It's important to note that carpenter ants only make nests in wood to live in. They do not use timber for food as termites do. Carpenter ants make their nests by creating tunnels through preferably damp wood where.
Hearing a faint rustling sound or scratching noise in your walls or inside your woodwork. Carpenter ants burrow into the woodwork to create their nests, and they make noise when scraping out the wood particles. Spotting large black ants in your house.
Carpenter ants adore wood, and the amount of wood that you have around your property can encourage or discourage these destructive insects. Unlike termites, the ants don't eat wood, but ants build their nests in wooden structures, including garden sheds, decking, and even in the mulch.
Make a bait to find the nest.
They're attracted to sweets, so a little bit of jam or jelly can work. You can also mix equal parts sugar and baking soda, then place the mixture in a shallow dish. The sugar attracts the ants, but the baking soda will kill them naturally.
Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but prefer wood which is moist. Consequently, the nests are more likely to be found in wood dampened by water leaks, such as around sinks, bathtubs, poorly sealed windows/ door frames, roof leaks and poorly flashed chimneys.
Depending on the whereabouts of the ants' colony, structural damage can occur in just a matter of months. Rather than chancing the DIY route to getting rid of carpenter ants, hire a professional exterminator to do the job right for you, and banish these destructive pests forever.
Another reason you may be seeing carpenter ants is because wet conditions (often caused by damage from weather, plumbing issues, condensation, etc.) are prevalent in or around your home.
If you're dealing with a carpenter ant infestation, you may be wondering if there's any way to get rid of them without resorting to chemicals or calling in an exterminator. Although carpenter ants will eventually die off on their own if their food source disappears, this process could take months or even years.
The Do's And Don'ts Of Carpenter Ant Control
Don't ignore carpenter ants. They are not a pest that will go away on their own. Don't assume carpenter ants are just another ant. These ants are unique and require specialized solutions.
Since they're cold-blooded, they are usually dormant during winter, except when their nests receive adequate heat and moisture. Because of this, carpenter ants are difficult to locate as they stay mostly in their satellite nests or parent nest.
Drywall, also known as sheetrock, is used in walls and ceilings in many homes. As the biggest attraction spot for carpenter ants is a place where water and wood interact to cause some rotting, carpenter ants can easily eat through the drywall. In fact, moist drywall is an ideal nesting place for Carpenter Ants.
Like most ants, carpenter ants use pheromone trails for navigation and communication—it's also how they find food. Essential oils can be used to disrupt these trails, which ultimately disorients and deters ants. Lemongrass, peppermint, clove, cedarwood, tea tree, orange and lemon oil are all effective.
A termite infestation is worse than an ant infestation.
You don't want ants or termites using your home for food or shelter. However, if you had to pick between the two, carpenter ants are the lesser of two evils.
Don't wait until you see the damage. Don't wait until you have carpenter ant swarmers crawling around on the inside of your windows. When you see these large wood-chewing ants, contact a pest management company and have them do an inspection. Your home is one of the largest investments you'll make in life.
Follow Their Trails
You may sometimes figure out where a nest is by looking at the movement patterns of ants. More often than not, these trails will be coming from food sources within or around your home towards their nests in wood structures or trees.
These pests are not only an annoyance, but carpenter ants are also bad for your home, as they can cause serious wood damage to the structure. The sooner carpenter ants are treated, the less serious and expensive the damage is likely to be.
Each year, carpenter ants become active in the spring (March-April) and remain so through early fall (September-October). A mature carpenter ant colony usually releases reproductive individuals in springtime.
The only way to ensure carpenter ants won't return is by eliminating the colony. It's one thing to apply treatment to a couple ants you see scurrying across your kitchen counters, but it won't do much unless you get the source of your ant infestation.
Carpenter ants don't disappear in the winter. They can be a year-round problem for any home. And, a year-round problem needs a year-round solution. Carpenter ants are also a pest threat that is ever-encroaching.
Carpenter ant infestations, whether minor or severe, can be handled by utilizing many of the same measures as other ant species. Ant bait, insecticide dust, and insecticidal spray are the most common ant management techniques.
Carpenter ants are capable of damaging any wood within which they nest. Carpenter ant infestation can become severe when left untreated, and, in some cases, a colony of carpenter ants can develop satellite nests.
Another effective carpenter ant trap method is made from a non-toxic, non-staining solid bait that ants eat and bring back to the nest. This attracts other ants to eat it as well, eventually killing off the entire colony.
Hopefully, this is the stage in which you detect these wood-destroying pests. When they first get in, they are going to send workers out to find food. If you see one of these worker ants, it is important to recognize it as a warning sign. Carpenter ants are not likely to raid your pantry and cabinets for food.
Carpenter Ant Control
If left untreated, carpenter ants can end up causing severe damage to a building. If you suspect you have a carpenter ant colony in your home or building, experts advise calling a pest control company as soon as possible.