My grandfather hated having carpenter ants. He fought them off as best he could, but they always seemed to be slipping past his defenses. Eventually, he decided he’d had enough and bought some carpenter ant repellent. It worked well for him, but the ants never seemed to learn their lesson. Carpenter ants are some of the most destructive insects in the world. They have a trail pheromone that directs other carpenter ants toward the food supply, resulting in Carpenter Ants traveling across acres and into neighboring homes. This causes structural damage as they chew through wood in search of food. Carpenter ants are named for their habit of excavating wood in order to create nests for their colonies. These ants are no bigger than 1/8 of an inch, but can still cause significant damage to your home or business with their tunneling. Like all pests, controlling carpenter ants requires proper identification and an appropriate extermination solution. This article will introduce you to these household pests and explain both fumigation and barrier methods of carpenter ant control. Carpenter ants are one of the most common types of ants that do property damage. These pests often enter homes in search of food and water sources. Carpenter ant species vary from state to state, but generally dwell close to wooded areas and other moisture sources. They typically nest inside wooden structures, including decks and cottages as well as water pipes, eaves and floorboards in houses.

Carpenter Ant Repellent

Introduction

Carpenter ants are one of the most common types of ants you may find in your home. While they don’t pose a health risk to humans, they can cause serious structural damage to wood and wooden items in your home. Carpenters ants will burrow into the wood, leaving trails of sawdust behind. In fact, if you notice small piles of sawdust near wooden surfaces or cracks in the drywall, it’s likely that you have an infestation on your hands. To prevent an infestation from occurring, there are several things you can do around your home to reduce the likelihood of carpenter ant activity—or at least mitigate the damage:

Maintain moisture levels in and around your home.

• You can maintain the moisture levels in and around your home by keeping the humidity between 40-50%.
• Maintain the temperature at 68-72 degrees F.
• Ensure that your house is well ventilated with at least one window open in every room. If you don’t have an attic fan, then you should consider installing one as soon as possible. This will help to keep insects like carpenter ants away from your home!
• Seal off any cracks or crevices where pests may be gaining access to your property.

Reduce wood to earth contact.

One of the best ways to eliminate carpenter ants is by reducing wood to earth contact. This means keeping wood at least 18 inches away from the ground and 6 inches away from any foundation, as well as covering any gaps between boards with smooth caulk or similar sealant.

Trim tree branches and shrubs that are near your house.

Trim tree branches that are touching the house. Carpenter ants will occasionally build their nests in the crevice between a branch and the side of your home. This can create a serious fire hazard for your home, so trimming these branches is crucial to keeping carpenter ant activity at bay.

Trim tree branches that are touching the roof. Trimming away any overgrowth from around your roofline is also important in preventing carpenter ants from building nests there, because it provides them with less places to hide during the day and fewer places for workers to ambush homeowners when they’re walking around on their roofs at night (which is what happens when you’re checking out an infestation).

Seal all the cracks or crevices in your house’s foundation.

The most effective way to keep carpenter ants out of your home is to seal all the cracks and crevices in your house’s foundation. This can be done by using caulk, which comes in a variety of colors and styles for different uses. A good choice is a paintable caulk that has both flexibility and durability, such as DAP PROJECT MATE® Flexible Silicone Sealant. You should also use a caulk gun when sealing cracks and crevices because it makes the job much faster than using a putty knife or other method.

Do not use standard silicone sealant because it is not resistant to water or oil—both of which are common in homes where there might be carpenter ants!

If you have any questions about how to use these products safely around your family members, call us toll free at 1-800-414-9799 within Canada or 1-877-250-3282 within the United States (toll free).

Store firewood at a distance from your house.

In addition to keeping firewood at a distance from your home, make sure you store it in a way that won’t allow carpenter ants to get access. You should do this by:

• Not storing firewood too close to your house
• Not storing firewood under your house
• Not storing firewood near your house
• Not storing firewood inside of or inside your house

Keep tree stumps away from your home.

To prevent carpenter ant infestations, you must also keep tree stumps away from your home. Carpenter ants like to make their nests in dead trees or stumps, so if you have a dead tree on your property and it is not necessary as part of your landscaping plan, remove it. If there are no trees in the immediate area that need to be removed, then make sure that any stumps are cut off at least six inches above ground level and kept 12 inches away from any part of the house (garages included) with fencing or other barriers to keep them out.

Check for water leaks inside and outside the home.

Check your home for water leaks. Carpenter ants thrive in damp, dark places and also have a keen sense of smell. Their presence is often preceded by the smell of mold or mildew, so check inside and outside your home for signs of moisture that could lead to mold or mildew. Check plumbing fixtures such as sinks and toilets; check the roof; look at windowsills, siding and under eaves; inspect basement walls and floors; look behind cabinets where pipes are located; inspect wood framing around doors leading into the house from outside; check attic insulation for signs of water damage (mold).

Apply insecticides such as Chlorpyrifos, Permethrin, Boric Acid, Cypermethrin, and Borax under the foundation of your house.

• Apply insecticides such as Chlorpyrifos, Permethrin, Boric Acid, Cypermethrin, and Borax under the foundation of your house.
• Do not apply insecticides inside your home.
• Do not apply insecticides near pets or children.
• Do not apply insecticides near food sources (in the kitchen).
• Do not apply insecticides near water sources (under sinks).
• Do not apply insecticides near plants to keep Carpenter Ants away from them so they do not get harmed by ingesting any harmful chemicals which may hurt their health over time due to constant exposure over time as well as killing off beneficial insects which could help protect your garden/yard from other pests like earwigs or termites etc…

Make sure your home is well protected from carpenter ants by following these preventive measures.

• Stop the ants from entering your home:
• Install door sweeps to seal cracks at the base of exterior doors, and install weather stripping around windows and doors.
• Reduce moisture levels in your home:
• If you have a basement or crawl space, ensure that it is dry by installing a dehumidifier or fan. Make sure there is no standing water anywhere inside or outside of these areas.
• Keep wood to earth contact:
• Trim tree branches and shrubs so they don’t touch wooden structures like porches or fences; use landscaping fabric under decks and patios if possible; keep mulch away from buildings (especially foundations) by several feet so as not to give carpenter ants easy access into homes through broken siding etcetera..

Conclusion

Carpenter ants are not just a nuisance but can also cause thousands of dollars in damage. So, if you spot a single ant or swarm of ants in your home, take immediate action and use the strategies we discussed to get rid of them.