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How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants and Save the Structure of Your Home

Carpenter ants, like termites, like to burrow through wood, creating dangerous structural weaknesses in your home. Fine wood furniture and walls and floors alike are ideal targets for these insects.

If you’ve noticed piles of sawdust in corners of your home, you may have a carpenter ant invasion. Read on to find out how to identify and get rid of carpenter ants.

• Know Who You’re Dealing With
• Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Know Who You’re Dealing With

How do you know whether you have a carpenter ant problem or a termite infestation? Winged ants and winged termites look similar, so make sure you know who you’ve got on your hands before using any home remedies. Carpenter ants are usually less structurally threatening, while termites may prove a bigger problem.

Similarities:
Carpenter ants and termites both clear out trails of wood to make galleries and paths. This can cause structural damage to your home.

Physical differences:

• Carpenter ants have a larger size, veined wings, elbowed antennae, and a thin-waisted/segmented appearance.
• Termites are smaller, their wings do not have visible veins, their antennae are straight, and they have a straight, broad-waisted body.

Note: If you see large black ants and piles of coarse sawdust around your home, you probably have carpenter ants. If you also hear rustling and scratching in walls or a hollow sound in wood when you tap it, you definitely have carpenter ants.

Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

When tackling a carpenter ant problem, there are both home remedies you can try and pesticides you can purchase. Most ant foraging is done nocturnally, so stalking ants during the night will help you find their nests.

Try these tactics to get rid of carpenter ants, but if the problem persists, you may need to call in professional help.

Home Remedies

• Trim bushes around your home so their branches don’t approach your walls, and carpenter ants can’t access your house in the first place.
• Fix leaky roofs and prevent wood from getting wet, since carpenter ants like moist wood. Cover exposed wood with paint or sealant so it does not become wet.
• Plant marigolds around your house, as carpenter ants are repelled by the smell.

• Leave trails of lavender oil around their nests and points of entry.
• Use an acidic bait to attract ants and subsequently kill them. Mix 12 oz. of Karo’s clear syrup with 2 tbs. Boric Acid. Add 2 tbs. of peanut butter. Place drops of this mixture near nests and places you’ve seen carpenter ants.

Pesticides

• Bora-Care, a spot-treating pesticide, can be used directly on infested wood. Its active ingredient is a borate salt, which when ingested, prevents ants from processing nutrients from their food. It diffuses into the wood and stays there permanently, protecting it from further infestations.
• EcoSMART’s Ant and Roach Killer can be sprayed on ant trails or directly on their nests to get rid of ants. Made from natural plant oils like rosemary and cinnamon, this product is completely safe and will make your home smell great! With no pesticide residue, you can even use it on wooden kitchen tables and furniture that’s used daily by family and pets.
• EcoSMART’s Insect Killer Granules can be used for lawn, garden, and home perimeter. This outdoor pesticide kills ants, along with dozens of other insects. Like the Ant and Roach Killer, it’s made from plant oils and won’t harm vegetation, just pesky insects.

To fight those ‘mites, or get rid of carpenter ants, reach for EcoSMART, the SMART way to save your home.