Carpenter Ants

– Listen for soft rustle in attic or wall.
– Look for small piles of coarse sawdust near wood.
– Watch for large black ants near roof leaks.

Locate and treat parent colony with residual dust or non-repellent liquid; address moisture source driving infestation; perimeter bait application for outdoor forager control. A pro tracks the ants back to the main nest. Treating that nest is the key to real control. Fixing the leak or damp wood removes what drew them in. Bait around the home then catches the ants still foraging outside.

We track ants to the main nest. Then we treat the nest and fix the leak.

– Eliminate moisture issues — repair roof leaks, condensation, and plumbing drips promptly.

– Trim tree branches and shrubs away from rooflines and siding.

– Store firewood off the ground and away from the house exterior.

– Seal exterior gaps, utility penetrations, and door/window frames with caulk.

– Replace any rotted or water-damaged wood before ants establish galleries.

– Repair roof and plumbing leaks right away.

– Keep tree limbs off the roof and siding.

– Store firewood off the ground, away from walls.

Moist or decayed wood in wall voids, roof eaves, window frames, and hollow doors; satellite colonies often located in dry structural wood adjacent to a moisture-damaged parent colony outdoors. They love wood that is already damp or starting to rot. Wall voids, roof edges, and window frames are common spots. They often nest near a leak or a water-damaged board. Many homes have one main nest plus smaller satellite nests inside.

Carpenter-ants are a common worry in Portland old homes. They like damp, rotted wood by the coast.