# Carpenter Ants



## Jay106n (May 4, 2015)

What is the best way to get rid of carpenter ants? Today I found a nest at the roof line near my gutter. I sprayed the opening with a ortho home defense i had and it really ticked them off lol. Thousands evacuated and died outside, but others also evacuated indoors. Now I have workers crawling on my floors. Although I killed a ton, I'm sure it didn't even reach main nest. I bought the bait traps as well. I'm gonna spray again in the morning. Any other suggestions? My home is all wood, so this is a priority.


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## Warm_in_NH (May 5, 2015)

Good ant bait that they'll take back to the nest. Leave em be for a week and let it work. 

Carpenter ants only move in o center the wood is damp and pre softened for them. Fix the leak, keep it dry, get rid of any wet or fry rotted wood, you'll be all set.


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## mass_burner (May 5, 2015)

Warm_in_NH said:


> Good ant bait that they'll take back to the nest. Leave em be for a week and let it work.
> 
> Carpenter ants only move in o center the wood is damp and pre softened for them. Fix the leak, keep it dry, get rid of any wet or fry rotted wood, you'll be all set.


Advance worked well for me.


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## Highbeam (May 5, 2015)

This is not a time to "F" around with junk from the hardware store. Carpenter ants will ruin you home. You need to get serious. Order termidor or the generic which is taurus from here:

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/taurus-sc-termiticide-p-1816.html

Note that your state seems to prohibit shipping this stuff there but you need it so find a buddy in a neighboring state (your states are like towns here) and get some. If you call a professional, this is what they'll use.

It is one of those poisons that the ants walk over and drag back to the nest without knowing it. Then the whole nest dies. You DON'T kill carpenter ants one at a time.

Here's the whole page for carpenter ant control. Advance is also available from them I see.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/carpenter-ant-control-c-1_177.html


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## sportbikerider78 (May 5, 2015)

All good advice....and a very big yes to fixing the wet wood.  You likely have rotten OSB or plywood behind that wall.  They really only like wet wood.
I had a similar issue with my home that I fixed over the course of 6 months.  The damage is done,,,don't freak out and make mistakes just to get ride of them quickly. 

The ants live in your home, they do not forage in your home.  They eat other bugs and insects not wood...wood is on they their home where they reproduce.  They leave your house at night to go forage somewhere.  Walk around your house at night and look to see were they are going in and out.  Bait the heck out of those areas and spray those entrances.  This will starve them out in short order since they can't get out of your house without walking through poision.

The best way is to bait them and starve them out.  I went so far as to track them through the woods and kill as many as I could outside the nest.


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## billb3 (May 6, 2015)

Usually the only time you see them inside the house is when they are looking for water and know where the sinks and bathtubs are.
(or leaks and sweaty pipes )

and you have structural damage if  you really have that many in the house.

I'd check trees near the house too.


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## peakbagger (May 6, 2015)

Carpenter ants will gladly nest in dry Styrofoam, no moisture required.


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## Dr.Faustus (May 6, 2015)

i had to deal with ants twice. Each time i got a syringe of ant bait at HD. forgot the name but there were 2 kinds and i picked the more expensive of the two. I used it in 1 inch strips of gel and the ants went to it like magnets. fed themselves silly, carried it off to the nest and never had a problem since. 
one thing you shouldnt do it spray the ones you see. Thats less ants to take the stuff back to the nest and it leaves the rest of the flock confused and not operating efficiently.


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## loki1485 (May 7, 2015)

Jay106n said:


> What is the best way to get rid of carpenter ants? Today I found a nest at the roof line near my gutter. I sprayed the opening with a ortho home defense i had and it really ticked them off lol. Thousands evacuated and died outside, but others also evacuated indoors. Now I have workers crawling on my floors. Although I killed a ton, I'm sure it didn't even reach main nest. I bought the bait traps as well. I'm gonna spray again in the morning. Any other suggestions? My home is all wood, so this is a priority.


borax in sugar


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## stee6043 (May 7, 2015)

I've had great luck with Demon WP.  You can buy it at the same site linked above or on Amazon.  I spray a perimeter around my house twice per  year.  Works very, very well for ants.  Also keeps the bees from nesting on my deck when I spray the railings.


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## Buzz Saw (May 10, 2015)

Sevin Dust Works Well too


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## jharkin (May 15, 2015)

Having had problems with both carpenters and termites, I'm with Highbeam on this.  Do it right and use Termidor, or hire a professional who will.

I'd rather not deal with mixing poisons myself so I use a professional pest company. For the price of a bottle of termidor and the spray equipment needed they come and do a treatment of my entire house.


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## Brian26 (May 17, 2015)

Highbeam said:


> This is not a time to "F" around with junk from the hardware store. Carpenter ants will ruin you home. You need to get serious. Order termidor or the generic which is taurus from here:
> 
> http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/taurus-sc-termiticide-p-1816.html
> 
> ...



I agree. Amazon shipped taurus sc to me no problems here in CT. I had a crazy infestation around this time last year. Sprayed my permiter of the house with it and that was it. Never saw another one since. In fact it basically eliminated any bugs from coming in.


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## Hogwildz (May 17, 2015)

I use these, replace them once a year about this time. Just did it today.
I also use smaller clear bait stations for the smaller ants.
Both do the job, and do it well.
http://www.terro.com/terro-outdoor-liquid-ant-bait


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## Highbeam (May 18, 2015)

Brian26 said:


> I agree. Amazon shipped taurus sc to me no problems here in CT. I had a crazy infestation around this time last year. Sprayed my permiter of the house with it and that was it. Never saw another one since. In fact it basically eliminated any bugs from coming in.



Same experience for me. We don't have termites here in the PNW, or at least not like folks do in the south, but this chemical is touted as the carpenter at killer as well and I believe it. We don't get spiders in the house anymore either.

I follow the directions exactly and apply once in spring and once in fall.


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## CountryGal (May 21, 2015)

You bet they like foam!  Had a shock in the upstairs guest bedroom a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday.  Big mound of foam on the carpet!  Had the pest control come out and spray the perimeter with Termidor.  Still had them dropping dead for a few days upstairs and now have to have the window sill repaired.  My whole house is foam/cement.  Scary deal!


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## BrotherBart (May 22, 2015)

Ants in the dome? Eeek!


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## CountryGal (May 22, 2015)

BrotherBart said:


> Ants in the dome? Eeek!



Yes We never had Carpenter ants in the desert -- lots of others, but never these guys.  Chewed the window sill upstairs and I happened to see one on the white sill while I was putting something in the closet.  Went over to get a better look and there was a pile on the carpet where they were chewing and spitting out the inside of my sill -- which is foam.  Yikes!!


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## CountryGal (May 22, 2015)

Boy I need to edit my sig line.  No wood stove here.  Miss it!


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## BrotherBart (May 22, 2015)

I have missed ya. Welcome back, but not because of ants.


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## CountryGal (May 22, 2015)

BrotherBart said:


> I have missed ya. Welcome back, but not because of ants.



Missed you too!  I just put up some pix of the dome transformation we've done.


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## BrotherBart (May 22, 2015)

That pic of the chimney in AZ is still a classic here for why you need to look at everything before you burn your house down. And every time I see a mention of the Nelsons I think of you.


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## semipro (May 22, 2015)

Generally not liking to spray pesticides that might affect "good" bugs, pets, or people - I've always used baits for fire, carpenter, and sugar ants.


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