How to Get rid of Carpenter Ants | Top 5 Best Carpenter Ant Baits

Carpenter Ants are predator and scavenger ant species as they feed on insects. They reproduce through nuptial fighting in the spring season as their eggs take around sixty days to transform in to adult ants. Each colony of these ants consists of a single queen.

They are indigenous to forests as they prefer nesting within dead, damp woods, and sometimes infest in buildings, resulting in infrastructural damages.

How to get rid of Carpenter Ants?

You can get rid of Carpenter Ants with the help of the following repellents available in the market:

Top 5 Best Carpenter Ant Baits : Review

1. Carpenter Ant Control Kit

This ant carpenter ant control kit provides baits in two forms, both granular and gel, to target various species with different dietary patterns.

The baits use sweet and fat or protein-based elements as an attractant to defend the various dietary patterns followed by carpenter ants and other types of ants.

Carpenter Ant Control Kit shows quick results, within three to six days of use but is a bit costlier as compared to other carpenter ant baits as it also includes a ‘Plunger’ which makes it easy to use

Highlights:

Includes a separate plunger
Gel bait is suitable for indoor use
Granules are suitable for outdoor use

Pros:

Shows quick results
Effective against various species of ants
Includes a plunger for easy application
Provides bait in two forms

Cons:

Expensive as compared to other repellents
Insecticide used is harmful for children and other animals

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2. Terro Outdoor Liquid Ant Bait

The liquid bait makes use of a sugar-based bait to persuade carpenter ants, and borax to provide the killing power. The slow-acting insecticide spreads throughout the colony quickly and gets rid of the carpenter ants.

Terro Outdoor Liquid Ant Bait is an excellent carpenter ant repellent as it provides long-term treatments and the weather-resistant bait bottles can be stored anywhere. The residual effect provided by the bait can last up to three months but some ants may start to resist it after a few days.

Highlights:

Uses Borax as the killing ingredient
Residual effect of three months
Can be used anywhere around your home like in the garage, lawn, basement, etc.

Pros:

Powerful bait
Long-term residual effect
Weather-resistant bait bottle

Cons:

Ants may start resisting it after few days of use
Hard to open that results in spilling of the liquid bait

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3. MaxForce Carpenter Ant Gel

Maxforce Gel makes use of bait to persuade carpenter ants to spread the insecticide around their colony. The gel also works as a barrier to stop future carpenter ants from entering and is known to eradicate whole ant colonies with just six drops.

You can apply Maxforce carpenter ant gel indoors in to the breaks or holes in the walls or on the surface near the colony as it does not produce any bad odour. However, this bait is costly and not pet-friendly.

Highlights:

Easy to apply
Suitable for Indoor use
Does not produce bad odor

Pros:

Easy to use and apply
Does not produce any bad odour
Sugar-based bait
Insecticide is circulated inside the colony by the ants itself
Suitable for indoor use

Cons:

Ants may develop immunity against the bait over time
Needs constant re-application and maintenance
Insecticide can irritate your skin

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4. Terro Carpenter Ant and Termite Killer

This carpenter ant bait is not only beneficial against carpenter ants and other various pests that cause trouble both indoors and outdoors. You just need to spray it in to the breaks as it quickly kills most of the ants that come in its contact within a few minutes.

This bait can be used effectively against a small number of carpenter ants that are present in your lawn or have found their way in to your house as it comes with a long straw applicator that makes it easy to aim in tight spaces.

Terro Carpenter Ant and Termite Killer It is an excellent short-term treatment but it won’t get rid of ants that are not visible to you. For example, if you spray it in a particular region in your house, you might only get rid of a satellite carpenter ant nest, where the original nest is still prevailing elsewhere.

Highlights:

Contact killing Aerosol
Residual effect of four months

Pros:

Effective against various ant species
Can be used in tight spaces
Does not produce any odor
Gets rid of ants when they come in its contact

Cons:

Short-term bait
Nozzle may get damaged easily

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5. Advance Carpenter Ant Bait

This carpenter ant bait is a protein based granule bait that makes use of the effective ingredient “abamectin” which has been positively rated for being non-toxic and highly effective against carpenter ant crises.

Advance Carpenter Ant Bait is highly suitable for outdoor use as it can withstand rough weather conditions and you just need to place the granules near the dead plants, woodpiles, stumps, etc. as these are the places from where ants usually come in to your home.

Highlights:

Outdoor specific bait
Weather-resistant
Non-toxic

Pros:

Powerful bait
Long-term treatment
Weather-proof and doesn’t dissolve
Does not make use of any toxic substance
Suitable for outdoor use

Cons:

Shows effective results in a few days
Needs constant re-application and maintenance
May not eradicate the whole colony

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Buyer Guide to select the Best Carpenter Ant Bait

Before buying a carpenter ant bait, you should keep the following points in mind and make sure if it is suitable for your use:

Location of Infestation: If you notice the ants inside your house, you should opt for adequate ant traps specially made for indoor usage. If the damage is outside, you should get the most beneficial treatment for outdoor usage.

Type of Ants: There are several types of ants. So, be very careful to buy the appropriate bait. Inspect first an ensure that your home got infested by carpenter ants, then go for repellents, baits and traps that are specifically made for use against carpenter ants.

Safe Carpenter Ant Bait: Decide which type of trap you want to use. There are various non-pesticide, pet-friendly, or strong insecticide baits available in the market. If you have pets or kids, then you should opt for repellents that do not make use of any chemical or toxic substance.

How to use Carpenter Ant Baits Correctly?

Below are few tips to use Carpenter ant bait correctly for effective results:

Find out where the carpenter ants are most likely to occur as they are usually found near the kitchen and bathrooms.
Locate the most widespread ant trails, and set the traps on their way.
Always check the bait stations. Once they are empty, you should insert a fresh one soon so that ants don’t find a new food source.
Check the sticky traps as well. When they’re full, place new traps to make sure you exterminated all carpenter ants.
Don’t use multiple trap types at a single place as using both bait and granule traps at the same time won’t produce better results but would result in product misuse.
Always learn about what you purchase. For example, if you need an outdoor trap, it is suggested to get water-resistant, or sticky-sided traps so that their working won’t get interrupted by rough weather conditions.
Make sure that you clean all other feasible food sources near the ant traps. If less food is accessible, more ants will feed on the baits and traps.
Always wear protective gear such as disposable gloves and face-masks when you interact with any kind of insecticide, particularly with granules and powders.

Conclusion

Carpenter Ants can prefer both sugar-based as well as fat or protein-based food, therefore, it is important that you choose a bait that works both ways.

There are various types of ant carpenter ant baits available in the market but it is preferred that you should use non-toxic, eco-friendly products, especially if you have to use it around children and pets.