Wood mulch will most definitely attract carpenter ants. They're quite good at detecting certain smells and decaying wood (aka: wood mulch) is number one on their list of "10 best places to live".

Does this mean you shouldn't have wood mulch on your property? No. If you want to keep wood mulch but not attract carpenter ants, treat with either the CARPENTER ANT BAIT or the SUSPEND mentioned in our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE. Baiting the mulch will be the most cost effective. As foraging ants come around, they'll no doubt encounter some of the bait, eat it or bring it back to the nest and eventually consume some. This will have a deadly consequence and once a few ants die, the colony will recognize the source of the problem and avoid the area.

Liquid spraying with Suspend isn't as easy to do but you will have the added benefit derived from using a residual meaning that liquid treatments will cover any invading pest. Use about 1 gallon of finished product for every 800 sq/ft of mulch and treat every 2-3 months to keep them in check. Since wood mulch tends to attract everything from termites to scorpions to roaches to springtails, treating it with a liquid would be the better of the two preventive treatments for carpenter ants.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Ant Bait: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/granule/pt-advance-carpenter-ant-granules

Suspend:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/suspend-sc

Carpenter Ant Control:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

In general, most carpenter ants will shut down as winter sets in and outside temperatures drop. But if there is a nest located on or in your home, it could very well keep warm enough to enable the ants to keep active. And if this happens, treating is strongly suggested. But what's the best treatment for these winter time ants?

In general, most winter time activity will be members of the ant colony foraging for food. So it only stands to reason the best approach to get them where they nest is to use a bait. The best bait for inside the home is our CARPENTER ANT GEL. Place small dabs out where you see activity and once they find it, they'll no doubt take some back to their nest where it will be shared with others. In the days following the sharing of the bait, the nest will shut down and die.

Now if you see a lot of ants in one area and have an idea of where they may be nesting, you might consider treating the rooms with PHANTOM AEROSOL. This aerosol contains a slow acting ingredient and like the gel, won't spook or alarm the colony. But after just a few days, ants that walk over treated areas will in turn contaminate the nest. This will usually kill it in 1 to 2 weeks and your problem will be solved.

No doubt carpenter ants can be a problem even in the winter. And whether you do the work yourself or hire a service company to treat, it's strongly advised that something be done. Leaving them to chew and gnaw away at your home could amount to costly repairs that can easily be prevented with one of the two treatments listed above.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Ant Gel: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-carpenter-ant-gel-1-oz

Phantom Aerosol:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Carpenter Ant Article:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

It would appear that one of  your satellite carpenter ant nests has fallen victim to either a previous treatment or social disease. This commonly happens and is one of the reasons carpenter ants will have a main nest surrounded by 2-4 satellites. This way a component nest can die and the community will survive and resurrect itself through the effort of it's surviving satellites.

I'm not sure what you've been applying but based on what you're finding, it's obvious you need to do more. For starters I suggest you get some PHANTOM AEROSOL and treat as much of the area around the furnace as possible. I also suggest you start using some PHANTOM EC outside. As explained on it's product page, this unique active will slowly "kick in" and when it does, all the ants that have come in contact with it will die. This is very different from how many concentrates work and in fact, why most fail as a general way to control carpenter ants. Our article covers many options but based on your situation, I believe the Phantom is the way to go for now. Because of it's mode of action, any ants that forage over it will die and in you situation, this will surely happen. Ultimately you'll stand a much better chance at winning the war against this pest.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Phantom Aerosol:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Phantom Concentrate:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/phantom-21-oz

Carpenter Ant Control:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

If you read through our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll see there are plenty of options available that can handle this pest. Some of these are for treating nests that are active in specific locations. Based on your message, it would seem likely there is a nest in the shed and maybe 1-2 others around the yard. And if you leave them untreated now, no doubt they'll be back next year and at that time, will be looking to expand their size and territory. My advise is that you knock them out now.

To accomplish this, you could use 2-3 products. The simplest approach would be to bait the shed with some CARPENTER ANT GEL. This will no doubt infiltrate and kill any nests that contains ants that eat some.

Next I'd spray the exterior of the home with some PHANTOM. Lastly, I'd bait the yard with some MAXFORCE GRANULES. This will no doubt take care of most all pests you might have in and around the home and since it's still early fall, you have plenty of time for these products to take effect and knock them out now.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Ant Control:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Carpenter Ant Gel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-carpenter-ant-gel-1-oz

Phantom:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/phantom-21-oz

Maxforce Granules:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/granule/maxforce-gran

My first suggestion is that you read our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE. This in depth reading will cover all you need to know if you want to get rid of these destructive ants. In the article you'll find links to the products that can be used to solve the problem but I can tell right away that your situation will require a combination of bait and spray. And not just any bait or spray but two that are unique in that they take a long time to work. This insures they'll get "worked" into all the local nests so once the active ingredient starts to work, the colonies will be destroyed because they won't know what hit them.

As our article explains, carpenter ants chew through wood for making nests. One of the results of this chewing will be sawdust and it sounds like you're seeing enough of that to substantiate a large nest. But are you seeing any ants trailing? Any place you see ants active you need to leave be and do not disturb them. I also suggest you remove the dust and "poison" you've set out as both will do nothing more than spook these guys which will effectively make it harder to control them. Knowing where they're active and leaving them alone will insure you can use the workers to "bring back the poison" you're about to set out.

Now once the old products you applied have been removed, you should set out some CARPENTER ANT GEL anywhere inside where you see them active. This slow acting bait will be readily accepted and shared with other colony members which ultimately means the death of these nests. It uses "honey dew" as the main attractant and this is something these guys need to feed their young so they'll greedily consume any you place out.

Next you should treat the outside with PHANTOM CONCENTRATE. Spray the foundation, under the trailer and basically anyplace you either see activity or suspect they might be active. Like the Gel, this active is slow acting and won't spook or affect any of them for several days. But by walking over the treated surfaces they'll unknowingly be bringing some back to their nests which in turn will mean their demise.

Lastly, be sure to spray periodically around the trailer to insure they don't come back. Carpenter ants are persistent and strong. And as our article explains, they'll commonly have several nests all interconnected so it's important that you keep a regular maintenance program in place to prevent re-infestations. And FYI, our article explains that finding the nest is usually quite important but in some cases that's hard to do. I suspect you have one of these situation so the products I recommended are ideal for when you can't locate the colony and made for the job.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Ant Control:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Carpenter Ant Gel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/gel/maxforce-carpenter-ant-gel-1-oz

Phantom Concentrate:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/phantom-21-oz

It's not likely carpenter ants can kill a tree by themselves. In fact most trees will develop weak spots where pests like ants love to nest. But even after a nest is started, most won't harm a tree. However, there are a few that can and no doubt carpenter ants are one of these "bad" species.

That being said, in my experience it's more likely they'll use spaces, cracks and crevices already present on the tree to make their nests. Such areas will develop under the bark or where limbs sustain normal damage due to weather or wind. So if you're seeing a healthy tree full of leaves and void of any evident sickness, it's more likely the ants have an active nest but that the tree is still very much alive. Such trees should be able to live indefinitely and are designed to overcome mild insect activity. But should you allow the ants to continue nesting even if the tree is healthy? No way!

If you'd like to ensure the tree's long term health, get it treated with some TERMIDOR. This unique formulation is slow acting and as ants travel over the treated bark, they'll be picking up a dose of active that will eventually spread throughout their nest. Within 4-8 days, it will effectively shut down any nests it's carried to making it both effective yet easy to use without knowing where the nests are located. But if you can see where the nest is located, a direct treatment with the DRIONE will be fast and immediate. Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Termidor:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Drione:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Carpenter Ant Control: http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Thank you,
Andy

The good news is it sounds like you've done most of the work needed to solve this problem. As explained in our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE, knowing where nests are located can make solving problems easy. And based on your detailed message, you know there are several nests and you seem to know where they're located. This is big.

At this point, I'd say all you need is the DRIONE, PHANTOM and TERMIDOR. Use a CRUSADER to get the Drione applied to any nest you see. This will kill the nest within minutes. The benefits of Drione are explained in our article and in this case should be able to handle 90% of the problem.

Next, spray the foundation with the Termidor. This slow acting active will get the ants by surprise. It's non repellent and insects can't detect it which makes it lethal. As they come to the home and start foraging over treated areas, they'll be picking up the Termidor and ultimately bringing some back to the nests you've missed. Once the Termidor kicks in (which will take 3-5 days), these hidden nests will be shut down. This should take care of the 10% you miss with the Drione.

Lastly, keep the Phantom Aerosol for use inside the home. Phantom is like Termidor in that it's slow acting and non repellent. Use it sparingly inside the home where you see ants. Phantom is unique in that it goes on dry and when applied properly, can't be seen. I use it in my home which has nothing but hardwood floors. Even with all the shiny surfaces you can't see anything has been sprayed.

Follow this process and you should have the problem resolved in a week. Here are direct products to the products and information listed above:

Carpenter Ant Control:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Drione:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Phantom:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Termidor:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Crusader:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

At this point you should monitor the situation and see if there are ants out and about foraging around the porch or other areas of the home. As our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL article explains, these guys will generally create satellite nests which will be located around one main nest. It sounds like you encountered a local colony trying to set up a satellite nest. It's also normal for most species of ants to "up and move" when their nest is in danger. This could result from a disturbed nest site; a foraging animal could have torn into an old log or space where this colony was living. Afterwards, the survivors decided to move the nest. But nests will relocate when faced with too much water. Heavy rainfall can cause them to relocate an established nest. In fact, if their nest is too hot for the eggs or pupae they'll get up and relocate too so the list is long as to why this could happen. The bottom line is when they do so and end up inside or on a structure, it will usually result in more ants and ultimately damage of some kind.

Now is it possible they accepted your bait offering and are all dead? Yes. But it's not likely. In most cases the members of the mobile nest will be reluctant to feed much when on the move. Only when they've set up their new nest and have depleted any food they brought with them will be on the prowl again and ready to risk accepting something new to eat. So you're probably right; they might be out of sight but there is a good chance they have set up a new nest somewhere in or around the porch and it's just that you haven't seen them just yet.

So what should you do? Take a pro active approach and get rid of them once and for all. Since getting these ants to eat a bait can be tough when they're either moving or recently made a move, spraying a slow acting product will prove much more effective. Inside the home apply some PHANTOM AEROSOL. This odorless spray goes on dry and won't leave any visible residue when used properly. Use it throughout the porch and living area where you see activity or suspect they may be hiding.

Outside the home spray the foundation with some PHANTOM or TERMIDOR. Be thorough with your treatment to insure you get any place they may be active and remember to inspect the local turf, trees, mulch, etc. attempting to locate nests that may be on your property. Any suspect area should be treated as well. Since carpenter ants are likely to have 2-4 nests all linked, there is a good chance another nest is located somewhere close to your home and in the end, getting all of them is the only way you can insure the problem is resolved.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Ant Control:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Phantom Aerosol:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Phantom Concentrate:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/phantom-21-oz

Termidor:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

If you have damage you should be seeing ants. And if you're seeing ants, trailing them to the nest would be easy and suggested. In all cases like this the first thing you need to do is dust with DRIONE. You'll see this listed in our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE. It will provide quick control since it penetrates all spaces and voids effectively. I suggest you watch the video as this demonstrates why it's so effective to use for spaces.

I also recommend spraying the foundation with some TERMIDOR to make sure you have a barrier in place that will get any stragglers or other nests you may have missed.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Drione:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Carpenter Ant Control:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Termidor:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

I have used your products in the past, most recently using a great paint additive that worked on my home's exterior trim and cedar barnsiding to repel insects, bees, etc. I am now confronted with a problem with carpenter ants and need some advice.

A few years ago carpenter ants entered through a second floor bedroom window sill and the company that monitors my Sentricon system drilled holes in the drywall beneath the sill and dusted. Since that time I have observed one or two stray ants in that area; however, this week the same thing happened in another bedroom on the opposite side of the house…should I have that same treatment repeated there? Do you have any suggestions for me or products that I, as a homeowner should be using? I asked the representative if, while painters are here doing interior painting I should just have the drilling and dusting done throughout the second floor beneath windows and I was told not to and that the dusting only lasts 3-6 months…I am now at a loss because painting is expensive and drilling, dusting, then repainting is costly…please advise about any outdoor and indoor treatments I can pursue…thank you!

If you read through our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn this ant tends to create several nests which "network" together thus forming one super colony. So though it sounds like you were able to get one nest some time ago, it no doubt had links to other nests which are now sending in support to try and reconnect. At this point they've either established a nest on your home or will if you allow them to go about their travels untreated.

Based on how many you're reporting, I don't know that dusting will resolve the level of activity you're seeing. As our article explains, this approach is best only when you're sure there are ants in the void you're treating. And if in fact they were in any of these other window sill areas, I think you'd be seeing a lot more activity. No doubt DRIONE would be the product to use if this was happening but again, I don't think that treatment will help the best for what's happening now.

What should be done is a perimeter treatment using TERMIDOR and PHANTOM. Simply spraying the foundation around the outside of the home will have a big impact. Any ants walking over the treatment will bring the active back to their nest which in turn will kill the colony. This means you'll be able to get these satellite nests without having to know exactly where any are located.

If you're seeing any ants inside the home, use the Phantom along baseboards and other areas they're active. It's odorless, goes on dry and won't make a mess when used properly. It works just like the Termidor but is best suited for use inside. A combination of these two products will no doubt take care of these ants whether they're nesting in the home now or trying to create a new nest.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Ant Control Article:  http://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust-1-lb

Termidor:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz

Phantom:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz