How Do I Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants In My Window Sill?

Carpenter ants in window sill is a common problem all over the world. Damp, decayed or damaged wood of windows provides a perfect place for carpenter ants to nest and breed. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. Instead, they chew wood to make nests or attach nests to food sources.

Carpenter ants primarily attack wood that has been wet or damaged by mould, but carpenter ants do not eat any of the wood they dig. There are more than 1,000 species of carpenter ants worldwide. However, only 24 species are considered insects. Due to the number of species, carpenter ant species can be challenging to identify. Many are black, but they can also be red, brown, yellow, tan or orange. Some are black reddish-brown. Their size varies from about ¼-inch to as large as 1 inch in length, but the queens are slightly larger.

Do Carpenter Ants Come Through Windows?

Unfortunately, carpenter ants can come through any place you can imagine. But windows provide direct and easy passage to the carpenter ants to invade your home. Over time, a gap creates between the old and weak windows frames, which catch moisture and become damp. Thus, wet, decayed or damaged wood provides a perfect place for the nesting and breeding of carpenter ants in window sill. Here is how you can get rid of ants in bedroom carpet.

NOTE: If ants are coming in using a window sill, an ant nest is below it or inside the siding.

Signs That You May Have Carpenter Ants In Window Sill?

If you are seeing carpenter ants in window sill, there is a possibility that they have a nest below or near your window. Keep track of the following signs to verify whether carpenter ants have invaded your house:

• Sawdust Piles. Carpenter ants are careful and take the sawdust from their nests and throw it in the piles. You can find these small piles of sawdust near the windows.
• Wet Wood. If you have water damage or water leaks near your windows, carpenter ants like moisture and prefer to excavate wood damaged by fungus, which is often the result of moisture problems.
• Noise In Your Walls. The rustling sounds in the wall gaps indicate that the area may be a colony of carpenter ants. 
• Annual Springtime Visitors. If you see ants in your home regularly every spring, there is a strong possibility that your home has an ant nest.

How Do I Get Rid Of Ants In My Window?

Many people ask, “How Do I Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants In My Window Sill?” Well, the answer is simple and present in your kitchen. Those herbs are spices in your house which you didn’t use for ages can solve your this problem. There are many different methods known for getting rid of carpenter ants in window sill in today’s world. So without further ado, let’s talk about how to keep carpenter ants out of your house?

1. Doing Home Repairs:

First of all, before starting any other method on this list, the most important thing you should do is repair your house. Specifically, we mean that you should close the gaps in your windows and close any cracks in the wood. It would be best to caulk doors, windows and even spaces around walls. Make sure you are caulking any area that will allow ants to enter. More eyes to find smaller holes means fewer ants will pass.

If this is something you may be having trouble with, perhaps because of your vision, it is not bad to hire someone to help you. Or you could ask for help from someone in your family or your neighbourhood.

Note: Make sure that you find non-toxic caulk!

2. Destroying The Anthill:

The other thing you can do to keep ants away from your home or prevent the nesting of carpenter ants in a window sill is to look for their anthill. It is not uncommon for ants to build a small house in your walls or garden. If you see an anthill, you can pour some hot, boiling water on it to destroy the colony. It may be possible you need to fill more than one kettle depending on how giant the anthill is? You may need to make several trips to get rid of them effectively. 

Note: It works great for some species of carpenter ants, except for some ants. Carpenter ants are more likely to be found in damp and even rotten wood, and they mostly build nests inside the house. So, if your problem is with the population of carpenter ants, you will need to hire an extensor to help you deal with them.

3. Using Adhesive Tape:

Another option for “how do I get rid of ants in my window ?” is using adhesive tape. Double-sided tape or even just regular collotype will do the trick. With this adhesive tape, you need to line all the gaps inside your windows. Please turn it on the sticky side because the ants will move on the tape and get caught. It is an effortless but proven effective way to keep ants off track.

Many people think that painter or masking tape is a suitable type of tape. The only downside to this procedure is that you have to change the tape frequently. Well, maybe not too often – it all depends on the size of the ant population you’re dealing with. In addition, some types of adhesive tape can leave residue on surfaces. So, if you want to use this technique but do not want to damage your house walls or windows, you will need to find a tape that does not leave any marks behind.

4. Squeezing Lemon:

Surprisingly, lemons are a great way to prevent carpenter ants in window sill. You don’t necessarily need pesticides to keep these annoying little critics away. Lemons can help you get rid of them completely. Lemons are a great way to prevent ants from coming out the window.

Procedure:

Just squeeze some lemon juice onto your windows or doorstep. If you haven’t removed the cracks and holes through which the ants are entering (by the way, you should), you can add lemon juice. Lemon peel also works to control ants – scatter some around your entrances or outside windows.

Incidentally, lemons also do a great job of preventing fleas and roaches from entering your home. You have to mix four lemons (juiced) in half a gallon of water with the peel. Use this mixture to wash your floor (especially in places where insects and bugs are frequent). As a result, you will see that ants and other insects will no longer come.

The only downside to using lemons is that they don’t last long. Fortunately, the above method is not only affordable, but also completely natural and safe! If you really want to keep your home clean, be prepared to do so every time.

5. Spraying Vinegar Solution:

Vinegar does not smell good at all. But it is still helpful because you can kill carpenter ants around window sill with it. Pour some water and vinegar into a spray bottle to make a solution. You can sprinkle this mixture directly on the ants, wherever you see them moving, or even directly on their anthill. You will see ants die as you do this, and others scatter. Like us, ants do not like the smell of vinegar at all. So if you want to keep ants away from your property, use this spray to send them out.

By the way, don’t worry about the strong smell of vinegar. Although the scent may be strong enough at first, it is not permanent. The smell will probably disappear entirely in half an hour to an hour. 

6. Herbs And Spices:

1. Some herbs and spices can prevent ants and other insects from entering your home. One such spice is cinnamon. Some people say that ants don’t like the smell of cinnamon (too bad for them because cinnamon smells so good), which prevents them from entering your space. Sprinkle cinnamon around your entrances to keep ants away.
2. You can also use whole (dry) bay leaves. Tap them inside your closet doors, windows, and any other place you think ants will pass. Doing so will keep ants away from your house as ants also dislike the smell of these leaves. If insects keep coming into the food boxes that don’t close properly, you can tap the bay leaves from inside the lid. The leaf flavour won’t contaminate the food inside while effectively repelling ants.
3. Sprinkling Cayenne pepper around your home will effectively repel these pests, especially in areas with high traffic ants. If you find their nest, you can also add cayenne pepper powder to kill them and prevent them from coming back in the future.

7. Diatomaceous Earth:

To be exact, we can’t list how carpenter ants can get prevented from coming out of the window without mentioning the all-time favourite bug stopper Diatomaceous Earth. 

Diatomaceous Earth, sometimes called D.E. Or DIATOMITE, effectively kills ants and repels them completely. Many professional exterminator companies often prescribe this product because it is effective. However, it would be best to use food-grade Ditomecius Earth to make it work because the particle size must be small enough to infect the ants. By nature, D.E. is abrasive & also absorbs some lipids from insect exoskeletons. It is why ants will die, usually from dehydration or excessive abrasion to their exoskeletons.

Insecto Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

8. Peppermint Oil:

Peppermint is a great way to keep ants away from your property. Many companies sell peppermint essential oils for this purpose. This oil is not only a fragrant way to prevent ants from entering your home; it is also completely natural and safe. If you don’t want to kill ants and want to avoid the nesting of carpenter ants in window sill, peppermint oil is a great way to do it. It repels ants and pests without being toxic to them!

Procedure:

To use the above method, you can soak a piece of cotton in peppermint oil and place it around your entrances, such as door frames, window frames, and any cracks and fissures from which ants may come. Before doing that, you have done a small spot test to make sure that the oil will not affect any surface finish or paint.

Another way you can use peppermint oil is to mix two to three tablespoons in a quarter of water. It is best to use distilled water for this purpose. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle. Remember to shake the bottle well before each use! You can use half a quarter of water and half a quarter of alcohol (high proof) with your 2-3 tablespoons of peppermint oil. Again, be sure to do a spot test before going ham with the spray, lest there be any stains or damage on your surfaces.

9. Using Borax:

Another home remedy for preventing ants from coming out of the window is Borax. Borax, or sodium borate, is a mineral that has many different uses. You probably know this white powder as a laundry aid. However, there is more than just a laundry aid. You should keep it in your home as it is also a great way to kill ants!

If you have a lot of ants in your house, you can get rid of them with Borax. You can mix one & a half tablespoons of Borax with one & a half cups of sugar. Please put it in a cup and a half of warm water. Mix well, then soak the cotton balls in the mixture. To get rid of ants, place cotton balls near where ants usually pass. They will turn to sugar and bring borax home with them, effectively eliminating their colony.

Note: Remember to wash your hands whenever you touch Borax, as this powder is highly alkaline!

Borax (4 oz) Sodium Borate

10. Chalk And Gels:

Some products are available in chalk form, or gel explicitly made for ants (and sometimes roach). These chalks will kill the ants and keep them away for weeks at a time. Just draw lines around the window or somewhere else where ants like to come in.

Of course, these products should not get used if you have small children or pets that can get access. Use only when you do not endanger anyone! Otherwise, it is a cheap and effective way to prevent ants and other insects like a roach from entering your house.

11. Call Local Exterminator:

Of course, people can’t talk about getting rid of bugs and insects without talking about professionals. Professional exterminators and pest control services are the best people to talk to when you get attacked by a pest that gets out of hand. If you want quick and guaranteed results, hiring an Examiner is usually the way to do it.

The cost of the Exterminator can range from USD 90 to USD 500 per visit. These costs depend on the types of bug, the severity of invasion, and the property’s size. For common non-carpenter ant problems, you can probably get them at the bottom of 90 USD to 150 USD per visit. If you live in a hot region, signing a yearly contract may be worth signing. Yearly agreements usually mean that the company will visit you twice a year or quarterly (although you can see them more often if you wish) and seek treatment to ensure no worms. 

12. Ant Bait Products:

Finally, one last way we want to talk about how to prevent ants from coming out of the window is to use ant bait. It may seem early to use bait at first, but the truth is that it is an effective way to ensure that ants never return. The ant’s bait will make these insects come in and bite one or two. They will also start bringing the bait particles back to their colony. As they do so, their territory will slowly begin to disintegrate.

Ant bait products usually work slowly, because they want worker ants to bring the venom back to home before they die. So, if you’re going to use this method, be prepared to wait a few days to a week or more before the ants are completely gone forever. 

Don’t worry if you want suggestions for some ant products – we’ve got your backing.