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How to Get Rid of Carpener Ants

Carpenter ants get their name from their habit of tunneling wood for nesting purposes. They are large and brown or black in color. Common places carpenter ants like to nest are in trees, roots, stumps, fence posts and wood surfaces. Carpenter ants can cause major damage to wood surfaces if left unchecked. If you discover carpenter ants in your home or property treat them immediately before they weaken or damage your wood surfaces.

Things You'll Need

Ready-to-use insecticide
Caulk

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect your home's wood surfaces for carpenter ants and locate any nests. Look for sawdust on wood surfaces that the ants burrowed from their tunnels. Spray an aerosol ready-to-use insecticide containing permethrin or bifenthrin into the entrance of each nest.
- 2
  Look for foraging ants to lead you to carpenter ant nests outside your home. Follow the trail to the nest and treat the entrance with the ready-to-use insecticide spray. Repeat the treatment at three-day intervals, or as directed on the label, until the ants are exterminated.
- 3
  Eliminate food and water sources in your yard. The closer a water and food supply is to the carpenter ant nest, the faster the population will grow.
- 4
  Store firewood and lumber away from your home. Carpenter ants often gain entry into homes through wood brought inside from outdoors.
- 5
  Prevent carpenter ants from entering your home. Fill any cracks or crevices in your home's foundation with caulk and trim away any branches that touch your house.

Insects & Science