How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants? in 2025

In the USA, carpenter ants are becoming a common problem for many homeowners. Although they look harmless at first sight, these ants make tunnels in wood and if not dealt with in time, they can also cause you a lot of harm. Yes, if you are also seeing red and black ants in your house, then you need to be careful and deal with them.

They are especially seen in places where there is wood and moisture, but you do not need to panic. Read this article completely. In this article, I am going to tell you about all the easy and effective ways to deal with them, so please read this article till the end.

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How Can You Tell If Your Home Is Being Invaded by Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ants are invasive pests that can cause heavy damage once they enter your home or apartment. Below are some points that will tell you the signs of their infestation in your home or apartment.

Winged Ants Indoors:-If you see winged ants in your apartment or house, it could be a sign that there’s a nest nearby, especially around places like windows and lights. Carpenter ants have curved antennae and their wings are different shapes, such as:- The front wings are larger than the back wings
Sawdust-like Material:-Carpenter ants often eat wood and build their nests in it. If you see sawdust anywhere in your apartment, you may have built a carpenter ant nest somewhere. You can look for nests in walls, windows, and behind wooden furniture because this is where carpenter ants build their nests.
Rustling Sounds:-If you hear a slight rustling or popping noise in the walls or ceiling at night, it’s carpenter ants, which means carpenter ants have moved in.
Structural Damage:-Carpenter ants often bore into wood and make a straight tunnel, which weakens the wood, i.e. if the wood is becoming hollow and weak, carpenter ants may be inside. For information, you can check by tapping on the wood; if it sounds clearly hollow, it may have an ant nest inside.

Why Did They Choose Your Home?

The question that makes everyone think about is what could be the main reason for carpenter ants coming into apartments and houses. Carpenter ants come into your apartments and houses for three main reasons: food, water, and shelter. Which is described in detail below.

Wet or soft wood:-Carpenter ants build their nests in damp and rotten wood as damp and rotten wood is soft and easy to chew. You should check for such wood in your apartment and remove them and seal all lockage pipes in the apartment as these ants like to live in damp places.
Entry Routes:-If your apartment is stuck to a tree branch, cut off that branch as it can provide a way for these carpenter ants to enter your apartment. And also seal wall cracks, window and door gaps as these can be their entry points.
Available food:-Ants love to eat sweet stuff (sugar and sweets) as well as protein foods (like dead insects, spiders and pet food). Never keep food out in the open as this can attract ants to your apartment.
Safe places to live:-Carpenter ants are small in size and have wings. They cannot tolerate either extreme heat or extreme cold. So they look for warm places in winter and cool places in summer so they can come inside your houses and apartments. Their main hiding places are cracks in walls, attics and under floors where it is dark and quiet.

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants: A Step-by-Step Guide

If carpenter ants have taken over your house or apartment, they can be frustrating because, unlike termites, they do not eat wood but instead dig long tunnels in it, weakening it. Dealing with them can be a bit difficult, but I am going to tell you the simplest and most effective ways to deal with them, which are given below.

Identify the Source:-The first step to deal with carpenter ants is to recognize their signs like if you see wood chips and small holes in wood anywhere in your house or apartment then understand that there are carpenter ants in that place because they like to live in moist and rotten wood so first of all you have to check all these things
Eliminate Moisture:-The second step is to check all the leaks and damp areas in your apartment as both damp wood and damp areas are favorite places for carpenter ants, so check all these areas in your apartment and you can use a dehumidifier to dry it. Another effective way to deal with these carpenter ants is to de-humidify all areas of your apartment.
Use Ant Bait:-The third most common and effective way to deal with carpenter ants is to use bait because the worker ants will carry it back to their nest, killing the colony. You can add a mixture of baking soda and sugar to the bait and make sure to place it where you see a line of ants.
Apply Insecticide:-If the carpenter ant infestation in your apartment or house is large and spreading, you should use an insecticide. This is the fourth most powerful way to get rid of an ant infestation in an apartment. Spray it around every crack, burrow, and gap in your apartment. Also, follow all the precautionary instructions given on the product for safety so that you do not have to face any kind of risk.
Seal Entry Points:-The fifth most effective way to deal with ants is to seal all the cracks, holes and gaps around your windows and doors. These are the most common and important entry points through which ants enter your apartment.
Clean Up Food Sources:-The last and most important way to prevent ants from coming into your apartment is to keep your food in sealed containers and keep your house clean because ants are usually in search of food and will flock wherever they find food crumbs. So always keep food items in sealed containers.

Overcoming the Future Infestations of Carpenter Ants

Dealing with carpenter ants can be a difficult task because they also cause damage, so it is important to prevent them from entering your apartment. Below are some points that can help you prevent carpenter ants from entering your apartment in the future.

Regular Inspection:-To prevent carpenter ants from entering your apartment, the first thing you should do is thoroughly inspect your apartment, especially for damp areas, and damp wood, as carpenter ants are found in these areas.
Maintain Landscaping:-To prevent carpenter ants from coming to your apartment in the future, you have to take special care of landscaping. In this you have to cut the branches of bushes and plants touching your apartment because ants can also enter your apartment through this, so keep bushes and plants away from the walls of your apartment.
Routine Cleaning:-One of the main reasons carpenter ants come is food, which is what they need most, so keep your apartment clean and remove all things from the apartment that attract ants, such as small pieces of food. Also pay special attention to all areas like the kitchen, garbage area and basement.
Remove decaying wood:-Carpenter ants love living in damp and rotten wood, so remove all such wood from around your apartment and home and seal all leakage points in your apartment as carpenter ants love these places

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are more aggressive and destructive than common ants, so do not ignore them when you see them as they can cause damage to your property, such as wood. They like to live in moist and somewhat rotten wood.

Also, carpenter ant infestations grow quickly and can double in numbers in just a few days, which isn’t good for your home and health because they also attract other pests. That’s why it’s important to get rid of them.

Conclusion

Carpenter ants may seem like a minor problem, but if not addressed in time, they can become a threat to your property and health. So by following the steps and rules mentioned in the article – locate their nest, use ant baits and insecticides, seal all the entry points like cracks and holes and eliminate moisture by plugging the leakage points in your apartment, you can easily get rid of these carpenter ants from the apartment and prevent them from coming in the future. If even after doing all this, the problem is not solved properly, then in such a situation you should call a professional pest control expert who can tell you the right solution and method.

Start this process today to make your apartment ant-free and protect both your health and property. Also, for more such information related to pest control, visit pestsolutionsblog.com and get information.

FAQS: Related To How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants

How To Kill Carpenter Ants?

The most effective way to kill carpenter ants is with bait. All you have to do is make a bait by mixing sugar or honey with boric acid and placing it in places where you have seen signs of ants such as around damp or rotten wood, cracks, and holes. This is where carpenter ants live.

How To Identify Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ants have wings that normal ants do not have.

Carpenter ants look different from normal ants; they are dark brown and black in color.

Carpenter ants have curved antennae.

Carpenter ants live in moist and rotten wood while normal ants live in small holes and cracks

What Do Carpenter Ants Eat?

Carpenter ants live in rotten moist wood, but contrary to popular belief, they don’t eat wood; they prefer to eat dead animals and insects because they produce a sweet fluid, called honeydew. Carpenter ants eat sweets like honey, syrup, sugar, and jelly indoors.

What Kills Carpenter Ants

While there are many effective ways to kill carpenter ants, I am going to tell you the 2 most effective ways that are 100% effective in killing carpenter ants.

1. Iotami Eart:-This is a natural powder that kills ants by dehydrating them. It is sprinkled in the place where the ants are.

2. You can use borax powder as bait by mixing it with honey or sugar. This is also an effective way to get rid of carpenter ants. You need to place it near ant spots like cracks, holes, and gaps where you see ants.

How Big Are Carpenter Ants?

The size of ants depends on their species. In simple terms, ants are 2 to 25 mm long, with carpenter ants being the largest. Worker ants are typically 1/4 to 1/2-inch-long, while queen ants can be up to 1-inch long.

Can Carpenter Ants Hurt?

Although carpenter ants cannot cause you any serious physical injury, if they are in large numbers, they can damage your property and health. Carpenter ants, like common ants, can also bite you, after which your skin may turn a little red and there may be a slight burning sensation. However, they can also be risky, so it is important to deal with them.