wood ant

I have large black wood ants living up the side of my house somewhere, I can’t tell exactly where but I see them marching up and down all day long so I’m pretty sure they must have a nest somewhere. What do you recommend?

Wood ants, also known as carpenter ants, like to live in wood voids and spaces. Houses make excellent nest sites and commonly get infested if left untreated. Since wood ants can cause substantial damage, you need to treat the problem as described in our Wood Ant control article. Since you are unsure of the nest location, I recommend a good perimeter application of the Termidor. This should get the colony as long as they are moving over the treated surfaces. If you see any inside the home, set out some of the Carpenter Ant Gel. It should take 1-2 weeks for the treatment to take effect.

I’ve been seeing a lot of wood ants around my firewood pile. I see saw dust like something is grinding up the wood and I’m pretty sure it’s the wood ants. Is there anything I can spray on the wood that won’t be toxic to burn?

Wood ants, also known as carpenter ants, like to nest in wood as explained in our carpenter ant article. They don’t eat the wood but rather bore through it creating voids in which they nest. Firewood piles are common places for such activity and will almost always attract wood ants if left untreated.

First, locate the wood pile as far away from your home as you can. This will help to decrease the likelihood that they’ll create a nest on the house. Next, treat the wood with Diatomaceous Earth using a Hand Duster. This will both kill them on contact and keep them away. Apply as needed throughout the season. This should keep them controlled but if you find the dust isn’t working well enough, get some of the Termidor and spray it around the base of the pile. This way any ants coming to or leaving the wood pile will be affected and this will keep the area wood ant nest free.

wood ant control needed

how to kill wood ants in wood pile