What are carpenter ants?
Carpenter ants have gotten their identify because of the way they damage the wood that makes up your base and furniture. While they do n’t consume wood the way termites do, they chew and excrete it in order to make pathways for themselves and their thousands of friends and class. If you start seeing random piles of particles that look like wood shavings, that ‘s a sign you have carpenter ants. ( Fun fact : worm experts call that material “ frass. ” ) You can identify a carpenter ant from other types by their size. They are big : About 1/2 ” to 5/8 ”. Carpenter ants besides are normally red-black, or all-red, all-black, or all-brown.
How do carpenter ants get inside a home?
Carpenter ants love wet and/or moldy wood, so if there is a moisture emergence in any depart of your family, they ‘ll be attracted to those areas. however, carpenter ants do n’t always get into your home by chewing their way through wood. They can enter your home plate through any crack or bantam opening, even if it is high above the prime ( carpenter ants will plainly use a branch or climb up pipes and wires to get there ). Indoors, carpenter ants normally like to set up their homes near water sources. The areas near air-condition units, dishwashers, sinks, and bathtubs are all democratic places for carpenter ants .
How do I get rid of carpenter ants?
It ‘s not a easy as killing any ant you happen to see. Like all ants, carpenter ant colonies start with scout ants that forage your home for the best places to eat or hang out. then, their buddies ( the “ workers ” ) follow the trail once they ‘ve hit a dear food source, building a nest nearby in your wall. If you ‘ve spotted a few stray carpenters, congrats, you ‘ve probably found these short explorers. here ‘s what to do adjacent : Make a bait to find the nest. Pest experts propose setting out a bait for the ant to take back to the nest, so you can actually find the nest precisely by watching them. They ‘re attracted to sweets, so a little bite of jam or gelatin can work. You can besides mix peer parts carbohydrate and baking pop, then place the mix in a shoal cup of tea. The sugar attracts the ants, but the bake sodium carbonate will kill them naturally.
Eliminate scent trails. Carpenter ants trust on pheromone trails to find food sources and to travel. By cleaning surfaces where ants have traveled, you ‘ve destroyed this treasure map to your home. You can use essential oils like tea tree, lemon, orange, or cedar on a cotton ball to wipe down surfaces to interrupt these trails. Or, make a solution of one contribution dish soap to two parts body of water and pour into a spray bottle. ( You can besides use this to kill ants, after you ‘ve found their nest. ) You could besides use a 50/50 solution of blank vinegar and water. Destroy the nest. Once you ‘ve found the nest by following ants, by spotting “ frass ” near a wall, or can detect a faint rustling audio in the rampart, you ‘ll need to get into the wall to destroy it. Terminix recommends drilling 1/8 ” holes every six inches in the area where you suspect the nest might be. then, use a bulb duster to “ puff ” boric acidic through the holes. ( The boric acerb will kill the ants. ) You might have to repeat treatments multiple times in order to destroy the nest .
When do I need to call in a pro to deal with the carpenter ants?
If this sounds like more work or more of a mess than you ‘re willing to make, then call in a professional. even if you successfully get rid of the carpenter ant nest, there inactive might be more in your home. Call an exterminator to check that the nest is destroyed and to look for potential other nests. You should besides call a pro if you have n’t been able to find the nest, but still see carpenter ants .
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