Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – How To

A smart, environmentally conscious home owner experienced a resurgence of carpenter ants in her home after a 20-year absence of the ants. They were coming up through a dishwasher drain, traveling in numbers and swarming in the home. It was pretty scary, especially to the children.

The homeowner came up with this very inexpensive (less than $1) DIY treatment:

• 1/3 cup of powdered white sugar
• 2/3 cup boric acid

“Boric acid is a colorless white powder that is a mild antiseptic, but certainly not a problem to the health of your family even if you touch it with ungloved hands. It is found in nature in some volcanic environments near Tuscany and Nevada.  Boric acid and its salts are found in seawater and plants including almost all fruits.

Of course, you need to keep it away from small children as it is poisonous if ingested or inhaled in large quantities, but it is probably the least toxic form of insect bait you can use around your home with the exception of diatomaceous earth, which unfortunately doesn’t work as well or as quickly for large ants where I live.”

Credits: Safely Get Rid of Carpenter Ants in a Snap | The Healthy Home …

Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – Benefits

  The smart homeowner placed a mixture of the treatment in an empty jar lid by the dishwasher drain, the ants took the bait back to their nest, and happily disappeared from the home.

The treatment appeared to have worked, saving a call to the pest control company, and the expense of that professional service.

Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – Drawbacks

On the surface, this looks like a great solution. There were carpenter ants in the home. $1 and some ingenuity and creativity made them disappear.

However, there’s an all important question that needs to be asked: “What is the original goal here?”

We assume the original goal is to rid the home of carpenter ants, which have the ability to do damage to the structure of a home. This damage will most certainly be discovered during a professional home inspection at some point by a prospective home buyer when the homeowner goes to sell the home. When the damage is discovered, it will adversely affect the selling value of the home. In fact, the loss in value will make a few visits by a professional pest inspector look like the true bargain in comparison.

Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – More Drawbacks

But let’s delve into this issue a bit further. Carpenter ants seldom live in one colony. A common scenario is a main colony, perhaps outside the home, with as many as 12 satellite colonies both outside and inside the home.

Now let’s fast forward to that home buyer’s inspection of our carpenter ant DIY treatment homeowner’s house. They not only discover the wood damage from the first satellite colony, but, let’s be conservative, they find 3 more active satellite colonies in the foundation and frame of the house that were not noticed by the homeowner. Each satellite colony, as it was left to grow, has created even more progressive damage to the home.

Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – Even More Drawbacks

But let’s delve into this issue even further. Remember the main colony and additional satellite colonies outside the house? Again, let’s be conservative and say that the home buyer’s inspector discovers that main colony in some rotten stump, rotten fence or wood pile outside the home, along with 2 additional satellite colonies (total of six in all, more conservative than the possible dozen or more carpenter ant colonies).

Now the drop in home value could potentially cut into the children’s college fund or the homeowner’s retirement.

Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – Benefit or Disaster?

So, on the surface, this smart DIY treatment that cost only $1 and appeared to work potentially ends up costing the homeowner $10,000-$30,000 or more (still being conservative), in the process compromising financial security and well being.

Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – Here’s the thing.

While a homeowner can possibly eliminate visible carpenter ants with a DIY treatment (and the one we described is one of the best), it really takes a professional to track down every satellite colony and the main nest. You’ll need to follow the carpenter ant scent trails, and that’s a skill that professionals have, along with the tools needed. 

In addition, a good pest control professional will evaluate the damage to the home and suggest necessary repair.

But the value of a good pest control professional does not stop there. A good pest control professional will also discover other issues that need attention such as the hidden presence of termites, mice or cockroaches. 

The happy result of this scenario is that the health of the family is protected (some pests carry very harmful bacterial germs and viruses), and the resell value of the home along with the families greater financial security is also supported.

Carpenter Ant DIY Treatment – Conclusion

So, you as a homeowner have a choice. You can use the great DIY carpenter ant treatment we’ve given in this article and hope you’ve eliminated the problem. Or, you can call a good pest control professional and KNOW you’ve eliminated the carpenter ant pest problem, other possible pest problems and discovered any damage to your home, any leaky pipes, gutters, leaky roof issues that are slowly rotting the wood of your home.

Call ApolloX Pest Control

(888) 499-7378

We care about the safety of your family, the condition of your home and your long-term financial security.

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The older your home, the more carpenter ants and termites love it. Why? Because an older home is more likely to have a leaky roof, leaky gutters or drippy old plumbing. Why do these insects love water leaks? Because when leaks drip onto wood, especially over long periods of time, the wood softens and rots. This makes the wood more available for these insects either for burrowing or for a food source.

Carpenter Ant or Termite: What do they eat?

The preferred food is our first clue as to whether it’s a carpenter ant or a termite. Termites eat wood and therefore cause major destruction to the structure of homes. On the other hand, carpenter ants do not eat wood. They merely burrow into wood to create a home. Carpenter ants eat just about any food that you eat: Sweet food, greasy food, meat, grain. If it’s available to carpenter ants (sitting around the house in an unsealed container), they’ll go for it.

Now this presents another clue as to the difference between a carpenter ant and a termite. You’ll more likely see the carpenter ant going for your food. On the other hand, termites will be hidden away eating the foundation and structure of your home!

Carpenter Ant or Termite: What do they look like?

Carpenter ants have angled antennae. Their bodies are divided into three sections with a thin waist. Finally, they are dark brown or black. The reproductive version of carpenter ant–the one with wings, has uneven wings.

Image Credits: Ants, Ants and More Ants – Epcon Lane

On the other hand, termites have straight antennae. Their bodies are divided into only two sections: The lower section looks a bit like a grain of rice. They have no narrow waist. Termites are a white/tan color. The reproductive version of termite–the one with wings, is lighter brown (vs. brown/black carpenter ant), and their wings are equal in length. 

Image Credits: Ants, Ants and More Ants – Epcon Lane
Image Credits: What is the Difference Between Termites and Carpenter Ants?

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Carpenter Ant or Termite: The damage they cause to wood looks different.

The third great distinction between a carpenter ant and a termite is how wood looks after they’ve attacked it. Carpenter ants create smooth burrows or channels in wood. As they excavate, they push the sawdust out of the wood channels (remember they don’t eat wood), and the fine sawdust forms small piles called “frass”.

On the other hand, termites simply eat the wood until it falls apart! Subterranea n termites don’t like to be exposed, so they create mud tunnels from the earth to the wood they want to eat. These mud tunnels are another sign your home is infested with termites rather than carpenter ants.

Carpenter Ant or Termite: Both Are Hard to Exterminate

Carpenter ants are very mobile. Unlike termites they don’t care if they’re exposed. They will travel (mostly at night) up to 100 feet from their nest, and even create satellite nests. You could have a dozen or more carpenter ant satellite nests on your property or in your home. Unless you manage to locate and destroy them all, you’ll never rid your home of carpenter ants.

Termites, as we said, are more likely to be hidden in places you don’t normally visit–for example in the foundation under your home, in the wood beneath the home’s siding, and in those mud tunnels they create which mostly exist where you will not likely see them.

Carpenter Ant or Termite: Both can do massive damage to your home. 

Of course, since termites eat your home, their damage is greater. In fact, more homes are destroyed each year due to termite damage than to fire. However, carpenter ants are also damaging your home. Therefore, it’s vital that you exterminate both carpenter ants and termites in or near your home. 

Consider the value of your home. Do you really want to trust this to a DIY job? Save a few bucks and lose your home, or destroy its resale value?

Carpenter Ant or Termite: Call a professional exterminator to ensure your home is protected.

Call ApolloX Pest Control

(888) 499-7378

P.S. Since both carpenter ants (who are active mostly at night) and termites (who love to remain hidded) can be in your home without you knowing, it’s a good policy to have your home inspected, especially if you have not had a professional pest inspection in the past few years. 

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Carpenter Ants Habits Are Vital to Nature’s Balance

Carpenter ants habits are vital to the balance of nature because they nest in dead wood and aid in the process of decaying. Although the carpenter ants play this important role in the natural cycle, they can become pests to home and business owners when they make their home in the wood structures of buildings. Credits: A Guide to Carpenter Ants | Batzner Pest Management

Carpenter Ants Habits

Carpenter ants habits result in the creation of elaborate passageways in the wood for nesting and movement throughout the colony, connecting them to different food sources.

These ants are most active at night, starting just after sundown. They emerge about 15 minutes after sunset and leave the nest to forage for food. They feed mainly in the tree tops, consuming “honeydew” produced by aphids and scale insects. Honeydew is rich in sugar and can sustain the entire ant colony. Credits: Carpenter ants can do big damage if left unchecked | Columbia …

Carpenter ants forage for food around their nest, carry it back to the nest, and share the meal with the rest of the colony members. Credits: A Guide to Carpenter Ants | Batzner Pest Management

Carpenter Ants Habits Fun Facts

Super Ant!

Carpenter ants are the largest ants in North America with super-sized strength to match their super size. Dwarfing other ants, these wood-destroying ants can reach a length of 3/4 inch and lift up to seven times their own weight with their powerful jaws. In human terms that would be like lifting a large dairy cow with your teeth!

Mr. Clean

Carpenter ants habits include excellent hygiene, removing dead colony members and decaying food from the nest promptly. They also collect plant resins to chemically disinfect their nests. Cleanliness improves the insects’ chance for survival by removing pathogens and bacteria that could endanger the colony’s health.

Ant Farmers

Carpenter ants habits include loving their sweets and being particularly fond of a sweet dewy juice called honeydew that is produced by tiny plant aphids. To keep the colony well stocked with its favorite treat, carpenter ants tend, feed and protect “flocks” of aphids, regularly harvesting the sweet honeydew for the colony’s snacking enjoyment. Credits: Three Fun Facts about Carpenter Ants – Allison Pest Control

Carpenter Ants Habits Inside the Home

Inside the home, nests are often found in areas containing moisture-damaged wood. The damp wood and warm temperatures inside a home is also conducive to carpenter ant colony survival. Carpenter ants found in the home can often be traced back to nests outdoors in nearby trees. Scout for ant movement 15 to 20 minutes after sunset. Use a flashlight to search for the carpenter ants moving along their pathways. These pathways will lead you to their food source and the nest. Credits: Carpenter ants can do big damage if left unchecked | Columbia …

Identifying Carpenter Ants Habits in Creating an Infestation

The most common method to identify an infestation is the sighting of carpenter worker or winged ants in the home. Although worker ants (ants without wings) can be seen in a home without an infestation, the identification of winged ants often indicates a mature colony that is ready to reproduce and form new colonies. Additional signs of an infestation can include the location of sawdust-like wood debris (frass) from tunnels created by ants.  A rustling sound can also be heard as the ants build tunnels throughout the wood in a home. Credits: A Guide to Carpenter Ants | Batzner Pest Management

When Carpenter Ants Habits Result in Infestation: What to Do? 

Carpenter ants habits can cause structural damage to your home. They bore passageways in your home’s wood foundation, framing and siding. Moisture can enter into the wood and weaken it, eventually causing it to decay. It’s best to have carpenter ants professionally and safely exterminated.

Call ApolloX Pest Control

(888) 499-7378

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Carpenter Ant Colony Behavior

For carpenter ants to create colonies, they will need mature male and female winged reproductives to mate. They mate and swarm during early spring to summer. After the mating season or nuptial flight, the male will die, and the female will search for a suitable nest. Once the nest is found, the female ant will deposit 15 to 20 eggs that will soon become her first workers. These workers will be responsible in nourishing developing larvae and the queen. It may take 3 to 6 years for a colony to grow to around 3,000 to 5,000 ants.  Credits: Understanding Carpenter ants | Horizon Pest Control Blog 

Carpenter ants are the only polymorphic ant. This means a colony will consist of numerous different sizes of ants. All ants that one sees are adults.  Credits: Big black carpenter ants and little baby black carpenter ants

Carpenter Ant Colony Sets Up a Satellite Colony In Your Home!

A satellite carpenter ant colony may appear in your home. These colonies might find the luscious, damp wood of an old house and decide that it’s the perfect spot to wreck havoc. Carpenter ants typically show up in your home because they are searching for food and water. They might be in a dying tree just outside your door or across the yard at the old shed. They might even be underneath that soft spot on your porch steps, where wood rot is taking hold. The tricky part is finding where they have set up their satellite colony.

Locating the Carpenter Ant Colony Satellite

Sometimes you might get lucky and see exactly where they are going. Unfortunately, for most homeowners it isn’t that simple. Now is the time to get up underneath the house and take a look at things. Since the carpenter ants don’t actually eat the wood, they will leave plenty of shavings on the ground near the nest. 

Another interesting (and slightly creepy) way to discover them is by using a stethoscope. Don’t have one? An inverted drinking glass might do. When you press the stethoscope against the wall and listen, you just might hear the busy rustling of those carpenter ants working away on their nest. Credits: Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants – Old House Web

Preventing a Carpenter Ant Colony Satellite

Keep all firewood dry, off the ground and away from your house, bringing in only what you need when you actually need it. Replace any decaying wood and keep a close eye on the things that might cause a problem, such as clogged gutters or leaks. Seal up any holes around pipes that might be an entryway, and place a moisture barrier in your crawlspaces to help deter them even further. Credits: Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants – Old House Web

Carpenter Ant Colony Satellite Signs

You will know if your home has a carpenter ant colony satellite when:

• You see a high concentration of ants going in a particular moist area
• You hear an active colony, creating a dry rustling sound that is similar to the crinkling of cellophane.
• You see swarms of winged ants trying to get out of the house
• You see sawdust-like boring outside their galleries and little openings in woodwork

Credits: Understanding Carpenter ants | Horizon Pest Control Blog

It often takes many applications to get control of your house back, as carpenter ants are tenacious. And besides, they often have a parent colony somewhere nearby, where they get an endless supply of fresh ants heading for the satellite colony you are trying to destroy. If you can find that parent colony, get rid of it too. But these colonies can be huge, so you might have to call in a professional contractor to help eradicate it. Credits: Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants – Old House Web

Carpenter Ant Colony: What to Do If You Find One In Your Home?

Carpenter Ant Colony: What to Do If You Find One In Your Home?

Call ApolloX Pest Control

(888) 499-7378

Why call ApolloX?

• You don’t want to crawl under your home (where you may discover more than a carpenter ant colony!)
• You want to ensure carpenter ants are completely eliminated from your home.
• You want to have the master colony eliminated (the one that sent the satellite into your home in the first place, and will do it again)!
• You and your family want to be safe from toxic chemicals.

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