Carpenter Ants Nest in Homeowners Den in Jackson, NJ

Challenge

Recently, I went out on a service call to a new residential client in Jackson, NJ who was having an issue with ants in her home. To narrow down the location of the nest,  I asked the customer where her home had the highest levels of ant activity. I always try to speak with homeowners about their pest issue as soon as I arrive. This helps me identify the problem, locate possible insect entry points, target my inspection, and find the best solution. 

Here the homeowner told me that the heaviest ant activity was concentrated in the living room and the den. While inspecting the exterior perimeter of the house I came across a large population of foraging ants. I immediately identified these distinctive large ants as carpenter ants. Carpenter ants are usually black or brown, approximately 3/8 to 1/2 inch long, and have a rounded thorax (abdomen). Carpenter ants do not eat wood like termites; instead, they cause damage by chewing out galleries in the wood to nest. Two common signs of a carpenter ant infestation are rough wood shavings mixed with parts of dead ants from the colony, which is known as frass, and a “rustling” sound that is sometimes heard as the ants go about their activity in the home’s wood.

I also noticed that the caulking around a window frame near the living room had eroded away and some ply boarding near the den was exposed to moisture. Carpenter ants are attracted to damp, soft, or decaying wood to nest. They will rarely seek out hard, healthy wood. As a result, homes with water or moisture issues are more prone to carpenter ant infestations. 

Now I knew where the ants were gaining access into the home.  While important, it is only half the battle. In order to permanently resolve the infestation, I needed to locate the colony by tracking the ants' pheromone trail. When ants forage, they leave a pheromone trail for them to follow back to the nest. And once ants find food, they lay down an even stronger pheromone trail for other ants to follow. I tracked the ants to a nearby damaged tree in the yard that had frass coming out of the base. 

Solution

Now, that I knew where the colony was located, and I could effectively treat this infestation and apply the right treatment to the right locations! I applied a light liquid application around the entire exterior foundation of the home as well as around and into the damaged tree. This application does not immediately kill the ants. We want to keep them alive long enough to carry the application back to the nest and transfer it to other colony members. Ants constantly touch and groom each other, so they will inadvertently spread the application from one to another. In a short amount of time, it’s lights out for the entire colony! 

I also treated all the baseboards in the rooms where there was ant activity. I explained to the customer that the treatment takes up to two weeks to fully resolve the infestation. The foraging ants that we see are only the tip of the iceberg – we need to eliminate the entire colony, including the reproducing queen.  I also informed the customer that to prevent a re-infestation, the caulking around window frames needed to be replaced and the loose ply boarding near the den needed to be repaired. Once these issues are remedied, this homeowner will be able to enjoy an ant-free home!