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How to Get Rid of Carpender Ants

Carpenter ants are a species of ant known for its ability to damage wood. Carpenter ants will not eat and digest wood in the ways a termite will but are capable of chewing holes in wood. The ants do this to make a nest, which they will attempt to enlarge by chewing the wood up. Carpenter ants are unwanted pests that will damage the wood in a home until they have been gotten rid of. However, simply spraying ants with pesticides, even though it kills individual ants, will not solve the problem.

Instructions

- 1
  Eliminate ways for carpenter ants to gain access to your home. Seal any cracks that you find in your home's foundation. Caulk your windows and doors so no ants may enter.
- 2
  Fix any leaky faucets and pipes that may provide moisture that carpenter ants are attracted to. Carpenter ants will build their home next to wood that has become damp. Repair leaky gutters, roofs, dishwashers, washing machines and check any windows that may have an air conditioner in them for water that may come from the unit.
- 3
  Remove any old wood or piles of firewood away from your house. Carpenter ants often will seek out woods such as this because it can have a high content of moisture and dampness. Rotting fences and decks near a house will also be attractive to a carpenter ant.
- 4
  Use ant bait to kill the entire colony of carpenter ants. Employ bait such as "Advance Carpenter Ant Granular Bait." For the best results you should look outside the house to see where carpenter ants are active and place a small pile of bait there for the workers to carry back inside the home to the nest where other ants will eat it and die.
- 5
  Place indoor ant baits in places where children and pets will not be exposed to it. Put it in the attic, inside the walls via electrical outlets, beneath carpets, and in corners of out of reach kitchen cabinets.

Insects & Science