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How To Prevent Carpenter Ants From Entering Your Home

If you’ve ever had carpenter ants in your home, you know how destructive they can be. These pesky critters can quickly enter your home if you’re not careful and can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to help prevent carpenter ants from entering your home in the first place!

Here are a few carpenter ant prevention ideas to keep these pests out of your home for good!


Outline:

  • What Are Carpenter Ants? What Do They Look Like?
  • Carpenter Ant Infestation: What to Look For
  • What Are The Best Ways To Keep Carpenter Ants Away?
  • Place Ant Bait
  • Use Insecticides
  • Remove Their Food Source
  • You Can Also Try Using Carpenter Ant Repellents
  • Make A Pest Control Appointment
  • Needing Expert Assistance

What Are Carpenter Ants? What Do They Look Like?

Carpenter ants are named for their building activities. These ants create nests out of wood both indoors and outside. They don’t eat the wood they remove while tunneling. On the other hand, these insects feed on plant fluids, winged ants (ants that have been crushed or squashed), honeydew, and crumbs from your food and meals.

Carpenter ants can get into your house in a variety of ways. The majority of carpenter ants enter structures while looking for food. Once they’ve entered, they create satellite nests near the central nest outside. Carpenter ants are small black or red insects that measure around six millimeters in length. If you notice carpenter ants in your house, it’s critical to take action to prevent them from causing more harm.

Carpenter Ant Infestation: What to Look For

Carpenter ants usually build their nests outdoors in trees, stumps, or logs. If carpenter ants have infiltrated your home, you’ll likely see them in the kitchen or bathroom with a lot of moisture. These insects are also attracted to wood that has been damaged by water. Carpenter ant colonies have multiple queens, and carpenter ants can travel long distances searching for food. If you see carpenter ants in your home, it’s essential to call a pest control professional right away.

You might notice small piles of wood shavings near carpenter ant holes. These shavings are a telltale sign of carpenter ants. You might also see carpenter ants swarming near light sources or flying around your home, especially in springtime. If you see any of these signs, it’s crucial to take action right away to prevent an infestation.

What Are The Best Ways To Keep Carpenter Ants Away?

By watching the well-defined pathways of foraging carpenter ants at dusk or after dark, you should be able to locate the nests of carpenter ants in your walls, outside tree or woodpile, etc. Because of how they move, ants may travel both ways. Visitors may inadvertently transport insects or bug fragments to the colony. Because removing just a few of the ants that come and go wouldn’t eliminate a territory, finding this one is vital.

Once you’ve discovered the nest, various methods can eliminate these potentially deadly pests.

Place Ant Bait

Carpenter ants are just as challenging to control as other ant species, and many of the same strategies work for them. Bait is the most common ant control technique. Ant baits contain a sweet substance with an insect-killing chemical like borax, so they work. The poisoned food is carried back to the hidden colony within the damaged wood by worker ants, where other ants eat it. This method can keep the entire territory under control for weeks.

Borax is a mineral that interferes with an ant’s digestion system and is found in nature. The entire colony slowly starves to death as worker ants transport the substance into the nest. This process might take weeks to complete.

Use Insecticides

Insecticide sprays kill carpenter ants on contact but don’t provide long-term protection against these pests. If you decide to use an insecticide, choose one labeled for carpenter ants and follow the directions carefully.

Must Read: Carpenter Ants: Fascinating Facts You Should Know

Remove Their Food Source

Carpenter ants are attracted to wood that has been damaged by water, so it’s essential to fix any leaks or damaged wood in your home right away. These insects also like sweet foods, so keep your kitchen clean and free of crumbs.

You Can Also Try Using Carpenter Ant Repellents

There are a variety of carpenter ant repellents available on the market, but it’s important to note that these products don’t kill carpenter ants. Instead, they work by masking the scent of carpenter ants or making it difficult for them to smell food. Some common carpenter ant repellents include cedar oil, cinnamon, and citrus.

You can also try making your carpenter ant repellent at home by mixing vinegar and water equally in a spray bottle. Although you should be careful when repelling ants, as it could cause the problem to appear in a different area, making things worse.

Make A Pest Control Appointment

If you’re having trouble getting rid of carpenter ants, it might be time to call a pest control professional. These experts can help identify the source of your carpenter ant problem and develop a plan to get rid of them for good.

Needing Expert Assistance

When it comes to Carpenter ants, you can do a few things to help manage the situation before calling in a professional. If you have an ant invasion and feel like you can’t handle it, don’t hesitate to contact a pest control specialist like Hero Pest Control.

We have the experience and knowledge to take care of any ant problem, big or small. Don’t let those pesky ants take over your home or yard- visit us today for practical solutions!

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