Carpenter ants cause serious damage to buildings by boring tunnels in wood.
The Spruce / Alex Dos Diaz
Carpenter ants (Camponotusspp.)
What Causes Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are drawn to any dead, decaying wood.
The Spruce / Alex Dos Diaz
The black carpenter ant can currently be found in virtually all regions east of the Rocky Mountains.
The most popular ant control method is to use bait.
Ant baits work by lacing a sweet substance with a substance toxic to ants, such asborax.
Jeffrey van Haren / 500px / Getty Images
Over a period of weeks, an entire colony can be killed in this way.
This process can take several weeks.
It is applied to ants in the same way as boric acid and works by the same principle.
Winged Carpenter AntJoseph Berger /Bugwood Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Its effectiveness depends on precise tool, and perhaps repeated treatments, until a colony is eradicated.
Pyrethroid chemical pesticides include those with names such as deltamethrin, cypermethrin, bifenthrin, or gamma-cyhalothrin.
If the carpenter ants still appear to be present after two weeks, repeat the treatment.
Carpenter ants can be small or large in sizeRichard Bartz
And the wood replacement process can quite involved if the damage has seriously weakenedload-bearing walls.
Dry up leaks inside and outside the home, and repair any moisture-damaged wood when you find it.
Next, deal with sources of nearby decaying wood outside the home.
Carpenter Ant FrassNY State IPM Program at Cornell University
Firewood piles should be located well away from the house or garage.
Trim away any tree branches so they do not touch the exterior walls or roof.
Carpenter Ants.University of Minnesota Extension, 2020.
Carpenter Ant DamagePublic Domain; State of Maine
Black carpenter ant.University of Arkansas.
Dominguez, Karen D.Is Borax Safe Around Children?National Capital Poison Center.
IPM for Ants.University of NebraskaLincoln.
Oxford Scientific / Getty Images
Ramchandra, Atul M, and Peter J Victor.Pyrethroid Poisoning.Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, vol.
S4, 2019, pp.
0-0.Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishing, doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10071-23304
Pyrethrins.National Pesticide Information Center, 2014.