Carpenter ants are indigenous to many parts of the world. They nest outside in dead, damp wood, building smooth, distinctive-looking nests. They remove wood to create passageways through wood grain to provide access to various nest areas known as galleries. Indoors, carpenter ants nest in any natural hollow, such as hollow-core doors, window sills, and wall voids. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood; however, they damage wood, from hollowing out trees to damaging the materials used in the construction of buildings. Sometimes you can find their nesting location by observing the presence of frass, the very fine sawdust they leave behind when constructing nests.

A printable copy of our non-toxic ant killer recipe is available at the bottom of the post. Suggested uses for this homemade ant repellent spray: For indoor use — Simply spray over the entire area where ants have made their path and wipe clean. You can spray and let sit over entry points to keep the ants from coming back.

Carpenter Ant Appearance

Scale : Small Ants to the larger Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are large, from 1/4–3/8-inches long and are one-node ants. They are dark brown to black, but some may have red or yellow coloration. The Black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, in the east and C. modoc in the west are the most thoroughly studied species in the United States. Other species of Camponotus are distributed throughout the country. The queens are slightly bigger than the workers. The workers of an established colony vary in size. The most common variety of carpenter ant is large and black, but the Florida carpenter ant is smaller and ranges in color from yellow, red, brown to black.

For more information: Carpenter Ant Biology and Habits

Black Carpenter Ant

Florida Carpenter Ant

Carpenter Ant Control

Carpenter Ants are controlled through the application of insecticides and sprays in various forms. These forms include liquid concentrates, baits, dusts, and foams.

• Non-Repellent Insecticides - Used as perimeter spray.
• Baits - Used on Carpenter Ant trails.
• Dusts - Used in voids and galleries
• Foams - Used in voids and galleries

1. Inspection

The first step in controlling carpenter ants is an inspection. The purpose of the inspection is to determine if they are located outside and simply foraging inside for food, or if you have a colony or satellite colony inside your home.

2.Determine Control Measures

Once you complete your inspection and identify nest locations and foraging trails, the next step is to determine which control measure to use.

1. Baiting - used on carpenter ant trails
2. Spraying- Non-Repellent sprays used as permiter treatment, may be used with baits
3. Treating Voids - Foams or Dusts used in voids or galleries where carpenter ants are nesting

3.Prevention

The final step is to prevent further infestations by ant-proofing your home and yard, by clearing away rotting trees and lumber piles, fixing plumbing leaks, etc.

• Click Here: Prevention Tips.

Baiting Procedures for Foraging Carpenter Ants and Carpenter Ants in Recessed Areas

Apply carpenter ant baits after inspecting their trails. The ant baits listed below are designed to attract carpenter ants. The foraging carpenter ants pick up the bait and share it with the entire colony, killing it.

Notes:

• Do not put repellent insecticides, liquid or granulated, in the same area as baits unless these insecticides are classifed as non-repellents. Repellent insecticides repel the insects away from the baits, rendering the baits useless. Use only non-repellent insecticides in the same area as baits.
• It is important to remove other competing food sources (such as crumbs and pet food) that could interfere with the ants taking the bait.

1. A good treatment choice is to bait both inside and the ground outside with a combination of baits.

• Both of the baits listed below are designed to allow foraging workers to take the bait to the queen in the nest, eliminating the colony/colonies, thereby preventing future outdoor populations from coming inside.
• These baits work well on carpenter ants and resist the elements, making them hardy choices for outside baiting. Carpenter ants feed on sweet foods during certain cycles, and at other times feed on protein foods. The Maxforce Fleet Ant Bait Gel with Fipronil is a fast-acting bait that feeds the ants' carbohydrates/sugar cycles. The Advance 375 A Ant Bait is a protein-based food for the Ant's protein needs.
• Use both baits for a complete balance of the Ant's dietary needs.

Maxforce Fleet is a Fipronil carbohydrate-based gel with a high moisture content that gets rid of ants within 3-5 days. If the carpenter ants are feeding on sugar, they will eat it and store it and regurgitate it later to share with other ants. Apply Maxforce Fleet with the syringe applicator or bait injector in small amounts where you see the ants running.	The Advance 375 A Ant Bait is a protein-based food for the Ant's protein needs. Use Maxforce Fleet if they are feeding on sugar or carbohydrates.
Carpenter Ant Bait Combos-Small and Large	Complete Carpenter Ant Bait Kit with Taurus SC

Spraying Procedures for Foraging Carpenter Ants

At times you will have foraging ants that come inside, forage for food, and then return to their outdoor nests.

You can block these foraging ants using a perimeter treatment with a non-repellent residual insecticides such as Taurus SC or FUSE. Taurus SC and FUSE also control a wide variety of insects including Termites, Spiders, Roaches, Centipedes, Millipedes, Ticks, and many more.

Taurus SC (same as Termidor SC- Fipronil 9.7 ) Mix Taurus at 0.4-0.8 oz per gallon of water and spray a low volume spray up to 18 inches out and 18 inches up the perimeter of your home as a banded spray. Spray around windows, doors, pipes, vents, foundation, foundation cracks, drilled holes or any exterior openings where the ants may enter the home. Treat where wires (cable, telephone, electrical) enter the house. May be sprayed 2-4 times a year depending on finished dilution rate Taurus SC 20 oz yields 25 gallons and the 78 oz yields 100 gallons at 0.06% rate Apply Taurus SC two-four times a year according to label instructions (finished solution percentages may change on frequency of use-see table below).

FUSE - ( Imidacloprid 21.4% and Fipronil 6.6%) Mix 0.3 to 0.6 oz per gallon of water. Spray as a low pressure spray along the foundation. FUSE may be applied twice or eight times a year, depending on the dosage strength and size of bands around the house. FUSE 27.5 yields 50-100 gallons

Permitted Taurus SC Frequency and Dilution Rate Application Scenarios %:

Taurus SC finished dilution 0.03% 4 times/calendar year Mix 0.4 oz per gallon

Taurus SC finished dilution 0.06% 2 times/calendar year Mix 0.8 oz per gallon

Taurus SC finished dilution 0.03% 2 times/calendar year and Taurus SC finished dilution 0.06% 1 time/calendar year

We carry a special kit (DIY Complete Carpenter Ant Kit) with Taurus SC, plus two ant baits: Maxforce Fleect Ant Bait Gel, a sweet-based bait, and Advance 375 A Ant Bait to provide for the Ant's protein-based dietary needs.

• DIY Complete Carpenter Ant Kit made up of Taurus SC and Carpenter Ant Baits at a reduced cost.

Treating the Voids (Colonies Inside a Hollow Area)

Indoor nests (voids) are found in hollow doors, window sills, behind baseboards, or other natural hollow areas. These are the areas that warrant a complete inspection. Indoor carpenter ant damage oftentimes indicates water damage and wood decay. Making necessary repairs will help prevent re-infestation.

If you suspect the nest is in a wall, drill and treat at least 2–6 feet on either side of where the Ants are entering in order to maximize the opportunity to contact the nest directly, so you can get the queen.

Note:Do not use liquid insecticide in a wall void. Treat wall voids and other hidden spaces where Ants hide by carefully drilling a series of small (1/8-inch) holes and dusting the area with a residual insecticide dust such as D Fense Dust. You can also use an aerosol with a crack and crevice tip such as Alpine Aerosol or an aerosol that foams such as Alpine Ant & Termite Foam. Both these methods provide a long-term residual effect.
WARNING: Never use liquid insecticides or metal tipped devices around any electrical outlets.

Once you locate the nest, treat the nest directly with an aerosol spray or foam, such as:

D Fense Dust D Fense dust is to be used as a dust in void areas. Use a duster with it for the best application.

Alpine PT Aerosol, fitted with a crack and crevice tip, works well in void areas where you don't know exactly where the nest is located.

Use Alpine Ant and Termite Foam (non-repellent) when you know exactly where the nest is located.

Carpenter Ant Prevention

Follow these steps to prevent carpenter ant infestations:

1. Correct moisture problems, roof leaks, and plumbing leaks.
2. Cut back tree limbs or branches that could serve as a bridge to your structure.
3. Seal cracks and openings around the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside.
4. Stack firewood away from the house, elevated off the ground if possible. Carpenter ants love to nest in firewood.

Contact Us for further information and help with your carpenter ant issue. 1-800-476-3368

This is a great product for termites. When I discovered termites setting up shop in my backyard I didn't hesitate to buy this product.

I was a little apprehensive about safety, but purchased a new sprayer for application and used disposable gloves. After one application the termites were gone and haven't returned.

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I also spray outside around the foundation of my house a few times a year.In the past I had terrible problems with ants in the house. I'm talking ant infestations of biblical proportions. So-called ant spray did very little to keep them away. Since using Taurus SC as a barrier for ants I've had no more infestations. With a little care, this product is a great means of keeping your home safe from termites and ants. This stuff works!!!

The ants were getting out of control. We kept thinking they would go away, but there was a steady stream of them in our kitchen every day, no matter how much we cleaned or killed them.

They just kept coming in legions! Our neighbor told us about this ant bait and we ordered it immediately. The first day or two, we saw an increase in ants as they came to get the bait. After about the 4th day, no more ants. It's just that simple. And, they don't die all over your countertops. They take the bait back to their nest and die there.

While this is not a natural way of getting rid of them, you sometimes must take drastic measures. We were also concerned about the fact that we have 4 cats. These are the only bait traps I'll ever buy again. This is liquid crack for ants. I paid exterminators to spray the foundation, we put out all kinds of poisons, and the tiny little ants just kept coming up through the house (we live on sandy soil). I finally read the reviews on these, and bought a pack. You would have thought I was the Pied Piper of antville.

They just swarm the poison, then a few hours later they're all gone, for weeks. I'm almost sad they're gone. I had so much fun watching them take the bait. Great Great stuff.

I would give this 10 stars if I could. It saved me from calling an exterminator.Monday PM: Came home from work to find about 20 or 25 carpenter ants swarming my kitchen counter because I'd mistakenly left a small amount of sugar water (for hummingbird feeder) on the counter. I reined in my impulse to kill them all, ASAP, and instead put out some old Terro baits that had been sitting under the kitchen sink for probably a few years and been forgotten. They were unopened, but had leaked onto the cardboard packaging. I put 4 of them out anyway (way more than what was needed.).

The ants began feeding from them very quickly and I left them alone overnight. (I did also see for the first time where the ants had come in, from 2 tiny holes they drilled through trim in a corner above the back kitchen door.Tuesday.

I really thought I was going to lose my mind before I found this stuff. The drought in California has made our house the center of an ant explosion this year. Every year we have issues with ants in August/September when it's really dry, but this year we've been having ant invasions since April. After trying every poison and hardware-store bait, I ordered these and the Advion gel in syringes and started using them. In 2 weeks, I've reduced the ant population around our house by about 80% and we haven't had an ant in our house since I started targeting them with this stuff. It's truly a miracle. Highly recommend Advion!!Hint: I use the syringes to refill the traps.

It seems to me the traps come with a pretty small amount of the ingredient inside, so as soon as I see the traps have no more activity. I bought both the indoor and outdoor varieties of these - I live in Florida and my home and home office space (which is detached) both had problems with these obnoxious tiny, fast-moving ants. They sting, making it really annoying to be at my keyboard and suddenly get bitten all over my hands and arms.There's some important things to remember when using the Terro Liquid Ant Baits.First, yes, it does take days, and for me I left these out for weeks.Second, I looked at where the ants were coming and going and put this along their path in a place that my pets would not be able to get into, just to be safe. If you have small children, definitely be extremely careful as the liquid looks like honey.Third, it's really annoying that it doesn't.look like. the ants are taking the bait-I kept wanting to yell at. There was a major ant infestation in my bathroom. There were ants on the floor, on the wall, in the bath tub, even in my shower head.

I think the whole colony was trying to move in due to dry weather, seeking water. I think I saw 2 queen ants in there.We called the exterminator but they couldn't come out until the following week, so I placed Terro in a tiny bowl I created using aluminum foil and my wedding ring (I used the ring to mold it into a tiny bowl). I placed it in 8 different locations near the ant trails throughout my bathroom.I left the bathroom undisturbed for about 2 days and the ant trails were gone! There are few wanderers still in the bathroom but no more trail of ants.

My husband thought I wiped down the ants because the ants have disappeared.UPDATE: There was another. I've been using Terro for a while and it's more cost effective and works well, it takes a while for it to kick in and sometimes doesn't wipe out the colony. Source Kill Max is like crack for ants. I put down a drop and ants come running and in about 24 hours there's no more ants.I would advise maybe using a business card, a piece of foil or other material between the floor and the bait.

If for some reason, the bait dries before it's consumed, it will take some elbow grease to scrape off the floor. Also, I find that alternating between Terro and Source Max Kill helps to keep the ants coming.