How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants?

Although there are more than 12,000 known species of ants, you can ultimately divide them into two categories: annoying but harmless and seriously destructive.  

In the warmer months, your indoor and outdoor spaces can end up harboring bugs in both categories, and you may be desperate to know how to get rid of ants. 

In the first category are the makeshift cities of tiny ants on the pavement that appear in your driveways and sidewalks (harmless, but the opposite of the outward appearance). 

There are also the tiny black sugar ants that magically make their way into your house to find that minuscule crumb you dropped on the floor (relatively harmless, although they can carry bacteria).  

Finally, there are the large carpenter ants that have taken on the summer job of destroying your home from the inside out. It’s not nice, and they bite, too. If you’re wondering how to get rid of carpenter ants, here’s everything you need to know. 

What are carpenter ants? 

Carpenter ants get their name from the way they damage the wood that makes up their home and furniture. While they don’t eat wood as termites do, they chew it and excrete it to create trails for themselves and their thousands of friends and relatives.  

If you start seeing random piles of particles that look like wood shavings, it’s a sign you have carpenter ants.

(Fun fact: Insect experts call that “droppings.”) 

You can identify a carpenter ant from other types by its size. They are large: about 1/2″ to 5/8″. Carpenter ants are also usually red-black, or entirely red, entirely black, or entirely brown. 

How do carpenter ants get into a house? 

Carpenter ants love wet or moldy wood, so if there’s a moisture problem anywhere in your home, they’ll be attracted to those areas. However, carpenter ants don’t always enter your house by chewing through wood.  

They can enter your home through any small crack or opening, even if it’s high above the ground (carpenter ants will simply use a branch or climb pipes and wires to get there). 

Indoors, carpenter ants generally like to establish their nests near water sources. Areas near air conditioning units, dishwashers, sinks, and bathtubs are popular spots for carpenter ants. 

How do I get rid of carpenter ants? 

Controlling a carpenter ant infestation isn’t as simple as killing every ant you see. Like all ants, carpenter ant colonies begin with scout ants searching your home for the best places to eat or hang out.  

Then, their friends (the “workers”) follow the trail once they have reached a good food source, building a nest near your wall.  

If you’ve spotted some lost woodpeckers, congratulations, you’ve probably found these little explorers.

Here’s what to do next: 

#1) Make a bait to find the nest.

Pest control experts advise placing a bait for the ants to carry back to the nest, so you can locate it just by looking for them. They are attracted to sweets, so a little jam or jelly might work.  

You can also mix equal parts sugar and baking soda and then place the mixture in a shallow dish. The sugar attracts the ants, but the baking soda will kill them naturally. 

#2) Eliminate scent trails:

Carpenter ants rely on pheromone trails to find food sources and travel. By cleaning surfaces where the ants have traveled, you’ve destroyed this treasure map of your home. You can use essential oils like tea tree, lemon, orange, or cedarwood on a cotton ball to clean surfaces and disrupt these trails.  

Alternatively, make a solution of one part dish soap to two parts water and pour it into a spray bottle. (You can also use this to kill ants after you’ve found their nest.) You can also use a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. 

#3) Destroy the nest.

Once you’ve located the nest by following the ants, detecting droppings near a wall, or hearing a faint creaking sound in the wall, you’ll need to enter the wall to destroy it. Terminix recommends drilling 1/8″ holes every six inches in the area where you suspect the nest might be.  

Next, use a feather duster to blow boric acid through the holes. (The boric acid will kill the ants.) You may need to repeat the treatment several times to destroy the nest. 

When do I need to call a professional to deal with carpenter ants? 

If this sounds like more work or mess than you’re willing to do, then call a professional. Even if you manage to get rid of the carpenter ant nest, there could still be more in your home.

Call an exterminator to check that the nest is destroyed and to look for any other nests. You should also call a professional if you haven’t been able to find the nest but still see carpenter ants.