Termite and Wood Boring Insects - Carpenter Ants in bathroom

We started seeing mid size black ants in our shower and the wall near the toilet in our 2nd floor bathroom. Only 3-6 per day. We put out bait and Terro, and now so many are coming out to play. We renovated back in the fall, and the toilet seal was replaced but there was no sign of damage back then, but I guess we were not looking for it. Do we need to get expensive treatment of will the Terro work? Any suggestions?

I've never had much success baiting carpenter ants. Many baits will be accepted readily by carpenter ants, but not enough to gain good control, IMHO. Although, I have heard of Terro, but never used it, I don't know if we have it up here.

I still use the drill and dust treatment, which rarely lets me down.(as long as I get near the nest). The key with carpenter ants is finding the nest. This is usually 90% of the work. Killing them is easy.

Look for areas that have had moisture problems or have been damaged by moisture at one time. A leaky sink, shower, or toilet, as you have indicated, may well have been the cause. Also look for moisture problems(roof leaks) in the attic if at all possible, as I have come across many C. ant nests in attics. Window frames are sometimes the cause as well, as rain from the outside(or humidity from showers), may have made thier way to the frame over time.

That was a quick run down. Good luck.


Jay

Terro has a good reputation. You must address the moisture issues in your shower area and beneath the floor into crawl space/basement areas. The signs may be obvious, but you may have moisture issues. We have many posts on these forums where inappropriate underlayment has been used for tile and lack/poor caulking has led to moisture issues. There also tends to be moisture issues beneath structure. If in doubt, contact a professional exterminator.