If you live in a wooden house or have wooden structures on your property, you have probably come across carpenter ants. How to solve this problem? In this article, you’ll get the essential information about this kind of insects and determine how to get rid of them.
Signs of Carpenter Ants Presence
Carpenter ants are common and harmful insects. And at the first sign of finding these pests in the house, take drastic measures to get rid of them. Otherwise, it will lead to the fact that it will be challenging to deal with them later. Among the main signs of their presence, the following stand out: you noticed an insect in the house with a black or brown body, three pairs of legs, a head with “antennae,” and mandibles.
The females of such ants have wings that are shed after the mating season. Males remain with wings. Insects are large; males reach a length of 12 mm, and females – 15 mm. Worker ants have no wings.
They move along a kind of path, without straying, one after the other “string.” After itself, this species of ants leave a trail; it is wood dust. It resembles very fine sawdust, ground into flour. Insects build a nest from it. The moisture in the tree attracts carpenter ants. When constructing a nest in the access area (wooden boxes, threshold, beams), you can see a clutch of white or yellowish eggs.
Ant Precautions
Preventing a problem is much easier than solving it. Therefore, it is recommended to adhere to some rules that will not allow the ants to choose your house for their home. The fight can be more complicated than you thought. We exclude insects from entering the house from the street. To do this, it is periodically necessary to cut off the branches hanging to the windows, carefully crush flowers and other vegetation, bringing it into the house. It is recommended to carry out sanitary cleaning at the summer cottage systematically: get rid of garbage, remove old foliage, dry branches, etc.
Be sure to clean the floor in the house, clean up spilled liquids, and not leave food waste. The trash bin should be covered, and unwashed dishes should not be left in the kitchen. Plumbing leaks act as bait for insects. This problem must be combated and eliminated. All existing door and window openings are recommended to be protected with special nets. Natural carpenter ant repellents are foods and plants with pungent odors: turmeric, pepper, talc, essential oils, cinnamon, etc.
Eliminating Carpenter Ants
You can fight ants with toxic agents. This method is justified only if the nest is in the house in such a place where you cannot get it. The poisonous bait’s essence is that the ants, having tried it, drag it into the anthill. Thus, the rest of the ants become infected and die. The result from the action of such a drug will be noticeable after three days. Recently, helium baits have been used, which are recommended to be mixed with something sweet. You need to install several such baits in different places. Choose slow-acting bait. It will ensure that it gets inside the nest even before the carrier ant dies. Means of this type will get rid of ants forever.
At this time, a large number of such means are offered. You can find and choose the best option here. Such substances must have a high level of toxicity. They are used with caution in a home with children or pets.
The nest, which is located in an accessible place, is destroyed using special sprayers. Powder mixtures are placed in them, which have a deadly effect on tree ants. A prerequisite is a compliance with all instructions attached to each specific tool. It is recommended to spray the preparation directly into the anthill’s depths, onto the “queen” and the central part of the nest.
If it is impossible to apply a method of exterminating ants based on chemicals, you can use natural remedies. Most of them will save you only from working ants, significantly reducing their number. Without removing the focus of their reproduction, you can fight them for years. A simple option would be to fill it with boiling water or acetic acid if you can access the nest. It will lead to the death of the queen and the main body of the ants. Traps are created using syrup of sugar, water, and honey. In them, worker ants, crawling for sweets, drown. In places of a considerable accumulation of comas, sticky tape flavored with a sweet product is laid out. The yeast is mixed with water and sugar or honey and placed on the ant paths and near the nest. Ants that try such a bait die and thus can be disposed of.
The coffee grounds attract these insects. Leave it near the anthill in several places. The primary condition is that after placing traps or baits of this kind, it is recommended to protect insects from water access. There are also other methods for dealing with these harmful insects that will rid you of them forever.
According to pestcontrolhacks.com, you can use boric acid to get rid of carpenter ants. You have to do the following:
- buy boric acid in a garden or other specialized store; we make a mixture consisting of sugar or powdered sugar and acid: 1/3 sugar and 2/3 chemical;
- put the powder in suitable containers and place them around the ant’s nest;
- boric acid acts on ants from the outside – it penetrates the insect’s body and dissolves it.
The worker ants will act as carriers of this agent. They will bring poison inside the nest and infect others with it. This method will help you get rid of ants for good.
Conclusion
Keeping ants out of your home is much easier than getting rid of them later. Observing simple rules and recommendations, you will not give them a chance to settle with you.
Do not leave anything in the house that can attract ants and become their food.
If you already have ants in your area, you can get rid of them with various chemicals, including sprays, foams, traps, and others. Boric acid is also useful. The most environmentally friendly are different natural remedies that you can prepare at home. Choose the method that suits you best and take care of your home.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks