May 11, 2009
I want to get rid of carpenter ants that I’m seeing on my back deck. I’m afraid they’re going to move inside the house and I know they can cause a lot of damage so I want them gone as quickly as possible. I don’t know where they’re nesting but I can see 2-3 on my deck most all the time just walking around. What should I do?
To get rid of carpenter ants foraging around the house, the best approach is to spray the foundation and bait the turf where they are active. As explained in our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE, these ants have a large range and many times will come to one yard to feed even though their nest is in another yard. At first this activity may seem innocent but eventually these ants will either establish a nest inside or on the home outside (which is bad) so don’t let them have access to your deck.
To stop this activity, there are two things you should do. First, bait the perimeter of the home with CARPENTER ANT GRANULES. Carpenter ants love this stuff and will quickly find your placement. Do this application first and don’t do anything else for 3 days. After three days go ahead and spray the foundation with some TERMIDOR or SUSPEND. This residual will provide a much needed barrier on the home so any straglers which are still active will be affected so the local colony will know to stay away for good.
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