There are several ways to resolve a carpenter ant infestation. First, you will need to locate the nest of the ants. To do this, one could either find the sawdust that is formed when the ants eat through their tunnels, or follow the ant trail and locate the entrance. Once the nest is found, the ant treatment should be selected depending on where it is located. For instance, if it is located on a tree, you could use a dust insecticide. If possible, you should also vacuum the nest so as to get rid of all the ants. Beware also of the possibility of the ants having satellite nests in the area.
Secondly, set ant baits around the infested area. Boric acid which is harmful for the ants stomach can be used to make the bait. It could be made by pouring a syrup that the ants love into a saucer and sprinkling the boric acid around it. The saucer should then be set where the ants seem to be frequent. However, when using this method, one should be careful and keep it out of reach of children or pets. Alternatively, you could use corn meal. Place the corn meal where the ants seem to be in plenty. Ants don’t digest corn meal well and eventually they die after consumption. In addition to that, sprinkle deterring odors such as crushed mint leaves or cloves on areas where the ants have infested. You could also plant mint near the entrance. This will ensure that the ants stay away seeing as they can’t bare the smell.
Another cheap and simple way to kill ants is by spraying them with soapy water. This will not only kill the ants but also destroy their chemical trail thus preventing other ants from following the trail. To prevent ant infestation, it is also advised to keep the surrounding clean and seal all the ant entrance holes in the area. In extreme cases however, it is advised to seek a professional exterminator’s help to get rid of the ants.