: http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef603.asp .

Getting rid of Carpenter Ants First a word of caution. Many pest control professionals consider Carpenter ants the most difficult pest there is to deal with in the industry. With all the training and experience they have, there are some homes that take considerable time and a number of treatments to completely eradicate these destructive insects.

Many homeowners will call in a professional after they have failed to solve the problem themselves. This situation is usually more difficult to deal with because the homeowner randomly sprayed pesticides killing the obvious evidence and scattering the satellite nests. Of course this increases the cost.

If you are not prepared to spend hours in your attic and crawl space wearing a respirator, rubber gloves, coveralls and a hat, then you may be wise to call a professional to do the job properly. The process: 1. Find all of the Satellite nests in the home.(Read about nests on the identification and life cycle page) 2.

Try to locate the "mother" nests and the queens. 3. Eliminate conditions that made the home a suitable habitat for the ants.4.

Treat the satellite nests with a suitable pest control method or product. Don't: 1. Don't spray pesticides on ants outside the nests.

Use a vacuum cleaner inside your home.2. Don't use "ant drops, ant poisons, ant traps". Save your money for something worthwhile.3.

Don't squash foraging ants. Follow them.4. Don't rip apart walls or ceilings to find the nests.

How to: How to find the satellite nests: At the bottom of this page are links to educational institute web sites, each of them displaying some very interesting guidelines and theories about finding carpenter ant nests. Some of the suggestions are excellent. Some may not seem practical to an experienced pest control professional.

If you want to strictly follow the advise of the academic community, we suggest you read the information presented by Dr. Lauren Hansen, Ph.D. Of Spokane Falls Community College.Dr. Hansen is probably the most highly respected source of knowledge about carpenter ants among entomologists and pest control professionals around the world. She has made a habit of putting on the coveralls, respirator and rubber gloves to go down into dirty crawl spaces and apply her knowledge about dealing with these pests.

Laurel D. HansenAdjunct FacultyInstructor in BiologySpokane Falls Community College3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr.Spokane, WA 99224-5288Website: http://faculty.sfcc.spokane.cc.wa.us/LHansen/default.htmAreas of Interest:I teach liberal arts transfer courses in biology and zoology at SFCC, plus workshops in pesticide education for recertification credits and insect classes for K-12 teachers for continuing hours.In addition, I teach a summer workshop at EWU for K-12 teachers to use insects in teaching science.

Research interests include carpenter ant biology and management strategies. Activities concentrate on baits for carpenter ants plus efficacy tests for perimeter sprays and dust formulations. Laboratory research takes place at SFCC and field work includes areas in the Spokane, Puget Sound, and Portland.

Read more: www.pestcontrolcanada.com/getting_rid_of_carpenter_ants.htm Sources: www.pestcontrolcanada.com/getting_rid_of_carpenter_ants.htm .

Pest control professionals consider Carpenter ants the most difficult pest there is First a word of caution. Many pest control professionals consider Carpenter ants the most difficult pest there is to deal with in the industry. With all the training and experience they have, there are some homes that take considerable time and a number of treatments to completely eradicate these destructive insects.

Many homeowners will call in a professional after they have failed to solve the problem themselves. This situation is usually more difficult to deal with because the homeowner randomly sprayed pesticides killing the obvious evidence and scattering the satellite nests. Of course this increases the cost.

If you are not prepared to spend hours in your attic and crawl space wearing a respirator, rubber gloves, coveralls and a hat, then you may be wise to call a professional to do the job properly. You can read the advice from a Canadian Government web site if you are determined to deal with carpenter ants yourself. The process: 1.

Find all of the Satellite nests in the home. (Read about nests on the identification and life cycle page) 2. Try to locate the "mother" nests and the queens.3.

Eliminate conditions that made the home a suitable habitat for the ants. 4. Treat the satellite nests with a suitable pest control method or product.

Don't: 1. Don't spray pesticides on ants outside the nests. Use a vacuum cleaner inside your home.2.

Don't use "ant drops, ant poisons, ant traps". Save your money for something worthwhile.3. Don't squash foraging ants.

Follow them.4. Don't rip apart walls or ceilings to find the nests. How to: How to find the satellite nests: At the bottom of this page are links to educational institute web sites, each of them displaying some very interesting guidelines and theories about finding carpenter ant nests.

Some of the suggestions are excellent. Some may not seem practical to an experienced pest control professional. If you want to strictly follow the advise of the academic community, we suggest you read the information presented by Dr. Lauren Hansen, Ph.D.

Of Spokane Falls Community College. Dr. Hansen is probably the most highly respected source of knowledge about carpenter ants among entomologists and pest control professionals around the world. She has made a habit of putting on the coveralls, respirator and rubber gloves to go down into dirty crawl spaces and apply her knowledge about dealing with these pests.

Finding carpenter ant nests requires a lot of time an patience. With years of experience, a professional will know where these nests are likely to be and will look for evidence of frass, the junk thrown out of nests. This is often caught up in spider webs in attics, crawl spaces, basements under decks and around the exterior perimeter under the soffits and below the siding.

Sometimes sawdust excavated by the ants from the structure will be noticeable, but not always. Following ants outside the nest is the best indication of it's location, but ants will often follow channels hidden from the hot sun, rain and your vision. Less than 10 % of the population will ever leave the nests so at times there are very few to follow.

Knowing whether the ant you are following is heading for food, or has already eaten and is heading back to the nest is an indicator that some very experienced professionals claim to be capable of seeing. Listen for them. If your hearing is good and the home is very quiet you may be able to hear the rustling and chewing noise they make.

A medical stethoscope is useful but the sound of a refrigerator or even a clock can confuse the inexperienced ear. How to find the main nests (and the queens): In some locations it would be impossible to find all the main nests among the trees, logs, stumps, buried wood and roots. Even if these nests are found, removing them can be a monumental task.

All satellite nests remain in contact with the main nest. Workers can be seen carrying mature larvae from the overcrowded queen's home to new or established satellites of the colony. If you find the main nest, try to remove it physically.

If you put toxic products into it, they may leach into the ground water and contaminate water supplies or fish habitat some distance away. If you can not remove the nest, try to eliminate any favorable conditions that encourage them to move toward the home. Tree branches, fences, garden hoses, structural wood touching the soil, landscape ties and utility wires all provide an easy route to follow.

A very fine dusting of diatomaceous earth around the perimeter base of the home will discourage all insects from crossing it to gain entry. This is short term and should be repeated frequently in the spring, summer and fall. Pesticides, Poisons and Secret Formulas.

Toxic Sprays: Most pesticides available to the public will kill any insect that they come in contact with while still wet. Once dry, the residual effect is minimal and has very little effect on insects. Ant Dusts: Diatomaceous earth is sold in a variety of containers with convincing trade names.

The basic product can also be purchased in much less expensive plain plastic bags at most garden stores. Toxic chlorpyrifos is now off the market and illegal to use in Canada and U.S.A. Boric Acid dust: It is very difficult to inject into a nesting cavity without proper equipment. Do not put it in exposed areas.

Ant Poisons sold over the counter at most hardware stores have little if any effect on carpenter ants Ant Traps are actually not traps. The little tin cans with holes in the side contain borax. They have no effect on carpenter ants.

Secret Formulas: If you find one that works, patent it immediately. Scientists around the world have been searching for years for ingredients that will attract and kill or repel carpenter ants. Some things that homeowners have tried include cinnamon, cayenne pepper, moth balls, boric acid and icing sugar.

None of them have been proven effective. Sources: http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/getting_rid_of_carpenter_ants.htm .

1 Good question... I'm having a problem with them too.

Good question... I'm having a problem with them too.

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How to get rid of carpenter ants. Any suggestions?

Help! My house is being invaded by ants! How can I get rid of them... I'm ready to move out!

Help I have ants in my house I need rid of them how I do it we tried everything.

Help my cats found ants in kitchen and bathroom and I need rid of them.

How to get rid of small ants in house and yard.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.