Photo by VD Photography on Unsplash
Carpenter ants are scavengers that go around foraging for food to take back to their colonies. More often, their search leads them to houses where there is food for them to eat.
If you have a carpenter ants infestation, there are methods by which you can get rid of the pests, or you can call a professional.
4 Ways to get rid of black carpenter ants
1. Look For the Nest
To get rid of carpenter ants, you must first find the nest. When you locate the nest, you can take appropriate steps to eliminate the whole colony. If you try to kill a few, as long as the nest is still thriving, the problem will continue. Some methods you can use to locate the nests include;
● Drop a Bait for the Ants
Carpenter ants eat sugary food like syrup, juices, honey, and especially ‘honeydew.’ You can use any of this food to bait the carpenter ants. You can trail the ants back to the nest when they come for the food.
● Apply Desiccants to the Ants’ Nest
When you locate the ant’s nest, apply desiccants to the surface to kill the entire colony. Desiccant is a hygroscopic material that sucks moisture from the surrounding air and surfaces. When you apply it to the nest, the desiccant will suck all moisture from the ants’ bodies, causing them to die.
2. Use Toxic Bait for the Ants
If you want to get rid of the entire colony without locating the colony, toxic bait is the most feasible option. You do this by mixing something you know the ants will eat with a poisonous substance to carry back to their nests.
For this, you can mix boric acid with honey or syrup as the bait for the ants. When the entire colony eats the poisonous bait, it will die off.
3. Apply Boric Acid Into the Hole
Boric acid is excellent pest control for ants if you can apply it to the nest directly. You can apply the boric acid using a bulb duster to access the holes—experts advise drilling holes six inches apart and puffing the acid inside. The acid upsets and unbalances the ants’ digestive system, causing them to die. It also affects their outer surfaces, itching and drying them out.
While this method is the most effective, it takes around three days for the ants to die completely. You must also be careful handling the acid and keeping it far from kids and animals.
4. Seal up the Cracks in Your House
If the ants are coming from outside your home, you can seal off all cracks and weak links in your home. You should also clean and sanitize every area of your home to get rid of the pheromones trail the ants are following to your home.
Having many ants moving around your home is not welcome. Therefore, with the methods above, you should be able to get rid of the carpenter ants in your home. However, not everybody likes dealing with acid or trailing ants to their nest. If this is you, Contact a professional exterminator to help you get rid of the carpenter ant, and your home will be back to peaceful in no time.
