Wood ants are very common and destructive pests. If left unchecked, wood ant attacks can spread quickly. Therefore, identifying and eliminating wood ants as early as possible can help prevent serious structural damage, which can be quite expensive to repair. See Step 1 below to start marking wood ant attacks before they grow out of control.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Marking Attack
Step 1. Know how to spot wood ants
Wood ants are a group of ants belonging to the Camponotus group, which consists of more than 1,000 species. Wood ants live on every continent except Antarctica. As an individual species, these ants have a wide variety of distinguishing features. However, knowing certain traits that are common to all groups of ants will help you identify whether the ants in your house are wood ants or some other type. Some of the common characteristics include:
- Color: Usually red, black, or mid
- Shape: Divided into oval and square abdomen, thin chest cavity. The upper part of the chest cavity usually has a curve that is smoother and flatter than uneven or wavy.
- Size: Approx 0.95-1.27 cm, depending on caste
- Antenna: Yes
- Wings: Worker ants do not have wings. However, relatively rare male ants can have wings.
Step 2. Know where wood ants live
Wood ants can (and will) build nests inside or outside structures, but log houses are very risky because wood ants like to make small tunnels into the wood. Unlike termites, wood ants don't eat wood - they just tunnel into the structure to make a nest. Because wood ants penetrate damp wood more easily than dry wood, their interior locations are often near sources of water, such as a leaky bathroom or toilet.
- Sometimes, wood ants build a network of one or more satellites or parent colonies outside the structure, and travel between this colony and the ant ground indoors, entering the structure through small cracks or openings. In these cases, the outer colony will often be on tree stumps, flatwood, wood piles or wet wood sources. Wood ants often follow trails between colonies in the early morning or late afternoon when foraging for food.
- When wood ants make tunnels, they can leave "fras", a substance that resembles small wood shavings or sawdust, behind. Fras often contains dead insects. This can provide clues to ant nesting locations. If you find small piles of frass in or around the house, look for tunnels in the nearest wood - probe the suspected wood of the tunnel with a thin screwdriver to reveal any voids.
Step 3. Know where the wood ant activity is
Although ants usually nest in wood, if a colony of wood ants is within the walls of your house, it will be difficult to find them. If you suspect wood ants to be in your home, look for an easily accessible area where you are likely to be advised. Wet locations and/or have access to food in the home are usually places for ants to work. Look for ants in the following areas:
- Carpets - Check around doors, fireplaces, and other areas that have easy access to the outside.
- Terrace or foundation
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Areas with vegetation - Ants like to nest and forage following trails behind any vegetation, tree stumps, branches between foundations, terraces, etc. Pull on the vegetation for ants. If you find ants looking for food, follow them until they return to the colony.
Mulch and leaf litter can harbor many types of ants besides wood ants, such as pavement ants, fire ants, and Argentine ants. Scrape the mulch from the soil to check for ant colonies
- Floors - Potted plants, compost heaps, or other objects that come into contact with the soil can contain wood ants.
Part 2 of 3: Getting Rid of Wood Ants
Step 1. Be careful when dealing with wood ants
There is a warning that says: don't handle wood ants or anthills directly. Wood ants are not very aggressive and usually will not bite humans. However, when angry or feeling threatened, wood ants can and will cause painful bites. Wood ants are known to squirt formic acid which causes bite wounds and exacerbates the pain. While it's not a big problem if you get bitten by wood ants, you can prevent this by avoiding touching the ants or anthill unless absolutely necessary, in which case you should wear long sleeves and gloves.
Step 2. Find the ant colony
The first step to getting rid of a wood ant colony is to find it. To determine the location of the colony, look for ants, pinholes, and piles of frass in the locations discussed in Part One. Pay special attention to areas that appear to have damp wood. You can also test attacks on wood near the surface by tapping hard on the wood. Wood with wide holes can sound thinner or hollow than wood without holes. Knocking on wood can also instigate and cause the ants to leave the nest, making it easier for you to see the ants.
Don't forget that adult nests often have small satellite nests nearby, which should also be searched to ensure all ant infestations are eradicated
Step 3. Destroy or discard the colony
For small colonies or colonies that are fairly easy to reach, sometimes you can simply discard the colony. If the colony is outdoors, simply remove the affected wood carefully, using a non-permeable material such as tarpaulin to protect against ants. If any colonies are found indoors, many pest control sites recommend using a vacuum cleaner to disturb the colony and suck up ants.
- If you use the vacuum method, be sure to close and carefully dispose of the dust bag, so the ants can't escape.
- If you find extensive colonies in the wood on the walls, do not cut the wood - you risk compromising the structural integrity of the house. Instead, contact the experts.
Step 4. Use bait for ant colonies that cannot be removed directly
You may not always be able to find a colony of wood ants. However, if you can find large numbers of ants, applying insecticide to the ant trail can control and eliminate the colony. There are a wide variety of baits, traps and other anti-ant products available - visit your local supermarket for a selection of available insecticides.
Use poison ant bait with extreme care if there are small children in the house. Make sure the child understands so he won't eat the poison bait, or supervise the child closely if he is too young to understand
Step 5. Contact the experts
If you can't find or remove the colony and the use of insecticides doesn't work either, the only best option is to contact an exterminator. Exterminators have insecticides and other supplies not available to the general public. More importantly, their training and experience allows them to find and deal with wood ants in a smarter way than ordinary people.
- Please be aware that certain methods that exterminators use to kill ants may require you to vacate the house for a day or two.
- Don't delay contacting an expert - the longer you wait to deal with a wood ant attack, the larger the colony can grow and the more extensive the damage to wood structures.
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Attacks
Step 1. Remove the source of moisture
Moisture is a major factor in wood ant attacks. Often, small pieces of wood will become vulnerable to attack after being exposed to moisture. By repairing or sealing any water leaks that enter your home, you can make it much more difficult for wood ants to nest. Here are some suggestions for removing moisture that contributes to wood ant infestation:
- Check around windows for improper shutters
- Check for leaks in the roof and outside facing walls
- Make sure basements, attics and crawl spaces are well ventilated
- Find and repair leaky pipes
- Clean clogged gutters to remove runoff water
Step 2. Seal entry points, cracks and cracks
If wood ants cannot enter and leave the house, any indoor satellite colonies that are fed by the larger outdoor colony will become isolated and die. Check for cracks, holes, and other small spaces on the outside of the house that ants may pass through - paying particular attention to the area of the exterior wall that is closest to the ground or foundation. Cover any holes you find with filler or thick putty.
Also check the points around the water and electricity lines into the house, as these points are extra vulnerable to ant attacks
Step 3. Get rid of any wood material near your house
Wood ants like to make nests in wood, both inside and outside buildings, so finding and removing infested wood can prevent ants from getting into the house. Carefully inspect any wood sources near the house - if any are affected, remove or dispose of the wood source carefully. Places for you to look for include:
- Stump
- Pile of firewood
- An old tree, especially if the branches touch the house.
- Pile of junk pages
Step 4. Install artificial barriers
If the wood ant problem persists, you will need to put small pebbles or rocks around the house. This "barrier" zone is sufficient to block and prevent wood ants from entering the house through holes near the foundation. Consult a contractor to discuss the practicality and feasibility of such a project on your home, or, if you are highly trained, do the repairs yourself.
Tips
- Use outdoor baits such as KM Ant Pro liquid ant bait and liquid food ant bait whenever possible. Wood ants eat aphids, so giving the ants bait like sweet honey from aphids will drive them crazy and this provides long term control.
- Wood ants are very active at night. Take a flashlight and go outside. Look for wood ants trailing from trees, logs, or other possible nesting locations. You can also follow the trail of wood ants from the structure back to their nest.
