Published on February 15th, 2023

Last updated on February 22nd, 2023

How Do You Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants? Detailed Pest Control For Black Ants

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Carpenter ant

Your house is your castle. What a shocking fact if you notice unwanted guests inside your sweet home. Black ants are a frequent problem for private communities and multistory buildings.

These tiny creatures lead to undesirable consequences for your premises and family members:

  • Sources of a vast majority of bacteriological and inflectional diseases;
  • Food deterioration triggers. Mostly sweet products become magnets for carpenter ants;
  • The food storage system adjusted by these black ants provokes mild mold;
  • These colonies destroy indoor and outdoor wooden coverings.

The best way how to treat carpenter ants is through prevention actions. If you build the proper barriers against giant black ants, you cut the risks above mentioned. Otherwise, you will find many valuable recommendations about pest control for black ants. These secrets help to solve different problems arising from carpenter ants.

What Are The Signs Of Carpenter Ants In Home?

carptenter ants inside the house

Everyone could detect the clear “symptoms” of houses deteriorated by carpenter ants:

  • Nibbled berries and fruits;
  • Spoiled pots or fresh flowers with intense sweet fragrances;
  • Sticky paths of ant colonies around the food storage places;
  • Scratched entrance zones like windows and doors;
  • Dug soils in a yard or close to the buildings.

To clarify the signs of carpenter ants, you need to analyze their specific behavior. These insects have particular features which differentiate them from the other parasites. In nature, black, red, or brown ants follow a hierarchy-related lifestyle. Moving them to human places results in many reasons:

  • Floods and increased humidity in wild territories like forests or parks;
  • Poor house maintenance. Incorrect sanitary conditions are a common problem. Improper house state attracts carpenter ants into your home;
  • Improper food composting. The rotten products in your garden are treasures for many insects and small animals. So, do not be surprised to identify some strangers inside your house.

Distinct Signs Of The Carpenter Ants

To differentiate the carpenter ants, pay attention to their distinct signs inside.

SignsSpecifications
Slight scratching noiseLike mice, carpenter ants generate rustling sounds. Faint noise could be apparent when enumerated colonies move. This sign is typical for wooden houses. The wood is preferable for ants to build nests and store food.
Visible objectsYou notice small black spots moving along the identified track. Once the situation gets worse, you find carpenter ants in any corner of your home.
Find the deteriorated wooden elementsFloors, windows, and door bases suffer from these insects crucially. Making the current paths, they seek even tiny holes. Meanwhile, the colonies expanded that entrance and nibbled the wooden elements. Also, their living products increase the risks of moisture and mold.
Detect the large winged ants or eggsThe adult creatures occupy not only flat surfaces. The wings allow them to reach ceilings and walls. If the first affected areas were basements or the lower floors, such features help them move up. As a result, you will notice the deteriorated places upstairs. Thus, you should build the winged carpenter ant prevention plan in detail. 
Notice itching red spots on your bodyOnce ants are everywhere inside your house, you can suffer from their attacks. So, you notice small reddish spots. In most cases, they are not severe. But the frequent bites could infect human or pet organisms.

How Do I Get Carpenter Ants In My Home?

carpenter ant close view

The signs of large black ants give you primitive clues about the ways they enter your house. Poor hygiene of interior premises is a core reason you find these creations inside. But you can be surprised to discover many internal and external factors. Each trigger directs carpenter ants to your house:

  1. Remained stumps. Cut fruit trees are an everyday practice for garden keepers. But the process is safe for your territory if you perform the procedures correctly. The remained stumps could be getting rotten. Their sweet odors attract many insects. So, the carpenter ant extermination directly depends on such easy garden maintenance measures;
  2. Located trees and vines close to the house. Branches are bridges for different insects. If your home facade closely attaches trees or bushes, ants reach desired targets;
  3. Deteriorated food composting. If you do not follow the food remains collecting rules, be ready for adverse consequences. The rotten foods on grass or soil are magnets for sweet-loving insects;
  4. Uncleaned pool. Leaves, standing water, and bad smells increase the interest of carpenter ants. Thus, they try to occupy units nearby. For instance, leaking air conditioning facilities or compacted ground are preferable for these creatures. The rotting processes jeopardize the ways how to treat carpenter ants quickly;
  5. Accidentally open entrance. Open doors or windows without mosquitoes catching meshes are welcoming signs for ants. They pay attention to back doors connected with the cooking or food storage premises;
  6. Improper house cleaning. Food debris, old dirt, or sticky kitchen surfaces are the primary triggers of unwanted visitors to your home. Insects and even mouses become frequent problems. To this end, you need to clean the house regularly if you need to think about ways how you can get rid of carpenter ants.

How Do You Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants?

A well-planned algorithm allows you to forget about annoying large black ants. You can try all methods or combine them to strengthen results. Everything depends on several critical conditions:

  • Areas occupied by these creatures inside your house;
  • Nesting places with eggs and their living products;
  • Time within which the situation is getting worse;
  • Chemicals or substances available for carpenter ant extermination.

Let’s find out different techniques to make your house cozy again. These recommendations guarantee prolonged results.

1. Clean House At First

house cleaning

House hygiene is no-insect proof. As such, keep proper cleaning sessions for your home. These scheduled activities with high-quality solutions are the best ways to remove dirt. The last one is attractive mechanisms for house-destroying creatures. In this case, you need to eliminate debris and sweet products that have a specific power on giant black ants. This tactic is close to fighting with cockroaches.

So, if you do not want to see carpenter ants in your home, remember three easy steps toward a clean house:

  • Do not leave open foods and beverages or dirty dishes in the sink;
  • Remove debris of sweet, grease-enriched, or animal-derived products;
  • Wipe surfaces with vinegar. The acid odors symbolize a danger for these large black ants.

2. Destroy Nest And Kill The Queen

Destroying the nest of carpenter ants

Both elements are essential if you build a plan of how to treat carpenter ants completely. A nest is not only a home for carpenter ants. This place keeps eggs and senior representatives like a queen. The leading female ant differs from the other working groups by her body parameters. It supervises the paths of colonies.

To find the nest, perform the following steps:

  • Detect the place where you notice these black spots;
  • Put some treats to draw their attention. A teaspoon of sugar would be enough for the trap;
  • Track their paths to the nest. Among carpenter ants, such a placement is under wooden floors or panels.

3. Prepare Fatal Poison For Large Black Ants

baking soda and vinegar to fight carpenter ants

Once you find all the clues, it’s time to act. So, apply powerful solutions for carpenter ant extermination. Simple ingredients are available in every kitchen or bathroom. Indeed, you can buy expensive ant-killing powder or sprays at supermarkets. Otherwise, you can experiment with budgetary substances. Boric acid, baking soda, or vinegar are the best options.

1) Boric Acid

Even low-concentrated solution from the drug store leads to comprehensive carpenter ant extermination. The acid paste attracts ants in combination with egg york or something sweet. After eating such bait, ants are not a problem for your house.

2) Baking Soda

Pure poison for many insects means a mixture of baking soda, warm water, and sweeteners. For more effective results, put this paste on the ant paths or close to their nest. Optionally, combine baking soda powder with boiling water. Apply the prepared liquid in the epicenter of the carpenter ants’ castle.

3) Vinegar

Properly wipe surfaces to destroy the adjusted paths. This famous cleaning liquid is an excellent method to eliminate insect ferments. Also, the liquid, including highly concentrated vinegar and warm water, effectively ruins the insect nest. As such, you can prepare your house for future carpenter ant prevention.

4) Fragrant Herbs

Carpenter ants are scared of some natural odors. Peppermint, pastry, bay leaves, mustard, thyme, and melissa are typical ingredients to fight these insects. Protect your house with these powerful “amulets” to change the paths of colonies.

5) Spicy Products

Garlic and chili peppers are not only tools against fictional monsters. Indeed, you can deal with insects if you place such products on their paths. To build a successful plan of how you can get rid of carpenter ants, use a secret technique. For instance, cut garlic pieces and wipe the ants-affected surfaces.

6) Yeast

So, you might be wondering about the yeast chemical specifications. In combination with sugar, this substance intensifies the syrupy odors. The ants follow the attractive smells and are quickly inside the effective traps.

7) Soapy Water

Soap has enhanced artificial smells, which make carpenter ants confused. Also you can use dishwashing liquid and solid soap bars for a helpful solution. To strengthen the final result, add an equal part of baking soda. This trick is more appropriate for destroying the nest.

8) Starch And Coffee Grounds

Both ingredients resemble poisons for the large black insects. The house disinfecting specialists positively assess these ingredients for carpenter ant extermination. Thus, you need to put one of the substances near sweet baits. Also, the used coffee grounds have a specific fragrance that transforms these insects into zombies. They need to be affected by the preferable toxins in a few minutes.

Carpenter Ant Prevention 

If you finally solve the complicated problem, it’s time to clarify how to get rid of large black ants in the future. To prevent ant infestation you should create a barrier protecting your home against the repeated attacks of these insects.

As carpenter ant prevention measures, use the following recommendations:

  • Verify the probable entrances. To avoid the carpenter ants inside, reduce their access maximally. In particular, check basements, pipelines, ventilation systems, and window or door cracks. Timber flooring is risky due to the gradually deteriorating connections between panels. If needed, fix them with wooden plaster or glue-based solutions;
  • Examine your outerwear or working clothes. After the garden works, you need to check your fabric. Often ants use branches to reach humans and move toward new places. Even one small creature could become a severe problem for your house. This ant brings the remaining colonies to the new location;
  • Strengthen the natural barriers. Almost all insects dislike their smells and run away from particular areas. Try to keep some herbs and products near high-risk places. Peppers, cinnamon, turmeric, and washing powder are top items to explain how you get rid of carpenter ants in the future.

When To Call For Professional Help For Carpenter Ant Extermination?

Sometimes all your efforts fail. So, you need to call for the assistance of qualified specialists. In particular, the alarm signals include several situations:

  • House contains many nests. In this case, wooden floors suffer from massive attacks by these insects. The improper cleaning procedures lead to an increasing number of colonies. Even several queens could control the vast territory. Professional pest control for black ants should refer to by-wall and ceiling treatment;
  • You bought an old wooden house. Often, the purchase of old premises could be a challenge for owners. You can find many surprises if such houses were empty for a long period. One of them is carpenter ants. As such, it would be better to ask for professional help;
  • Carpenter ants are crucially harmful to human and animal life. Qualified house treatment is necessary if large colonies bite the house inhabitants. Kids and pets are typical victims. To save your time and family members, apply for profs to solve the issue of how to treat carpenter ants;
  • You have an allergy to some carpenter ant extermination substances. Intolerant health conditions to specific herbs, products, or chemical agents should not change your intentions. As such, entrust the carpenter ant extermination to specialists.

Conclusion

Thus, carpenter ants make you nervous. These insects could become a real stress for housekeepers. Luckily, the affordable plan of how to get rid of these large black ants is a helpful tool. 

Step-by-step solutions, including homemade tricks, prevent repeated problems related to these annoying insects. So you can protect your wooden decor and improve the interior microclimate.

FAQ

What kind of ants eat wood?

Carpenter ants are specific species of insects. Unlike termites, they use explicit materials to build their nests. They are a severe danger for wooden elements inside your house. Timber is not the main daily formula for them.

Where do carpenter ants nest?

They usually live in moist and too-dried wood. Deteriorated timber is a perfect space for such creatures. The choice is grounded on a source of eating and egg-protecting criteria.

What is the best product to kill carpenter ants?

Use specific products with intense acid or sweetened fragrances. Also, popular cleaning substances like baking soda or vinegar are highly effective.

Does vinegar kill carpenter ants?

High-concentrated vinegar solutions with boiled water are one of the popular products for carpenter ant extermination.