Photo Album: Pest Control in Freehold, NJ
We were sent out on a service call to a home in Freehold, New Jersey because the homeowners were concerned with a large number of carpenter ants present. These ants can travel a distance of a football field from their main nest in search of food or a suitable location to set up a satellite nest.
Unlike termites who actually consume the cellulose in the wood, carpenter ants look for water damaged, soft wood to construct their galley for the colony. Evidence of carpenter ant activity is the "frass" or waste product the ants leave behind when excavating the wood. This looks like sawdust, that may be found on the sill plate in a home, or around the base of a tree.
About 30 Feet Away
Beginning our inspection we found carpenter ant activity around a pine tree about thirty feet from the house.
Multiple Treatments
We began treating the basement area with a liquid residual to the box beam and sill plate and also treated the garage perimeter. We also treated around the doors, windows, and exterior foundation of the home with a non-repellent product that the foraging ants will bring back to the colony.
Don't Forget the Tree
Finally, the tree, which had the highest level of activity, was treated with a granular bait around the base. The carpenter ants will bring this bait back to the nest to share with the other ants. Within in a few weeks, it's lights out for the carpenter ants.