Carpenter ants are often mistaken for termites. You can easily tell them apart by looking at them closely.
Carpenter ants are all black. Carpenter ants have bent antennae (termites have straight antennae) and they
have different-sized wings (termites wings are all the same size). Finally, carpenter ants have very narrow
waists. Carpenter ants can cause serious damage to the woodwork of your house and getting rid of them is not
always the easiest thing to do.
Carpenter ants are all black. Carpenter ants have bent antennae (termites have straight antennae) and they
have different-sized wings (termites wings are all the same size). Finally, carpenter ants have very narrow
waists. Carpenter ants can cause serious damage to the woodwork of your house and getting rid of them is not
always the easiest thing to do.
Carpenter Ant Colonies
Carpenter ants make their colonies indoors or outdoors. Outdoor colonies house
thousands of ants and there is always a home nest where the queen ant lives and satellite
colonies where smaller pockets of worker ants reside. Carpenter ants make their colonies
in damp wood so a good place to look for them is in moist areas. Outdoor locations are
firewood piles, dead rotting trees and damp wood trim around the house. Indoors,
carpenter ants love to live behind the dishwasher and sink and damp window sills and
door frames.
thousands of ants and there is always a home nest where the queen ant lives and satellite
colonies where smaller pockets of worker ants reside. Carpenter ants make their colonies
in damp wood so a good place to look for them is in moist areas. Outdoor locations are
firewood piles, dead rotting trees and damp wood trim around the house. Indoors,
carpenter ants love to live behind the dishwasher and sink and damp window sills and
door frames.
Tracking Carpenter Ants
You need to find the carpenter ant
colonies before you can get rid of them.
Set bait such as honey and wait until they
come to feast. Follow them after they
visit the honey. Yes, follow them!
Carpenter ants form well traveled paths
back to their colonies. Carpenter ants are
nocturnal so the best time to do this is at
night. You can pinpoint the ants if they
are inside your walls by tapping the wall.
The colony area will have a hollow sound.
You can also hear the sound of a lively ant
colony. A soft rustling noise can be heard
from a lively colony of ants at night.
colonies before you can get rid of them.
Set bait such as honey and wait until they
come to feast. Follow them after they
visit the honey. Yes, follow them!
Carpenter ants form well traveled paths
back to their colonies. Carpenter ants are
nocturnal so the best time to do this is at
night. You can pinpoint the ants if they
are inside your walls by tapping the wall.
The colony area will have a hollow sound.
You can also hear the sound of a lively ant
colony. A soft rustling noise can be heard
from a lively colony of ants at night.
The Easiest Way to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Once you have found their colony (or colonies) you can get rid of carpenter ants with
boric acid. Don’t be alarmed by the sound of this chemical. It is safe to use and is
available online and at most hardware stores and garden centers. If the ants reside in
your walls you will need to drill a few holes and spray or puff the boric acid into the
holes. You should make several holes to make sure you get the colony and the trails
to/from the nest. Remember, there may be several colonies so continue to track and
monitor the trails made by the carpenter ants and repeat this process if you find
additional colonies. The ants will take 7-14 days to die.
boric acid. Don’t be alarmed by the sound of this chemical. It is safe to use and is
available online and at most hardware stores and garden centers. If the ants reside in
your walls you will need to drill a few holes and spray or puff the boric acid into the
holes. You should make several holes to make sure you get the colony and the trails
to/from the nest. Remember, there may be several colonies so continue to track and
monitor the trails made by the carpenter ants and repeat this process if you find
additional colonies. The ants will take 7-14 days to die.
Carpenter Ants and
Electrical Sockets
Electrical Sockets
Carpenter ants travel on the wires inside your walls
to get from place to place. A good technique to get rid
of carpenter ants is to unscrew your switch plates and
treat them with products such as Timbor and Nibor
dusts. These commercial products are readily available
from many sources. Do not under any circumstances
spray liquid near or into an electric box or juncture.
to get from place to place. A good technique to get rid
of carpenter ants is to unscrew your switch plates and
treat them with products such as Timbor and Nibor
dusts. These commercial products are readily available
from many sources. Do not under any circumstances
spray liquid near or into an electric box or juncture.
Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
| How Carpenter Ants and Termites Differ |
You Can Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
In some very difficult circumstances, you may need to call a professional exterminator.
This would happen if carpenter ants had set up many, many colonies both inside and
outside your house. However, if you catch the problem early, carpenter ants can be
stopped without the need for outside help. But remember, the key to getting rid of
carpenter ants is to realize the problem, then track the ants and find out where their
colonies are. Then, and only then, can you really attack the problem.
This would happen if carpenter ants had set up many, many colonies both inside and
outside your house. However, if you catch the problem early, carpenter ants can be
stopped without the need for outside help. But remember, the key to getting rid of
carpenter ants is to realize the problem, then track the ants and find out where their
colonies are. Then, and only then, can you really attack the problem.
Sites and Blogs about Carpenter Ants
A few of our favorite carpenter ant sites are Gardening Know How, Pest Supply, Life Style Lounge, and Incomplete Greek. These sites are fonts of information
for getting rid of carpenter ants.
for getting rid of carpenter ants.
by Ted Curtis
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This article is intended to educate and entertain. The author of this site does not accept responsibility for any damage or injury
resulting from information dispersed on this site. Always check with experts when dealing with dangerous substances and situations.
resulting from information dispersed on this site. Always check with experts when dealing with dangerous substances and situations.
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comprehensive list of brand name products at inexpensive cost in their Home
and Garden Store. They even have a special section for Pest Control. Amazon
is the largest online purveyor of pest control products.
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