Carpenter ant control in Fairfield County, CT

Signs of carpenter ants

• Large black or dark ants in the house, especially in spring
• Small piles of wood shavings that look like coarse sawdust
• A faint rustling sound in walls
• Ants coming from around windows, bathrooms or roof leaks

Why it happens

Carpenter ants favor damp or damaged wood. Roof leaks, bathroom leaks, clogged gutters and wet foundations make wood easier to tunnel.

What we do

• Find the nest and any satellite nests
• Treat the colony
• Identify the moisture source that made the wood attractive
• Explain what repairs are needed

When to call

Call when you see large ants indoors, sawdust-like piles or ants coming out of walls or ceilings. Call (203) 256-1200 and we will tell you the earliest time we can come.

How do you know if you have carpenter ants?

How to get rid of carpenter ants is a concern many homeowners face between March and September. If your home is near or next to a wooded area, and especially if there is a lot of moisture nearby, a local colony of carpenter ants may target it. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. They can still cause extensive damage by burrowing into wood to make the smooth galleries where they live and breed.

One of the first signs of a problem is the smooth galleries they burrow into the wood of a home's foundation, framework or siding. You may also see small piles of sawdust-like frass left behind as they excavate, and sometimes dead ant parts in the debris.

Is it a carpenter ant or a termite?

Carpenter ants and termites look alike at a glance, but carpenter ants have bent, elbowed antennae, and their bodies are divided into three sections with a narrow waist.

Not all carpenter ants look the same

Carpenter ants come in different sizes and colors, and the reproductive form has wings.

How did carpenter ants get there?

In nature, carpenter ants nest in moist dead logs, stumps and hollow trees, where they help break the wood down. They are drawn to moist wood for their nests, and to food such as sweets, meat and fat. They are attracted to:

• Leaky gutters and pipes, and poor drainage
• Soil in direct contact with wood siding
• Trees, branches and shrubs rubbing against the house

Preventing carpenter ants

Your first line of defense is prevention:

• Eliminate standing water around your home and dry out moist areas
• Prune back trees and shrubs that touch your house
• Caulk cracks and openings around the base of your home, and weatherstrip windows and doors
• Stack firewood well away from your home
• Do not leave sweets, meat or fat lying around, or in hidden cracks behind the refrigerator or stove

Getting rid of carpenter ants

Master colony and satellites: there is usually a master colony near your home, and it is likely to create a satellite colony inside the house. Tracking down and eliminating the master colony can be a challenge. As long as that colony exists, carpenter ants may keep reappearing in your home no matter what you do to remove them.

Baits and gels: over-the-counter carpenter ant baits and gels mainly interfere with the nervous system and reproductive process of the ants. The ants carry the bait back to their nest, which then affects the whole colony. Mixtures of boric acid and sugar have shown some success.

Why call a professional carpenter ant exterminator?

Getting rid of carpenter ants is not only a matter of how well a particular product works. Much of the success comes from understanding the ant's habits and having the skill to find and treat every colony near your home. ApolloX has the experience and equipment to do that.