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

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

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

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

HELP! Thanks.

If you read through our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn this species of ant will many times have several "nest" locations. This network of nests will support one another making it difficult to eradicate them for good. Many times you'll be able to find one satellite nest, kill it and everything will be quiet for awhile. But eventually they'll return as the surviving nests work to save what they believe to be a "sick" or "injured" sub colony. It sounds like this might be happening in your home right now but don't panic; there are ways to deal with this situation.

The first thing I recommend is to dust as much of these exterior walls as you can with DRIONE DUST. As our article explains, it will both kill and repel most any insect. Carpenter Ants hate this stuff and will avoid where it's been applied. If the ants you see are members of the same colony but coming from nests located away from the home, this treatment alone might exclude them for good. You see, the ants you see right now might in fact be coming from some remote location and don't necessarily have a nest in or on your house. If you killed the initial nest you found, its entirely possible this new activity are ants coming back trying to set up that which you destroyed.

After applying the Drione, you could then do one of two things. The simplest would be to apply TERMIDOR to the exterior of the structure. This residual treatment will take care of any ants in a slow and stealthy way that will kill the entire nest – even if it's located far from the home. At the same time I'd apply some PHANTOM AEROSOL to the interior areas where you're seeing any activity. Like the Termidor, this treatment will affect the colony the same way; slow and steady. Usually within 4-7 days of the ants making contact with treated surfaces, their nest will be shut down.

If you follow this regime, I'm 100% sure you'll knock out the problem without having to spend an arduous amount of time searching. Today's products can control problem ants even when the nest is hard or impossible to locate so there is no reason to waste a lot of time trying. Get it treated as explained above and you'll be done with them for good.

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

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

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

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

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

Most all ants will generate "flyers". These are usually reproductives (aka: males and females, kings and queens, etc.) with the sole purpose of leaving an existing nest to mate and start new nests. In most cases seeing 1-2 of these in the home does not mean you have a local problem. But if you're seeing 5-10 or more, it's highly likely there is a nest in or on your home which will need attention (chemical treatments).

Another possible insect that sends out flyers in the spring are TERMITES. These guys are very different from ants but in fact can be a much bigger problem. There are some key differences between ants and termites but the swarmers each will generate can be quite similar.

Can flying ants bite? Absolutely. The rule to follow here is based on the species. For example, pavement ants are docile and don't sting or bite. And the swarmers they produce tend to be very similar. Fireants, however, are stinging pests. They use a piercing stinger located on their abdomen which can deliver a nasty bit of potent poison. Their swarmers can sting as well as the other members of the local colony. So the rule here is if the species you have is known to bite or sting, it's most likely their swarmers can too.

At this point I suggest you find out for sure if you have ants or termites. Next, I'd start doing one of the recommended treatments explained in either our TERMITE ARTICLE or ANT CONTROL ARTICLE. And if these ants are large and black, it's most likely you'll need to do one of the recommended CARPENTER ANT CONTROL treatments.

Alternatively you could choose to do some treatments without knowing for sure. Inside the home, PHANTOM AEROSOL is effective on both ants and termites and will provide good control for the immediate situation. But if you have termites or carpenter ants, you'll probably need to use some TERMIDOR and treat around the home where these pests are entering or nesting for a longer resolution.

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

Termite Swarmers or Ants:  http://www.termites-swarming.com/winged/winged-ants-or-termites-swarming.html

Termite Control:  http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control

Ant Control:  http://www.bugspray.com/article/ants.html

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

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

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

Based on the small amount of activity you're seeing, I'm not sure you can track the ants like we explain you should do in our CARPENTER ANT ARTICLE. But as you can see, they'll remain active throughout the winter if the nest is located somewhere on the home. At this point I would suggest setting out some CARPENTER ANT GEL. Any that feed on it will be affected and with any luck, some will bring it back to the nest and kill it before spring arrives.

If the nest is still active this spring, I'm sure you'll see a surge in the activity. At that point you should be able to locate the nest and treat it with the DRIONE DUST discussed in our article. This would be your best option if you know where the nest is located. If not, using the TERMIDOR would probably knock them out if you do a thorough treatment.

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

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

Carpenter Ant Gel:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page560.html

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page91.html

Termidor:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/termidor_sc.html

As explained in our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL article, these ants do nothing but forage around all day looking for food and working on their nests. I suggest you read the article which will provide a lot of insight to this ant as well as some practical things you can do to minimize this activity. I do suspect there is a nest either on the home or close by based on how much activity you said you see. But I have seen where they could be this active and still be living off the property.

As you'll learn in our article, there is usually a few things needed to control most infestations. And in most cases, knowing where their nest is located can be a big help in getting a quick resolution to the problem. That being said, your activity can best be controlled by baiting and spraying. Apply some MAXFORCE GRANULES to the yard which should cut down on the foraging. Next, spray the foundation with the TERMIDOR CONCENTRATE. This will provide much needed protection in case they are currently accessing the home in some location you cannot see. The way Termidor works, you'll be able to effectively control any nest on or in the home whether you know where it exists or not. Lastly, if you start seeing any inside the home, use the PHANTOM AEROSOL. It works like the Termidor and can solve problems even when you don't know where the nest is located.

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

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

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

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

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

Carpenter ants can be a real problem once they nest on or in your home. I'm not sure you have a nest in your house just yet and hopefully you don't. Since carpenter ants can cause a lot of damage, they're the one type of ant you never want nesting inside your house.

For starters, I suggest you read through our on line article about CARPENTER ANT CONTROL. There you'll find most of your questions answered about the biology and recommended treatments for this ant. Based on the information you listed above, I think a good foundation spraying with TERMIDOR will keep them out. For the ants that are foraging around in the grass, apply some CARPENTER ANT GRANULES. This food based bait they seem to love and will quickly accept your placements. Once they feed, any nests close by will die and this should insure you don't get new nests on your house.