6 expert carpenter ants prevention tips

Gotta love the carpenter ant; Selfless, intriguing, hard-working. Definitely doing more than a 40-hour work week. 😂

But these ants are menacing. Known for nesting in wood (including your home), these destructive pests can cause serious damage if left uncontrolled. You may experience carpenter ant issues where there’s moisture. Most problems are caused by leaks, humidity issues, and poor maintenance. 

The most common species of carpenter ant is Camponotus Modoc. This is the type of ant that is most frequently observed by homeowners in cities across Metro Vancouver and the lower mainland. 

In this post we will share 6 easy things you can do to keep them at bay. Let’s go.

The Basics

We’re not going to bore you with the basics of keeping them away. You can read about that on our carpenter ant prevention post. This time we’re going deeper, with some new ideas for you.

Prevention basics:

Quick check-in. Do you know what carpenter ants look like?

Most of you should know this already. Bigger, thicker ants. Much more distinguishable than their pavement ant cousins who are relatively skinny in comparison.

Here is a quick breakdown of the general characteristics of the carpenter ant.

Now, let’s look at some ways we can prevent carpenter ants from coming near your home.

1. Creep on them – (aka follow their trails)

Follow them, see where the trails go. Ant trails are the routes used to travel to food sources, most frequented by the worker ants after sunset. We often see them on garden hoses, check there first. And ants also like to travel underneath ground cover, so pull up any leaves because there might be a trail of ants underneath them. 

Go on, join the congo line. They will usually lead you to the nest, or multiple nests. Once we know where they are residing, we can start taking action. 

Here is one example of our technician video ants as they trot along electrical wires all the way into the basement. This led us to uncovering a nest inside of a wall void. 

2. Are your garden plants attracting them?

Carpenter ants love the sweet stuff, and have a real knack for finding it. 

Carpenter ants do not typically feed on plants, as they are primarily carnivorous insects that feed on other insects, dead animals, and sugary substances. However, they may occasionally be attracted to certain plants that produce nectar or sap, such as peonies, flowering shrubs, and fruit trees.

Flowering perennials like Peonies produce large, showy blooms in shades of pink, red, and white as well as nectar that may attract carpenter ants. They just cannot resist these sweet-smelling flowers. 

Clematis vines are really nice when they flower in the summertime but they provide a favourite tasty treat for carpenter ants, high in carbohydrates. Also, there are many types of flowering shrubs that produce nectar and may be attractive to carpenter ants. Examples include lilacs, hydrangeas, butterfly bushes, and azaleas.

3. Borax-sugar Combo

Try keeping them at bay with a borax-juice concoction. 

Ratio is key. Too much borax will kill ants without them taking it back to the colony, which is the purpose of this exercise.. to bring back the bait to the nest for more of them to feast on. 

In our experience, approx 2:1 works most great. That’s one part borax to two-part juice. (Apple, orange, even honey.. anything sweet)

Any liquid bait that you can buy from the hardware store as well. They’re not that expensive and actually work really well. So try the Borax. You could even go three to four parts to one at this time of the year because right now they’re just waking up, they’re really weak.

In terms of placement you can use 2″ x 2″ cutouts from an old cereal box, because it’s thin but still strong, with about a teaspoon of the mixture on each. Place them in areas you’ve spotted the ants and play the waiting game! 

4. Essential oils and spices as deterrents 

Cinnamon is awesome, we recommend it. You don’t need a ton of it, but feel free to spread it liberally around the corners of the door. Here is a list of spices and oils that could work good in our experience to deter carpenter ants and other types of ants. 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: It’s important to know that carpenter ants usually reside in exterior walls and do their foraging in the garden so if you think the spice has done the trick, it has probably just redirected or slowed them down. Oils and spices are good as preventative measures only. 

Spices:

• Cinnamon
• Black pepper
• Cloves

Essential oils:

• Peppermint oil
• Tea tree oil
• Lemon oil 

To use these spices and essential oils, you can sprinkle cinnamon or black pepper in areas where ants are likely to enter your home, or place a few drops of essential oil on cotton balls and place them in strategic locations.

5. Listen closely

If you’re really dedicated, you can even listen to your walls with a stethoscope or wine glass. Just don’t get too carried away with the wine – we don’t want you to mistake your own heartbeat for the ants’. 

If you have a suspicion that an area of the wall or certain piece of wood has ants, you can tap it and listen carefully for the distinct rustling sounds that ants usually make. These sounds can resemble the “snap, crackle, pop” noises similar to that of Rice Krispies cereal. 

6. Have you ever had a leak?

Every colony that we’ve found in a house/framing is always where there’s been a leak that was wetting the wood or framing. 

They traditionally live in rotting wood outdoors, but can move into a house if there are persistent leaks that lead to rot. Compared to other ants, carpenter ants are quite large and black. Fumigating will kill the colony, but if they are present due to rotting wood, new colonies will show up. So do a proper inspection and look for leaks at the roof, windows, transitions, etc.

Take a peek at areas with high moisture, wood that’s touching the soil (we don’t judge if your home is a little slanted), downspouts for any overflowing water, spots where the air just isn’t flowing, and exposed structural lumber that’s feeling a little too exposed.

Or maybe you haven’t found the leak yet?! :\

Ants can actually be handy for letting you know where the hidden water damage is. Once you inspect the perimeter, see if you can follow them inside. On one site ants were coming through under a wall with a window. We pulled off the siding on the other side and found the whole thing was rotted out.

Do Hydrangeas Attract Ants

Hydrangeas can attract ants, but not for the reason most people think. The ants aren’t there for the flowers themselves. They’re after honeydew, a sugary liquid produced by aphids that often hang out on hydrangea stems and leaves.

If you’re seeing ants crawling all over your hydrangeas, it’s a sign you may also have aphids. Deal with the aphids, and the ants usually disappear right along with them.

Do Peonies Attract Ants

Peonies are famous for drawing ants, and honestly, they get a bad reputation because of it.

Those tight flower buds release a sweet nectar that ants love. You’ll often see them crawling all over the buds in spring. It looks worse than it is. The ants aren’t harming the plant and they’re not setting up a nest there.

Once the flowers open and that nectar fades, the ants move on. No long-term issue, just a temporary hangout spot.

Spring is the time to Act – go get ‘em 

Carpenter ant colonies are weaker at this time of year (early spring). Ants are groggy after overwintering, prime time to tackle a potential uprising. 

You want to apply the above tactics right away when you first see ants, because once they are established and they understand where the food is, a lot of these solutions are not going to stop them.

*NOTE 1: You don’t need to use the strong stuff this early in the spring. Use a diluted solution instead. And if you give them a commercial grade product, that’s like not to work this early in the year, because you’ll just end up killing that ant, and they won’t take it back to the nest and share it with the rest of their friends.

*NOTE 2: Cautions when treating for Carpenter ants – If you decide to go down the Diatomaceous Earth route. It’s important to use food-grade Diatomaceous Earth, as other grades may contain harmful additives. Secondly, it’s a good idea to wear protective gear like a dust mask and gloves when handling the powder, as it can be irritating to the lungs and skin.

Westside Pro Tip

If you’re serious about prevention, focus on moisture before anything else.

Carpenter ants need damp, softened wood to get started. That means small leaks under sinks, around windows, or inside walls are prime real estate. You might not even notice the moisture, but they will.

Do a quick check every season. Touch the wood, look for staining, and trust your nose. Musty smells are often the first clue something’s off.

Learn about carpenter ant control and removal

The Ultimate Guide to Carpenter Ant Removal is a collection of helpful resources for homeowners to educate themselves on everything carpenter ant related. Read more of our resources and tips for managing carpenter ant problems at home.

Have a look at our other post for more ideas on how to get rid of them using a non-repellant borate injected into wall cavities.

Need help with carpenter ant removal at your property, then give us a call or check out more about our services over on our carpenter ant services page.

FAQs

Do lilacs attract ants the same way as other plants?

Lilacs can attract ants if aphids are present, similar to hydrangeas. The ants are farming those aphids for honeydew, not feeding on the plant itself. If you notice sticky residue on leaves or heavy ant activity, check closely for aphids and deal with them first.

Do plants near my house increase the risk of carpenter ants?

They can. Dense plants and shrubs hold moisture against your home and create shaded, damp conditions. That’s exactly what carpenter ants look for when scouting nesting spots. Keeping plants trimmed back and allowing airflow helps reduce that risk quite a bit.

Should I remove ants from my garden to prevent infestations?

Not always necessary. Outdoor ants are part of the ecosystem and usually stay outside. The concern starts when they’re nesting near your foundation or moving indoors. Focus on keeping them away from your home rather than trying to eliminate every ant in your yard.