Do Carpenter Ants Have A Favorite Food?
The short answer is, yes! Carpenter ants have shown a preference for different foods while avoiding others. So what’s the favorite food of the carpenter ant? Anything sweet.
Outdoors, the sweet honeydew produced by aphids and other insects is the favorite food of the carpenter ant. In your home, similar sweet foods attract the carpenter ant, such as:
- Sugar
- Honey
- Jelly
- Syrup
For carpenter ant prevention, do not leave sweets out on the counter or in unsealed containers easily accessible to foraging ants. Clean up drips on honey and syrup containers immediately, clean countertops thoroughly after using granulated sugar, and store jellies in the refrigerator.
Does that mean I can starve out carpenter ants by removing their favorite food sources? Unfortunately, no. The carpenter ant can survive many months without food, so starving them out is not an effective eradication treatment if you have a nest in your walls. You need to first get rid of the carpenter ants infesting your home and deprive their favorite foods as prevention against a future infestation.
Do Carpenter Ants Eat Wood?
If you see one carpenter ant foraging for food in your home, that is usually a clear indication that you have an infestation. Hopefully, you can catch it early enough to avoid a severe infestation and damage to your home.
What Can You Do About Carpenter Ants?
Here at Nature’s Way Pest Control, we have excellent carpenter ant control services, serving the Albany area north into Saratoga County and Vermont. Book your free inspection online today, or call our experts at 518-745-5958 and ask about our lifetime warranty.