How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Do you think you found carpenter ants in your home? Carpenter ants are infamous for the property damage that they’ve caused in homes and businesses all around Knoxville TN. Tearing through wooden support beams and structures, these ants are capable of destroying a building from the inside out. If you’re wondering how to get rid of carpenter ants naturally or on your own, read on. We’ve compiled some advice from our carpenter ant experts at Russell’s Pest Control!

What To Do When You Find Carpenter Ants

When carpenter ants make their way into our homes and businesses, they expand their colonies all within our wooden structures. This means that they don’t have to leave our property’s interior like termites do. Carpenter ants can even split off and create satellite colonies in our homes, so when you find signs of carpenter ants inside, you have to take quick action.

Here are three initial steps you should take to prevent carpenter ants from spreading when you find them on your property:

1. Fix leaks: Look around your property for plumbing leaks or defective drainage systems that are contributing to water-logged wood. Carpenter ants take advantage of this wood for an easy access point into your home or business.
2. Remove damp wood: Remove and replace water-damaged wood anywhere that you find it if you can do so easily and safely.
3. Seal entry points: Close off gaps around windows and doors, cracks and gaps in your walls, and any other holes leading inside from your properties exterior. This can be done with silicone-based caulk, weather stripping, and more depending on the placement.

Killing Carpenter Ants with Baits

Many people are tempted to rush to the store to purchase chemical pest control products when they find carpenter ants in their home. While store-bought products like carpenter ant baits can work to eliminate some of the population in your walls, it is highly recommended to back up your DIY ant control efforts with the help of a professional exterminator.

Given that carpenter ants can quickly spread to different parts of our buildings and cause extensive damage while remaining hidden, it can be very difficult to tell if you’ve eliminated your entire infestation. Carpenter ant baits can give you false hope that your efforts are working while numerous satellite colonies continue to blaze through your structural beams. A carpenter ant expert can access areas you wouldn’t think to look in to provide exhaustive extermination.

Get Started with Carpenter Ant Control

If you’re ready to get rid of carpenter ants and keep them out of your property for good, contact your local ant exterminators. Our team at Russell’s Pest Control is licensed and certified to take care of carpenter ants in Knoxville TN using an arsenal of cutting edge pest control products and strategies. For a free estimate on our carpenter ant extermination services, reach out today!