Black ants , or carpenter ants vary from 1/4“ – 3/4” in length. Some species can be red or yellow in color.

Though they don't eat wood, they do burrow into it, and can do horrendous structural damage to your home over a period of time.Small mounds of sawdust outside or inside of your home is one of the signs that can alert you to a carpenter ant problem.What they do eat is anything that we eat,with a particular fondness for sweets and meats.

Like most other ants, carpenter ant leaves an odor trail behind for other workers to follow. If you find ants on your counters or floors clean the area with a mild soapy solution to eliminate the 'trail'.

You've Got To Kill The Queen

Once a colony reaches a certain size, groups will split off and build satellite colonies. The queen can live(and reproduce) for up to 15 years.

Steps to Take Around Your Home

• Correct any water leaks on your property and make sure low areas can drain off easily.
• Clear any wood from the ground near your home
• Makes sure that no limbs or bushes touch your house.
• Firewood should be stacked as far away as possible

Do you have any tree stumps or lumber piles on your property ? That's like having a welcome mat out for carpenter ants.
Get them up or make sure to treat them with the right type of ant killer(below).
 

How To Get Rid of Black Ants Permanently

If you've found these ants in or around your home, it may be possible to follow them back to their nests. If not, look for them around stumps, brush and wood piles.

There are dozens of ant killer products on the market but you'll want to get a liquid or dust that works by poisoning the whole colony (including that queen!).
These insecticides go to work after the ants have returned to the colony, slowly spreading the poison throughout.

 

	Terro 200 2-Ounce Liquid Ant Killer ll Ants crave it, eat it and share it with the colony. Kills all common household ants. Fast, effective, economical, easy. Ants carry Terro back to the nest where it destroys the whole colony.
	Terro 901 Ant Killer 3lb Shaker Bag Convenient Shaker Bag Kills All Common Household Ants including Carpenter Ants Helps Kill and Control a variety of insects ranging from Fleas to Cockroaches "SENORET CHEMICAL CO" OUTDOOR ANT KILLER PLUS Size 3Lb
	Terro 600 1-Pound Ant Killer Dust Waterproof Kills Carpenter Ants Easy to use perimeter treatment for indoor or outdoor use. Kills on contact up to 8 months. No unpleasant odor. 1 lb. canister. Contains: .05% Deltamethrin.
	Gourmet Liquid Ant Bait, 1-Quart Bottle Kills most common household ants Controls Argentine Ant and Carpenter ant Colonies Delayed Killing Action allows bait to get to the Queen to Kill the Colony Used to Protect Agricultural Crops