Oxon Hill Ant Control

Carpenter ants do not eat wood, and they rarely start the damage. They move into wood that water has already softened and carve it out to make room for the nest. On a 1960s brick rambler in Oxon Hill, the usual spots are the fascia boards under a gutter that overflows, the trim around old windows, the band joist above a damp basement, and the posts on a back porch or deck.

What our technician Daren tells homeowners

One of the worst carpenter ant houses Daren handled had rotted trim and fascia all the way around, because the flashing sent rainwater down behind the wood instead of over it. The family wanted the ants sprayed and gone. His answer is the same every time: until that wet or rotted wood is replaced, the ants keep coming back, no matter how much product goes down. He has also found carpenter ants nesting for a while in clogged gutters and in deep mulch while they look for rotted wood to move into.

Signs to look for

• Large black ants indoors, often at night, near a window, bathroom, or the side of the house that faces the woods.
• Small piles of debris that look like sawdust mixed with insect parts, under trim or a window sill. Our guide to signs of carpenter ant damage has photos.
• Winged ants in spring coming out of a wall or ceiling. These get mistaken for termites; see carpenter ants vs. termites to tell them apart.

On every carpenter ant job we look for the moisture first, treat the nest and the trails with a non-repellent material, and show you exactly which boards or leaks need repair. More on the species is on our carpenter ant page.

One of the first things we ask on the phone is when you started seeing ants. The answer narrows the search fast.

• Right after heavy rain. Water floods shallow nests under mulch, landscape stone, and the carport slab. The colony moves up and into the house. On a sloped lot, check the downhill wall first.
• During a dry spell. In a hot, dry stretch of July or August, ants come inside for water. Sinks, tubs, the dishwasher, and the line to the fridge are the targets.
• Same room, every year. If the ants always come back to one spot, something there is wet. A slow plumbing leak or a soft piece of wood is likely.

The leak nobody thought to check

Daren once had a house where the ants kept returning to the kitchen no matter what was tried, and he brought in another senior technician to help. The answer was upstairs. The grout around the bathroom tub had cracked, and water leaking down was keeping the ants in the kitchen right next to it. Since then, a cracked tub or shower surround is one of the first things he checks. If your ants keep coming back to a bathroom, read about ants in the bathroom.

Leaf litter and mulch

Oxon Hill's mature trees drop a lot of leaves, and they pile up against the brick on the uphill side and in window wells. Thick leaf litter and mulch that gets topped off every year keep the ground damp and give ants a place to nest right against the wall. They also keep an exterior treatment from reaching the soil. Raking a strip clear along the foundation makes a real difference. Our guide on how to keep ants away lists more fixes.