This treatment might have to be repeated at least once a year since it is difficult to control ant infestations.

If you see any ants running away, just dust the insecticide over them. You should apply the dust insecticide in and around the opening of the ant nest. But remember not to disturb the nest before using the insecticides or the ants might leave and build one somewhere else.ĭust Insecticides – These have pyrethroids or carbaryl that is used on landscape trees. You can opt for dust insecticides or liquid insecticides. Once you spot the nest or its opening, you can use insecticides. You can poke around at the opening or around the base to see if a lot of ants move out. The nest usually has thousands of winged ant workers with one wingless queen. You have to look for the nest the carpenter ants have built and target them there. How do you get rid of them? It is actually not as easy as you might have expected. So, now you know that you have a carpenter ant infestation. Similarly, they can also damage any wooden structure or furniture in your home. The leaves may wither and the tree will soon go dry and die. If they set up a colony inside your house, it will be near some water source like a sink or air conditioning unit.Īs the ants grow in number, they can build big tunnels inside the trees and this will slowly cause damage. Once they make their way into the heartwood of the tree, there will be dieback of the limbs or branches that you will notice. They can enter through pipes or wires as well.

Once carpenter ants find a tree in declining health, they take advantage and build a colony there.Īny holes, cracks, insect tunnels, or knots give the ants easy access into your trees or your home. The health of a tree is affected by many factors like the soil, pest infestations, environment, bad pruning habits, or disease. If there is a lot of moisture in any part of your house, carpenter ants are likely to be found there. This is why you will notice a carpenter ant infestation in wood that is injured, decaying, or weakened by moisture. Instead, these ants burrow through any weakened or dead wood. What Carpenter Ant Infestation MeansĬarpenter ants won’t eat wood like termites or some other pests. Since the ants tend to nest deep inside the tree, you might not be able to spot them very clearly. They will probably be burrowing through the soil and swarming around the tree. However, if you spot a lot of carpenter ants around the base of your trees, it means the tree is infested. Any damaged wood on your doors, walls, or cabinets is a good indicator of an ant colony within.Ī few ants around your garden or home are not usually a cause for worry. When you notice any piles similar to wood shavings near your furniture, it is a sign of infestation. They may also be found in old wooden window frames or shingles that are exposed to moisture.Ĭarpenter ants don’t eat wood but they chew through it and also leave excrements as they make a path inside for their colony. These are usually found in trees that are injured or dying. Satellite Colony – The workers, mature larvae, and pupae may be in the satellite colony. You need to look everywhere to find the parent colony since foraging ants can be found quite far away from their colony. These are usually found in dying trees, rotten tree stumps, or in the wooden parts of anything that is constantly exposed to moisture. Parent Colony – It contains the workers, broods, and the egg-laying queen.

You need to look for the parent colony and satellite colony while dealing with a carpenter ant infestation. These ants are usually black in color but they may also be yellow or red. Carpenter ants measure around 3/4th of an inch and are one of the largest ants found in the United States. While most ants are quite small, you will be able to notice if your trees or home have carpenter ants crawling around.

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