Carpenter ants are one of the most common and damaging household pests in BC's wet coastal climate. Unlike termites, they don't eat wood — they excavate it to nest, and over time that hollows out structural wood.
Identify them
Carpenter ants are large (often black), and you may see big winged ants in spring (a sign of an established nest). Telltale signs include small piles of sawdust-like 'frass,' faint rustling in walls, and ants foraging indoors, especially at night.
Find the moisture
Carpenter ants favour damp, softened wood — around leaks, poor drainage, damp crawl spaces, and wood in contact with soil. The nest is often tied to a moisture problem, so finding and fixing the damp wood is central to solving it, not just killing the ants you see.
Control the nest
Killing foraging ants doesn't solve it — you have to eliminate the nest, which may be in a wall, attic, or even a tree or stump outside feeding a satellite nest indoors. Baits the ants carry back can work, but established or structural infestations in BC homes are often best handled by a pest professional. Fix the moisture so they don't return.