Carpenter ants are considered one of the most difficult household pests to eradicate and can prove to be a real problem for the homeowner. They prefer wood that is wet or decayed and while they do not actually eat wood like termites, they excavate it to form cavities for their nests. Sometimes your first clue that you have a carpenter ant problem might be the sawdust, or frass as it is called, left by the ants as they build their nests and tunnels or possibly sightings of the ants themselves.
Tracking down carpenter ant nests can be difficult and requires a lot of time and patience. Following ants is the best way of locating the nest, but often the ants will use hidden tunnels so this may not be as easy as it sounds and if there is any brush areas or tree lots near your home, locating the nest might be almost impossible.
If you are fortunate enough to find the main nest, you must also be sure to locate all the satellite nests. You can then use an approved pest control product to kill the carpenter ants at their source. Do not attempt to simply spray a household insect spray on carpenter ants. There are no non-repellent sprays labeled for use on ants and most sprays will only kill the exposed ants, while the queens will remain safe deep in the nest and will continue to lay eggs.
Also, carpenter ants can sense the presence of pesticides and will simply avoid them or even move the nest if the chemicals are too close. This may cause the ants to divide into several new nests where new the queens will lay more eggs making your original infestation many times larger.
An Ounce of Prevention
Remove any possible hiding or nesting areas on your property as well as anything that might provide a secure route into your home. Tree limbs, landscaping ties and even the garden hose can all provide an easy trail for carpenter ants. Trim any branches and bushes touching the house and rake leaves and debris away from the foundation. Make sure no wood structure comes in contact with the ground and never mound soil directly against the foundation as part of your landscape planting.
Dusting diatomaceous earth around the foundation of the house will discourage the ants from entering. Diatomaceous earth is a brittle material made from the hard shells of fossilized sea creatures and it destroys the carpenter ant by absorbing their protective body covering, causing them to dry out. This is only a short term solution and will need to be repeated frequently throughout the year.
If you find carpenter ants in you home or yard, you will obviously not have an easy time ahead when it comes to getting rid of them as they are secretive and tenacious insects but if you are determined and persistent and do your research you can win the battle with the carpenter ant.
