Extermination of ants and carpenter ants on the North Shore
At a glance: Ants invade by following scented trails to food. Most are mostly disturbing, but the carpenter ant digs galleries in damp wood and can compromise the structure of the house. Homemade repellents do not control a colony: you have to reach the nest (bait) or call an exterminator — especially for carpenters, whose nests are often hidden.
Carpenter ants attack wood
They do not eat the wood, but dig galleries in it. The longer you wait, the more the damage spreads: it is better to act at the first signs.
Ant sheet in brief
| Type | Social insect (common ant or carpenter) |
| Where it is found | Kitchen (tracks); wet wood for carpenter |
| Ant | Strings; sawdust and winged ants (carpenter) |
| Main risk | Nuisance; wood damage for the carpenter |
| Recommended solution | Bait for the colony; treatment of the nest by a pro |
Regular ants or carpenters?
The little black ants that parade towards the kitchen are above all a nuisance. The larger carpenter ant is the real risk: it digs into damp or weakened wood to nest. Watch for these signs: sawdust at the foot of walls, nibbling noises in bulkheads, and winged ants inside in the spring (mating flight). To distinguish winged ants from termites, see our article flying ants or termites.
Why ants come in
They look for food (sugar, fat, crumbs) and water, and enter through cracks, window surrounds and the bottom of doors. An explorer who finds food leaves a trail that the whole colony follows — hence the uninterrupted lines.
How to get rid of it
Clearing the tracks (cleaning) and using bait is more effective than a simple repellent, as the workers bring the bait back to the nest and reach the queen. Our article on natural ant repellents details homemade solutions and their limitations. For carpenters, the nest must be located and treated — a specialist’s job.
Why a professional for carpenters
The nest of carpenter ants is often hidden (wall, joist, damp wood) and a satellite nest may remain if the treatment is incomplete. According to Protégez-Vous, the intervention of an exterminator is recommended. The CAA-Quebec guide on ants complements these tips.
Preventing ants
Keep the kitchen clean, put food away, fix leaks and moisture (key against carpenters), keep firewood away from the house, and seal cracks (see our anti-vermin caulk). More details on our ant prevention page.
FAQ — Ants and carpenter ants
How to recognize a carpenter ant?
Do carpenter ants eat wood?
Are repellents enough against ants?
How to avoid carpenter ants?
Other pests we exterminate
Exterminateur Rive-Nord also deals with: bed bugs, wasps, spiders, fleas, flies, cockroaches, as well as rodents and animal control.
Ants (carpenters) to be eliminated?
Nest location and treatment at the source, anywhere on the North Shore of Montreal — Laval, Terrebonne, Blainville, Repentigny, Mascouche and the surrounding areas.