How do I get rid of carpenter ants?
I have a few trees with carpenter ants. One was dying and we cut it down. The other is a tulip poplar with a hole at the base.
Answer
Dear Laura,
From what I can see, carpenter ants will not kill living trees, but openings in living trees are attractive to them. These become entrances for colonies. These entrances should be treated as they may become sources of satellite colonies which can then invade walls of nearby homes or other structures. It probably would be best to contact a certified arborist or the Cooperative Extension Service for your area. Here is the contact information for the Montgomery County Extension Service:
email: MontgomeryExt@psu.edu
telephone: 610-489-4315