Best Management Practices:
Carpenter Ants
A colony of Carpenter Ants may infest a tree's underground dead roots, burried wood or outside wood piles. Many times they will drop from over hanging limbs onto the roof and then enter the home. Indoors, Carpenter ants will locate indoor colonies in any suitable void. Carpenter ants will set up trails between the main colony to satellite colonies and between satellite colonies. These ants are most active during nighttime hours. Many times these routes will follow from tree trunk to tree trunk and even underground.
Carpenter ants are attracted greatly by the sweet gum dew produced by feeding mealy bugs, aphids and scales. Baits like Advance 375A Ant Bait, Advance Granular Carpenter Ant Bait and MaxForce Carpenter Ant Bait Gel are formulated to to attract and control Carpenter Ants.
When you are certain Carpenter ants are living in a wall void you may drill a small hole into the void at the base above the baseboard and treat with a Crack & Crevice treatment. Excellent products with good residual are Phantom PT and CY Kick. Other options available that provide excellent control are Alpine Dust, Delta Dust or Tempo 1% Dust that may be applied from the container or into difficult to reach areas with the JT Eaton Puffy D Insecticide Bulb Duster.
Suspend SC, Phantom Insecticide and Demand CS concentrates take advantages of formulations that are odorless, non staining and basically undetected by insects. These products, mixed properly and sprayed with the Chapin Pro Sprayer XP may be applied to the exterior foundation of your house and create a treated area of protection.
When Carpenter ant colonies are located living outdoors they can be treated directly by drenching and an exterior perimeter treatment of Bifen I/T, Termidor SC , Cyper TC, Suspend SC, Talstar P or Phantom Insecticide. This procedure will be effective in controlling present and future infestations.
Best Management Practices courtesy of:
Bes-Tex Supply, LLC P.O. Box 664 San Angelo, Texas 76902 Ph. 325-653-1300
