Carpenter ants like to burrow into soft and rotting wood. They like to make nests inside of oak trees that are already diseased or compromised. The presence of carpenter ants can prevent a diseased or compromised tree from recovering and continuing to thrive. Here is what you need to do if you have carpenter ants living in any of the oak trees on your property.
Locate The Nest
The first thing you need to do is locate the nest. Carpenter ants generally live together in colonies and build nests where they all live together. They like to locate the rests inside of either soft or rotting wood. They tend to take advantage of trees that are diseased or have sections of soft or rotting wood and make their nests inside of these trees.
You will need to find the entrance to the nest. The entrance to their nest is most likely just a small hole.
The best way to find the entrance to their nests is to do some recon work at night. Carpenter ants tend to move around the most during the evening hours, especially in the summer and spring when they are the most active. Take a flashlight outside and put some red cellophane over the light. Ants can't see the color red, which is why you should put red cellophane over the light; it will allow you to see the ants without altering them to your presence.
Shine your light around the base and trunk of your tree. You should be able to see a trail of carpenter ants going into their nest. If you don't cover your flashlight, you could disturb the ants and cause them to flee to a new home.
Block The Nest Entrance
Now that you have located the nest entrance, you need to block it off. Purchase some insecticide that comes in a dust form and contains either retenone or carbaryl. You will also need to wear protective gloves and goggles when handling this material. You'll want to put the dust insecticide into bottle with a small tip to help you apply it. Squeeze this insecticide into the entrance to the ants home. The insecticide will kill the ants inside of the nest and any ants that return to the nest. It should also help block ants from getting back into your tree.
If it rains, you may want to re-block the nest again and check at night to make sure that there are no longer any carpenter ants hanging around your oak trees.
Trim Your Tree
After you have killed the nest, you need to make sure that the carpenter ants do not migrate to your home. You need to cut or trim any branches from the infected oak trees that come in contact with your home. This will prevent the ants from migrating from your oak trees to your home. If you need help, contact a business such as the Green Shadow Tree Service LLC.
Share13 June 2016
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