How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants in Your Home

Carpenter ants may break the wooden frame of your house, as they tend to build nests in that very area. But only a few know this because they believe that they just live around the small holes at various parts of the house where they come out. But they are not like termites who often eat the wood as their food source; they simply breed in it. But this can still risk damage to your home if they manage to build a nest on an important part of your house’s wooden frame.

Gladly, you can find ways to prevent any growth on their population inside your home through the means of some homemade steps and some low-cost solutions. Here are the steps we developed over the years of experience in dealing with them:

Look For The Nest First

First of all, search where these ants are breeding. But take note that you should double-check if you’re really controlling the growth of carpenter ants, not termites. Simply check if they are black or dark brown in color. Some of them can be winged or wingless and often walk in trails. Termites often have bodies that are not actually brown or dark brown, and vary in colors. If this is the case, then you might need to use a different method instead.

But now that you’re familiar with the ants, it’s time to look for a substance that they leave as they breed – sawdust. Actually, it is similar to sawdust as the ants leave it behind whenever they dig through the wood. They often look like a pile of sawdust and is the most common sign that carpenter ants have invaded your home. You may even see ants pass by occasionally near the sawdust – indicating that their home is just near. This is where you will look for further signs that they dug through the wood. It can be easily noticed by checking several holes or gaping cracks on any wooded area or furniture in your home. This is where you will do the next step.

Confirming the Nest

Confirming the carpenter ant nest requires you to check if more ants will come out from the cracks and other pieces of evidence that we taught you earlier. Take note that you should also focus this next step on moist wood areas at your home as these areas can be a breeding spot for more ants. All you need to do is to lure them with something that contains sugar. You can also leave a pile of sugar as well, and wait for just a minute or two. This is the part where you will see a trail of ants who will gather to your lure. Track down the trail until you see the actual part where the most ants are coming out. Doing this near the holes simply makes it easier for you to track down the source.

The Different Methods of Eliminating Carpenter Ants

There are numerous ways for you to eliminate these carpenter ants. Here are the following items and instructions when using them in the nest area:

• Carpenter Ant Bait – This is the most common type of bait that you can use for getting rid of carpenter ants. These are toxic baits that have special instructions that you should read carefully before using it. This will destroy the whole ant population in less than a week. All you need to do is to apply the bait on a mixture of 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp of milk. Mix them together with a little bit of the bait, then spread it this time at the actual hole where they are coming out. Don’t spray this, but apply this in the same way as the previous step. Do this daily until all of them are gone.
• Insecticides – There are insecticides that are specifically designed for carpenter ants. These are the most recommended product that you can use as it effectively eliminates all of them. But there are some classic insecticides that can get rid of the ants as well. Simply spray than on the hole where they are coming at, and do it for 3 to 5 days. Be sure to keep any pets and children away from the area where you will use the insecticide.
• Ant Dust – There are some powder-like products that you can also use to eliminate carpenter ants just like how a flea powder works. Simply apply them on the area where they are breeding, and wait for the amazing results that may happen.
• Boric Acid – The boric acid is one of the safest ways to get rid of carpenter ants. You just need to make it look like milk once again. You just mix 70$% boric acid with 30 – 40% sugar or milk. Do this on a teaspoon and simply mix them together on a plate before spreading it around the nest area. Ants will think all of those are sugar and may bring all of those back homes for consumption. Do this for a few days or simply watch your plans over the ants once you’re done with this.
• Others – Peppermint essential oil can be applied on a cotton ball and smudge or place it near the nests of the ants. This is a more humane repellent that’s perfect if the ants are located outdoors rather than inside your home. You can also sprinkle cinnamon to repel the ants away, which is better once you get rid of the first population so then it can serve as a potent repellent. There are actually a lot of materials and methods that you can do to get rid of these ants; you just have to research well.

Now once these steps have come to fruition, all you need to do next is to clean up the carpenter ants by sweeping oir vacuuming them off while sealing the wooden areas while using ant repellents like peppermint or cinnamon on a regular basis to get rid of them for good. These steps will surely prevent any carpenter ants from coming to your home for months. But if the pests come back again, then simply remember these tips and steps and you will be all good to get rid of them again.