Carpenter ant control tip # 1
Realising which parts of you home that may be susceptible to carpenter ant infestations are a crucial part of carpenter ant control and prevention. Carpenter ants can nest in both dry and moist wood, but they prefer damp locations where water or moist have already damaged the wood. Carpenter ant control should therefore begin by focusing on such spots in your home. Do you have any water leaks that should be tended to? Even minor water leaks can make the wood moist enough to attract carpenter ants. Professional carpenter ant control units typically begin their search for nests by checking areas around sinks, bathtubs, poorly flashed chimneys and improperly sealed windows and door frames. Hollow porch columns are renowned for attracting carpenter ants, and the same thing is true for the hollow space that can be found behind the dishwasher in many homes. If you have a roof leak, this will naturally also increase the risk of an carpenter ant infestation and must be eliminated if you want to carry out efficient carpenter ant control. 

Carpenter ant control tip # 2
Another essential part of carpenter ant control is realising that the queen might not live in your house at all. It is very common among carpenter ants to set up satellite colonies inside a building, while the actual parent colony is located outdoors, e.g. in a tree or in a pile of timber. A parent colony will contain the mature queen who produces all the eggs, and the parent colony is also where the eggs and larvae are reared. The parent colony will have at least 2000 worker ants tied to it. The satellite colonies on the other hand, will contain no queen, no eggs and no young larvae. Satellite colonies contain only workers. In order to carry out successful carpenter ant control, it is always recommended to locate the parent colony and eliminate the source of all satellite colonies. You can for instance try to follow ants that are carrying food back to the nest. You can lure them into going straight home by placing some jam in a spot where you know that they will find it.

Carpenter ant control tip # 3
When you have found a carpenter ant nest, look for white, oval pupae or larvae. If you see pupae and/or larvae, you know that it is a parent colony. Disturbed carpenter ants can often be seen carrying around pupae and larvae in an effort to protect the offspring from danger.

Carpenter ant control tip # 4
You can eliminate carpenter ants mechanically by vacuuming up the entire parent colony. If structural damage have already occurred, it can be better to replace the infested piece of wood. If the structural damage is limited, you can instead prevent the ants from reclaiming their nest by caulking all possible entrances.

Carpenter ant control tip # 5
Successful carpenter ant control will usually involve a combination of the mechanical method described above and some form of chemical treatment. You can for instance apply dust made from borax (the unrefined form of boric acid) or diatomaceous earth (silicon dioxide). Always follow the recommended safety rules regarding each type of carpenter ant control chemical, since they can cause health problems for humans and pets.

Ant Articles:

Carpenter Ants
Kill Carpenter Ants
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Fire Ant Bite
Kill Fire Ants
Flying Ants
Red Flying Ants
Kill Flying Ants
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