Unlike carpenter bees, carpenter ants don’t fly and are in much larger colonies. They don’t feed on wood but rather build their nests. Ants come into houses because they are mainly attracted by food.
Poor disposal of food materials, lack of cleanliness and tidiness, dampness etc, attract carpenter ants. The only reason they mess around with wood is that of; they need a place to lay eggs and enlarge their colony. Here are some of the ways to get rid of carpenter ants in the house.
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Use carpenter ant insecticides
Purchase carpenter ants insecticides and apply them in the nest area once you have established it or just apply it around the house especially on window panes, damp wood places, softwood areas, and on ant trails. This will help get rid of the ants in the house.
Use carpenter ant bait
This is a gel/paste product that is used to get rid of carpenter ants. Its applied on ant trails or places where ants like to forage. Its made of materials are not repulsive to ants and hence, makes it easy to be picked up by ants.
Once picked up by ants, its taken back to the colony after which, the whole colony is poisoned. This helps in getting rid of the ants.
Extermination ant treatment
Contact professional pest control personnel to come treat the house and exterminate the carpenter ants. Use the services of professionals once all the other methods have failed.
Natural methods
Use natural methods such as creating a sugar -boric acid mixture solution and add it to food. Use this food as a bait to trap ants along ant trails and softwood areas.
Sugar will attract ants while the boric acid will kill them hence, getting rid of them. However, this method is not 100% effective but its still functional. Other traditional methods include; spraying Boric acid, dusting, and applying home-made repellants.
How to get rid of carpenter ants in walls
As stated earlier, carpenter ants infest on softwoods. Its clear many walls are made of softwoods and it’s for this reason that many are attacked by carpenter ants. There are no special methods to control carpenter ants on house walls other than the ones used to control the ants around the house.
Just to mention a few; use of carpenter ant bait, use of carpenter ant insecticides, use of professional services in case of massive infestation, and use of natural methods. All these methods apply on walls, window panes, damp places and all around the house. So long as you establish the ant nest and trail, these methods are applicable across all areas in the house.
How to get rid of carpenter ants in trees
Carpenter ants do not infest on live trees. They go for dead and decaying trees. Additionally, they target softwoods such as pine, and cedar trees. So, if trees in you homestead are live and healthy, its hard to spot carpenter ants. But, if the trees are somehow damp and decaying, it’s highly likely to spot the presence of carpenter ants.
The best way to control and get rid of them is through applying ant powder around the base of the tree. The powder is made of elements that are repellant to ants and some contain boric acid that when consumed, they cause death to the ants. This method is best applicable before the rainy season since rain causes dampness on tree barks which attract the ants.
Hire a Professional
If you are really not up for the job, it may be worth using the services of professionals such as Aptive Exterminator. They offer their services all across the US and are highly recommended by thousands of people. It can save you all the hassle of getting your hands dirty if all of the other methods have failed.
Conclusion
Carpenter ants and bees are insects attracted by softwoods and damp places that promote life and survival abilities for the creatures. As a victim of carpenter ant and bee infestation, the best way to get rid of these insects is getting rid of the dampness around the house.
This means ensuring cleanliness, proper disposal of food materials etc. In addition, carpenter ants and bees are attracted to softwoods. They rarely infest on hardwood related products. So, it’s your call to ensure that the house is built on hardwood materials. This will help prevent and get rid of these wonderful but disastrous creatures.