# Carpenter Ants



## bobmane (Nov 21, 2009)

I got Carpenter Ants coming in my Timber Frame home a few weeks ago. I got the spray poison and the inbound flow has stopped. But I keep seeing them here and there on the inside of the house. So my question is, if I stop the inbound flow or the exterior source is eliminated, will satellite colonies (if that is the right term) survive (and more importantly thrive) without having the connection to the original colony...or will they fade away once that connection is gone?


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Spraying does not kill the colony or queen. It is a feel good approach but somewhere those ants are working to rebuild their numbers.

I prefer the bait approach as the scouts find the bait and return it to the nest followed by many other ants using the scent trail to go back and get more. Trick is to find that trail and place some bait where they will find it easily. I had over 100 drinking the cool-aide (so to speak) and gradually their numbers declined to zero. I learned to not scare them as they emit a scent to warn others of trouble. Also, you need to keep the bait fresh, I use Terro liquid. These were carpenter ants.

I also had an invasion of tiny sweet ants, same routine and same results.

It is hard to not kill every ant you see of spray, put they all return to the nest at some time and the ones you kill may be the ones transporting the poison back.

Good luck
Bud


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@bobmane, I concur with Bud, in pretty much every detail, and add that patience is key. Do your doggonedest to follow up and be sure you really annihilated them.


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## bobmane (Nov 21, 2009)

Yeah I just bought the bait today. But after spraying few days ago the trail is gone. Cant see any on outside of home but some are still in walls


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

OK, dumb question: What exactly do carpenter ants eat?

I thought they actually ate the wood itself.

I've used Terro liquid bait with good results on other kinds of ants. I just assumed it wouldn't work if I ever found carpenter ants.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

CaptTom said:


> OK, dumb question: What exactly do carpenter ants eat?
> 
> I thought they actually ate the wood itself.
> 
> I've used Terro liquid bait with good results on other kinds of ants. I just assumed it wouldn't work if I ever found carpenter ants.


Great question!

Apparently, they're a lot like people and eat both meat and vegetable materials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_ant#Food

They also appear to like sugary stuff, so maybe that Terro Bait is worth a try.

Maybe try and report back? :vs_cool:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Hmm. According to the Wikipedia article, carpenter ants like semi-rotted wood, which means that the ants might be secondary to an even worse problem.

Hope to heaven I'm wrong, but worth checking into.


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