Carpenter ants in Florida are no joke.
If you’ve seen a few carpenter ants around (check the picture below for a visual), you’re likely dealing with an infestation—and if left unchecked, it can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.
Here’s how to get rid of carpenter ants in Florida without breathing in heavy chemicals or worrying about your pets.
What Do Carpenter Ants Look Like?
Florida carpenter ants have:
- Size: Typically 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, with some larger workers up to 3/4 inch.
- Color: Mostly black, though some species can be reddish or dark brown.
- Body: Large, segmented bodies with a rounded thorax and narrow waist.
- Antennas: Elbowed antennae, which is a key feature of ants in general.
- Wings (Reproductives): When they swarm, carpenter ants have large, translucent wings.
“Reproductives” refers to the ants in the colony that are responsible for reproduction. These are typically the queen and winged males (also known as “drones”).
- Queen: The queen is the primary reproductive ant in the colony and is much larger than the worker ants. She lays all the eggs.
- Winged males: These ants are the males that develop wings and leave the colony during mating season to mate with the queen.
Reproductives are different from the worker ants, which are sterile and do not reproduce, focusing instead on tasks like foraging, building nests, and caring for the queen’s offspring.
What Problems Do Carpenter Ants Bring to Florida Homes?
We’ve talked about termites damaging your home before.
Basically, they eat the wood in your home.
But carpenter ants? They seek existing voids in your home’s foundation to nest in, or they’ll excavate soft materials such as rotten or pithy wood and Styrofoam.
Black carpenter ants (primarily found in the panhandle and Florida’s west coast) actually carve tunnels through your wood to build their nests. This means they weaken the integrity of your home over time.
And if the infestation has been going on for months or even years? You can expect your home to have:
- Wood Damage: Carpenter ants chew through wood to create their nests, often leaving behind hollowed-out wood that can compromise the structural stability of your home.
- Moisture Problems: Carpenter ants are attracted to damp or decayed wood, and their presence can signal moisture issues that lead to mold growth or further damage.
- Potential for Expensive Repairs: Over time, the damage caused by carpenter ants can require costly repairs, especially if their nests are located deep within walls, floors, or ceilings.
If you see signs of carpenter ants— such as wood shavings or trails— don’t ignore it (unless you like spending hundreds of dollars on home repairs for fun).
RELATED: Why Ant Problems Get Worse After It Rains
How To Find Florida Carpenter Ant Nest?
Finding the nest of carpenter ants can be tricky.
These pests are good at hiding, and the nests are often deep within your home’s walls, floors, or ceilings.
The first sign you’ll notice is a trail of ants inside your home (duh).
Here’s how you can find the nest:
- Follow the Trail: Carpenter ants leave a visible trail leading from their nest to food sources. Follow the ants to their entry point and watch where they congregate. This will help you pinpoint potential nest sites.
- Look for Soft Wood: Check areas with soft, moisture-damaged wood. If you knock on the wood and hear a hollow sound or notice small piles of sawdust or wood fragments, you might be dealing with carpenter ants.
- Check Dark, Quiet Areas: Carpenter ant nests thrive in dark and quiet spots like basements, attics, and even behind walls. Scrutinize these areas for signs of activity.
The annoying thing is that these ants will often hang out around a hole in your wall that leads to the outside of your house— where you can’t get to them.
If you’re unsure where to start or if the infestation seems widespread, it’s best to call a professional pest control service like us so we can get to the root of the problem.
RELATED: Our ACTUAL Pest Control Price List for Tampa Residents
What Is the Best Carpenter Ant Bait?
Let’s say you found your carpenter ants hangout spot and are confident you can DIY your way out of this mess.
Carpenter ants are attracted to protein and sugar, so using the right bait will ensure they take it back to their nest, killing the colony. So, you want to make sure you get a bait containing sugar so it attracts the ants.
Here are the best baits for carpenter ants that we recommend to our clients in Florida:
- Liquid Baits: These are often the most effective, as carpenter ants return the liquid bait to their nest. Liquid carpenter ant baits like Terro Liquid Ant Bait typically contain a slow-acting poison that kills the colony over time.
- Gel Baits: Similar to liquid baits, gel baits can be applied to cracks, baseboards, and other areas where ants are active. The ants consume the bait and transport it back to their nest. We recommend Advion Ant Gel Bait since it’s safe for pets!
- Ant Granules: These can be sprinkled around the yard or inside your home. While they’re not as effective as liquid baits, they still provide a good deterrent and are useful for controlling the perimeter of your home. You can use Advance Carpenter Ant Granular Bait inside AND outside!
Baiting is one of the most effective methods— but it might not be permanent.
When dealing with a carpenter ant infestation, it’s better to use bait with other methods like sealing entry points and insecticidal dust in areas where ants nest.
RELATED: Why Are There So Many Small Ants Invading My House?
What Do Carpenter Ants Hate the Most?
Carpenter ants are persistent, but there are a few things they can’t stand.
While they’re not as easy to repel as some other pests, you can make your home less appealing by:
- Vinegar: Ants hate the smell of vinegar. Mixing equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle can help deter them from entering your home.
- Cinnamon: Sprinkling cinnamon around known ant trails can confuse and repel carpenter ants. They dislike the strong scent, which disrupts their ability to navigate.
- Citrus: Carpenter ants are also repelled by citrus scents. You can use lemon or orange peel in areas where ants are active or mix citrus essential oils with water to create a natural repellent.
While these home remedies may help deter ants temporarily, they aren’t enough to solve the problem permanently.
A professional pest control service like ours at My Organic Turf will offer long-term solutions to eliminate the infestation.
Get Rid of Carpenter Ants for Good
Ants aren’t seasonal in Florida, so if you want to get rid of carpenter ants permanently, you need to call in the pros.
While it might seem easier (and cheaper) to use gel baits and sprinkles of cinnamon forever, it gets old real quick.