There are several species of ants that you may encounter invading your home or outdoor area.  Some of the more common types are carpenter ants, pharaoh ants, sugar ants, black ants, house ants, thief ants, odorous house ants, argentine ants, crazy ants, ghost ant, acrobat ant, big headed ant, pavement ant and red imported fire ant. The following link should assist in your identifying which species you are dealing with and how to effectively eliminate your ant pest problem. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html

Whether your ants are indoor or outdoor will dictate the types of control method that will be available for use to eliminate your ant problem. Read any labels carefully.  Some products are not water proof and may be completely ineffective if used in areas that have moisture.  The products should give clear recommendations for efficacy and usage.

There are also some specific products  that are used to target a species distinct tastes.  The red ant, for example, has pest control products formulated to increase the likely hood of insecticide ingestion.  Also, using a bait targeted for small household ants might not work if carpenter ants are your problem.

Options for indoor ant control include products like; gels, baits, dusters and sprays.  Some of the household ants that will be
affected by these applications are sugar ants, Pharaoh ants, Cornfield Ants, Argentine Ants.  Gels and baits are good because your chemical pest control is contained to one area and are not spreading the chemicals onto numerous surfaces in your home.

Outdoor ant control may include products such as granules, liquid sprays and baits.  Granules are able to be broadcast or used to treat individual mounds.  Liquid spray insecticides may reduce populations of other nuisance insects in your area. Look for products that can incorporate in insect growth regulator to reduce the resurgence of ants on your property.

No matter which ant pest control technique you decide to use there is something that you will need to be considered. You must be aware of where you place your pest control and who will have access to that area.  If you have pets or small children, are you
certain that there is no way that either can access the pest control product?  Be mindful of placement, and as with any pest management technique, home safety always comes first.

Carpenter ants can be difficult to control, the information provided is to help you get rid of and kill your carpenter ant problems.  Carpenter ants that enter the home are black and can vary in length from 1/4 to 3/4 inch. Unlike termites, all carpenter ants have narrow (or constricted) waists (they have a waistline) and elbowed (bent) antennae.

Carpenter ants are social insects, similar to termites and they  form large colonies. A mature carpenter ant colony may contain up to 3,000 individuals, but usually only one queen, but they can have satellite colonies.   Carpenter ants form nests in wood by tunneling against the grain. These galleries are free of mud and sawdust. Coarse sawdust is present below the entrance of an active nest.

Carpenter ants DO NOT eat wood; they do however remove the wood to create their galleries and tunnels.  They do however feed on sources of protein and sugar. Carpenter ants, outdoors feed on living and dead insects, they are also very attracted to honeydew, a sweet liquid produced by aphids and scale insects. Most foraging is done at night between sunset and midnight during spring and summer months. This is the best time to locate a colony, entry points and to apply baits.  Sometimes workers travel up to 100 yards from a nest in search of food.

Carpenter ants nest in moist wood including rotting trees, tree roots, tree stumps, and logs or boards lying on or buried in the ground. They can also nest in moist or decayed wood inside buildings. Wood decay may be caused by exposure to leaks, condensation, or poor air circulation. Nests have been found behind bathroom tiles; around tubs, sinks, showers, and dishwashers; under roofing, in attic beams, and under subfloor insulation; and in hollow spaces such as doors, curtain rods, and wall voids. Carpenter ants may also nest in foam insulation.

Many foods are attractive to carpenter ants, including honey or other sweet foods. During spring, carpenter ants are particularly attracted to protein sources, such as tuna packed in water. (Carpenter ants are not attracted to tuna packed in oil.) Set out small pieces of tuna for the ants to take back to their nest. It is easier to follow the ants when they are carrying food. With patience and perseverance, you can follow the ants back to their nest.

Other signs that indicate an active nest is nearby include small piles of coarse sawdust or wood shavings, consistent indoor sightings of large numbers of worker ants, i.e. 20 or more, and large numbers of winged ants indoors. Carpenter ants typically swarm from late winter through spring.

Also pay attention to areas where steady moisture is or has been a problem; firewood stored in an attached garage, next to the foundation, along an outside wall, or in a basement; areas around the plumbing or vent entrances; and trees with branches overhanging the house. These are possible sources of carpenter ant nests.

Sound detection may be helpful in locating a nest. An active colony may make a dry, rustling sound that becomes louder if the colony is disturbed. This sound, thought to be a form of communication, is made with the mandibles (jaws) and is not related to wood chewing. When trying to detect carpenter ants, tap the suspected area and then press an ear to the surface in order to hear any sound.

If one nest is found, watch for evidence of additional nests. More than one nest may be present in a structure.

Where to look for Carpenter Ants Indoors:

Nests are often concealed in wall voids, ceilings, subfloors, attics, or hollow It is best to determine the nest’s location as specifically as possible but bait can be simply placed in the areas that the ants are moving about.

Black Carpenter Ant

If you are able to see the nest and colony then using a liquid or aerosol insecticide will help destroy the colony.

Liquids or aerosol ready-to-use insecticide, such as bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or permethrin are labeled for use on Carpenter Ants.   Spray the insecticide directly into as much of the nest as possible

If the nest cannot be located, baits may are an effective alternative. Baits work by combining their attractive food source with a slow-acting insecticide. Maxforce and Advance Carpenter ant baits will be easily shared with colony and the delayed effect will all time for all ants to consume some of the bait, so that the colony is eliminated.  Food Sharing with social insects makes baits a very effective option for control.

The keys to successful baiting are placement and monitoring, if you do not put the bait out where the ant will never find it you will not be successful.

Do the insepection of your home and look for cracks in foundations, attic vents, plumbing penetrations, electrical wires that enter the home, branches that hang over roof line and touch can be a good entry point for carpenter ants.  Look for areas of the home that have excessive moisture problems, maybe where the gutter floods water to close to the wood.

Treat your Carpenter Ant problems with an appropriately labeled pesticide such as Advance Carpenter Ant Bait, Suspend SC, Talstar Concentrate or Cynoff.

Advance Carpenter Ant Bait is ant bait that can be placed in small piles in the ants traisl or can also be used as a scattered bait around piles of wood, around structures or in the home

A few excellent pesticides that are labeled for Carpenter Ant Control  is Suspend SC, Talstar Concentrate, Termidor and Cynoff.  These will also work for other insects.

Carpenter ant

Basics of Ant Control

How to kill carpenter ants? ePestSolutions Online professional pest control supplies store has all the  information and recommendations necessary to get rid of carpenter ants.

Product Recommendations for controlling Carpenter Ants are located at the bottom of this page

Common Name:  Carpenter Ants

Scientific Name:  Camponotus species

Carpenter Ant Description

Color: from red to black  Legs: 6

Shape: segmented; oval  Size 5/8”  Antennae: yes  Flight: no

Habitat

Carpenter ants can and will establish a nest inside and outside of any type of structure.  You can locate in some cases satellite or parent colonies outside a structure, these will be located in tree stumps, landscape timbers, wood piles or moist damp wood.  You can locate trails in the early morning or early evening when the carpenter ants are foraging, locate the trails back and forth from parent colony and structure.  Typically the interior locations of the carpenter ants will be near a moisture source kitchen, or bath areas.  Look for an area that maybe gets more moisture from rain runoff then other areas of the structure.

Carpenter ants enter structures though openings or cracks while foraging for food. The appearance of large numbers of winged adults carpenter ants inside a structure indicates that the nest or nests exists indoors. Carpenter Ants don’t eat wood, but they eat proteins and sugars. Carpenter ant wood damage is caused by tunneling into the structure. Once inside, they will try and locate a water source, food and use wood for their nest.

Best Professional pest control products on the market let us show you

how to kill carpenter ants.

Carpenter ants do not sting and usually don’t bite humans. However, when irritated they can and will inflict a painful bite.

These ants can cause property damage to a structure. They usually invade wet, decayed wood but they can tunnel through dry undamaged wood as well. As you can see, it is important to get rid of carpenter ants to avoid property damage.

Prevention

Eliminate sources of moisture, seal cracks around your foundation, and keep wood materials away from your home. Cut back bushes and branches will also eliminate sources of entry to your home.

Eliminating Carpenter Ants can be difficult and requires a multitude of control and exclusion techniques.  This can involves moisture elimination, removing overhanging tree limbs, stumps, and firewood.  Seal up entry points, cracks and crevices. It is helpful to locate the nest and satellite nest, but if you cannot locate them then use of Ant Bait (Advance Carpenter Ant Bait and Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait) is very effective.

Areas where water leaks occur should be inspected they will be attractive to ants as well as Termites.  Treat nests with a gel bait labeled for carpenter ants Maxforce Carpenter ant Gel Bait or use a labeled dust. Treat inside wall voids with a foam (premise Foam) or dust. You will want to treat the ant trails followed by workers when they forage with carpenter ant bait granules.

Product recommendations:

Carpenter Ant Control Kits Can be applied inside and outside for carpenter ant control

Premise Foam Can be used in the nest area wall voids

Drione Dust for use in the nest area wall voids

Pyganic Dust for use in the nest area wall voids

Advance Carpenter Ant  Bait for use on ant trails

Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait for use inside

Termidor for use outside on ant trails and nest perfect for large ongoing carpenter ant control problems

Visit ePestSolutions for more information on How to kill Carpenter Ants and all other insects, and weeds.

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