It would appear that I have found carpenter ants in one room of our house. After killing around 20 of them I looked up a picture of them and believe the 20 I killed to be queens because they all have wings and look just like the pictures I found on the internet. What should I do?? Bug bomb? Call the Orkin man? My concern is that they will destroy my home as well as cause chaos in my home with my 5 young children. The ones we found were in my young boy's room on the second floor of the house. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Just like anyone that contacts us, we always recommend you read up on this pest first so you may better understand how they behave, the damage they do and how service companies will treat the problem. One you get this knowledge from our CARPENTER ANT ARTICLE, you should be able to decide if this is a problem you want to tackle yourself or call for professional help.

Please keep in mind the service is usually costly so doing it yourself can save a significant amount of money. That being said, if you're not able to get an idea of where the nest or nests are located, it might be best to hire a service company because in the end, finding and treating the nest is usually critical to solving the problem.

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

I would say you most likely have at least one nest in  your home. And based on the amount of activity you're reporting, I suggest you either hire a service company to treat or get the products they'd use from us and do the treatment yourself. Since it sounds like one nest is located in the floor under the toilet, that's where I would do the initial treatment.

First you should read our CARPENTER ANT ARTICLE. It covers all you'll need to know about these ants so you should be able to decide if you want to handle it yourself or hire a service after reading what's involved. In the article you'll learn about DRIONE DUST which no doubt should be used to treat the floor void under the toilet. This product alone could end up solving your problem if you hit a nest in this area. And based on how many ants you've seen around the toilet, I'm sure there is at least one nest in this location.

In our article you'll also learn that seeing ants with wings means the nest is sending out "reproductives" whose responsible for starting a new nests. This usually happens a year or two after a nest is established so it falls in line "time wise" with what you're reporting. In other words, if the nest started last year, this year is when you would first start seeing swarmers.

Once the void is treated, I would also treat any other room with PHANTOM AEROSOL to make sure you don't miss any nests. Lastly, I'd spray the outside foundation with PHANTOM CONCENTRATE. Getting the home treated with Phantom would insure any other nests are not missed in case there are some satellite colonies you're unaware of location wise.

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, you most definitely need to be concerned about this activity. As a general rule, 1-2 ants a year would be no cause for alarm. But if you're seeing 1-2 a month, there is a problem. And based on your message, you're seeing a lot more than 1-2 a week so you'll need a treatment. At this point you need to either hire a service company to treat or do the work yourself using the products they'd use and save yourself on the cost of a service.

For now, I suggest you review our online CARPENTER ANT ARTICLE. This details all you'll need to know about this pest and why they can be so damaging. As you'll learn, they many times nest in or on a house and forage outside so the homeowner won't see much activity even though they're present. This leads the homeowner to believe there isn't much of a problem even though there is a full blown nest or two hidden and from what you're describing, I'd say you have at least one nest in or on the home at this time.

In our article you'll learn one of the best things you can do is to "follow" any ant you find to see where they trail. This means you don't want to kill them when you see it walking around; instead you need to let it walk where it wants to go, undisturbed, with the hope that it will lead you to their nest site. If you let any ant you find continue along on it's travels, there is a good chance it will provide a clue as to where a nest might be located. So if you see him walk for 10-20 feet and then disappear through a crack somewhere, it would be a indicator that in fact a nest was located in this area. Our article has a great video on how to "follow" an ant to locate their nest and this should help you learn the process.

Now if you are able to locate a nest location, dusting it with some DRIONE would be the way to go as explained in our article. This treatment method is fast acting and will take care of the nest immediately. But if it turns out you're not able to find any specific location to treat, no need to worry. In cases like this where we're seeing some activity but are unsure of where the nest might be, a good application of PHANTOM AEROSOL throughout the room will usually do the trick. It's slower acting and might take 7-14 days to affect the nest but it should get them.

We also suggest you get some PHANTOM CONCENTRATE and spray the outside of the home. This will insure you get any that might be moving between your home and the outside landscape. Phantom is unique in that it won't be detected by the targeted insect so they don't avoid treated areas. And once they step on a treatment, they'll pick up some of the product which they then share with other members of the colony. This in turn will "kill" the nest after a few days making Phantom a great candidate when nest locations aren't known.

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

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

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

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

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

This is an easy one. If you read our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL article, you'll learn there are basically three ways of dealing with this pest. The most direct is when you know where they're nesting. In this case, it sounds like you have no idea so these treatment options won't apply.

In the second scenario, the ants will be mostly outside the structure and you're wanting them gone because you know that eventually they'll move inside and start nesting if you let them roam around and do as they want. This doesn't appear to be the case with your problem either.

But the last scenario is for when you see them randomly appearing in your home where they're either feeding on something or getting moisture from where you see them. Based on your message, it seems like these ants are using your cupboards for the former.

To control the problem, you'll need to apply some CARPENTER ANT GEL inside the cabinets. I recommend removing everything else during this process to make nothing but the gel available to them. They love this bait and will readily feed upon your offering. Once they take some and bring it back to their nest (where ever that might be), they'll share it with other ants. And once the active ingredient kicks in (which will take 2-4 days), the entire nest will die.

Remember that it doesn't take a lot of the gel placed out to do the job and that in fact, small dabs throughout the cupboard will do the job. Maybe 8-12 dabs about the size of a grain of rice is all you'll need. 2-3 dabs on the shelves where you mostly see them. And what you have left of the gel you should save for the future should any other ants start foraging inside because this product will work on other ants too.

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

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

We don't actually do service work but we are wholesalers to the pest control industry and what they use you can get direct from us and do the work yourself. The main benefit of doing this is to save on the cost because certain pest control services – especially for carpenter ants – can be quite costly. As our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE explains, carpenter ants can do a lot of damage and do a good job of hiding so treating for them can be tricky. The only exception to this is when you get lucky and somehow know where they're nesting. And based on your message, it sounds like you know exactly where they're located!

For now, review the article and focus on the section that talks about using the DRIONE DUST. This is really what you need. There are 1-2 videos on this dust and you need to watch them because it will explain why this is the right product for you. To treat, you'll need is a few small holes to access the wall void just under and to the side of the window where you're finding the sawdust. In these small holes you'll pump the Drione and when you hit the nest, you'll likely see 25-50 come out and die. Within an hour the problem should be resolved and handled.

Next spray the foundation with some TERMIDOR we have listed and this will take care of any stragglers that may have been away from the nest when you dust it. By getting the stragglers, you'll insure the nest won't come back.

Give us a call if you have further questions but really, this is a pretty easy job to do when you know where the nest is located like you do. Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

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

Hand Duster: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

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

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

As their name suggests, carpenter ants like to chew on wood… READ MORE ON HOW TO CONTROL CARPENTER ANTS

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