How to Kill Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants may enter your home in search of a food source, but their presence doesn't mean they have taken up residence in your home. Ants that appear in late spring and early summer generally have a nest outside the home and are simply looking for food. Ants in the home during the winter months may indicate that they have a nest within the walls of your home. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Observe ants closely to locate the point where they are entering the home. Invading ants that have discovered a food source in your home will usually follow the same path to and from the source, and will enter and exit your home in the same spot each time.
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2
Remove all food sources in the home. This includes sources of protein found in fats and meats, as well as any sweet items like sugar, honey, juice or candy. Carpenter ants will chew through plastic wrappers and wiggle their way into opened boxes. Store food items in sealed containers. Discard any open containers that they have contaminated. Freeze pop or candy wrappers contain enough residues to provide a tasty treat for invading carpenter ants. Be sure any container or wrapper that has held a sweet substance is properly disposed of in the garbage and stored away from the home. Rinse glasses or cups that have held sweet drinks immediately after using.
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3
Wash countertops and stoves with a solution of water and bleach on a daily basis to eliminate any food residue that will attract ants. Keep floors swept clean, and wipe with bleach and water before retiring for the night.
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Set ant traps in corners or under counters where you have observed carpenter ants. Use caution if you have small children or pets. Always follow the manufacturer's directions.
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5
Spray around foundations, doors and windows where carpenter ants are likely to enter the home with an insecticide that is designed to kill ants. Repeat as necessary.
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Sprinkle cornmeal in the corners of cupboards where you have observed ant activity. The ants will think you have provided them with a tasty food source and happily carry it back to their nest and later eat it. Unfortunately for them, ants cannot digest the cornmeal. The cornmeal will swell inside the ant's body and kill the ant.
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Tips & Warnings
Sprinkle baby powder along the area where ants enter your home. It will clog the pores and the ant will not be able to breathe.
