The Best Carpenter Ant Killers of 2024 to Protect Your Wood Structures

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Carpenter ants are troublesome insects that chew through wood, which may include the framework of a home. Eliminate infestations and prevent new colonies from forming with a carpenter ant killer.

Although many ant varieties can cause problems in a home, few are as potentially damaging as the carpenter ant. This aptly named species builds its nest by tearing tunnels through wood. If left unchecked, this can wreak havoc on a building—resulting in thousands of dollars in structural damage. This is why it’s crucial to find a suitable solution that will eliminate the whole colony for good.

Carpenter ant killers offer a cost-effective alternative to hiring a professional exterminator to rid one’s home of destructive ants. These products come in various forms: sprays that kill on contact; liquid baits that attract and infect worker ants, which carry the poison back to their parent colony; and granules applied outdoors to prevent ants from getting inside. 

We recommend the Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth Ant & Insect Killer as our top pick for its nontoxic formula; fast-acting 48-hour working time; and nonexpiring chemical composition. There are other effective ant killer options on the market, including the Terro Liquid Ant Killer or the Advion Ant Gel Bait. However, they do not meet our sustainability guidelines and are not recommended in our top picks due to their potentially harmful ingredients and negative impact on the environment.

Use this buyer’s guide to find important considerations to keep in mind when shopping and recommendations for effective products to find the best carpenter ant killer for a pest problem.

1. BEST OVERALL: Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth Ant & Insect Killer
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2. RUNNER-UP: Eco Defense Biobased Home Pest Control Spray
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3. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Mighty Mint Insect & Pest Control Spray 
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4. BEST BAIT GEL: Combat Max Indoor and Outdoor Ant Killing Gel Bait
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5. BEST GRANULAR: Advance Carpenter Ant Bait 
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6. BEST SPRAY: Orange Guard Home Pest Control
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7. BEST OUTDOOR: Wondercide EcoTreat Outdoor Pest Control Spray
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8. BEST INDOOR: Syngenta Optigard Ant Bait Gel
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9. BEST ROACH & ANT KILLER: Garden Safe Diatomaceous Earth Crawling Insect Killer
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Before You Buy Carpenter Ant Killer

While there are effective solutions on the market to get rid of carpenter ants in houses, it’s important to understand the risks associated with these products. Many insecticides contain such active ingredients as borax and hydramethylnon. These chemicals can cause vomiting and diarrhea or even kidney failure and seizures if ingested or inhaled. Borax is also unkind to the planet as it uses boron, extracted through strip mining, a process that leaves a large environmental footprint. Many chemicals commonly found in pesticides also harm aquatic organisms as well as beneficial insects, including honey bees, ladybugs, and spiders. 

This guide focuses on products that are effective at controlling carpenter ant populations while leaving a much smaller footprint on the environment. They include products that use natural ingredients such as diatomaceous earth and essential oils, as well as insect repellents that won’t harm environmentally beneficial insects. 

How We Chose the Best Carpenter Ant Killers

A good carpenter ant killer should be an effective and safe way to eliminate these wood-destroying insects from the home. With that in mind, we selected products with active ingredients proven to kill ants without harming people, pets, or the planet. All of our selections are deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some are also USDA Certified Biobased, meaning they have ingredients derived from plants and other renewable materials and contain no harsh synthetic chemicals. 

In addition to insecticides (i.e., insect killers), we also chose products that repel pests, reducing the impact on the environment by not killing beneficial insects. Where possible, we chose eco-friendly products containing all-natural ingredients that are nontoxic to people and pets. 

Our Top Picks

The lineup below features pest control products capable of killing carpenter ants that make their way into a home; some may also be able to annihilate an entire ant colony in a matter of days. Our selections are effective while minimizing environmental impact. 

Best Overall

Safer Brand Diatomaceous Earth Ant & Insect Killer

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Product Specs 

• Type: Powder
• Active ingredient: Diatomaceous earth 
• Quantity: 4 pounds

Pros

• Fast-acting formula kills an entire colony in under 48 hours for excellent efficiency 
• Doesn’t expire; keeps for years so buyers will only have to purchase once for small-scale infestations 
• Nontoxic formula; suitable for indoor or outdoor use and homes with children and pets 

Cons

• Powder form can get messy if used in a bustling household 

For those looking to end their ant problem without introducing harmful chemicals into the environment, diatomaceous earth is an excellent option. This natural substance, which is safe for indoor and outdoor use, consists of the fossilized remains of microscopic aquatic organisms; it infiltrates the exoskeletons of ants, dehydrating them from the inside out and killing them in about 48 hours.

Diatomaceous earth is also an effective means of killing bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, and other creepy crawlers. This product is not harmful to humans or animals, providing a safe pest solution for homes with pets and young children. Safer Brand’s diatomaceous earth comes in 4-pound bags. 

Get the Safer Brand carpenter ant killer at Amazon or Walmart.

Runner-Up

Eco Defense Biobased Home Pest Control Spray

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Product Specs 

• Type: Spray
• Active ingredients: Sodium lauryl sulfate, geranium oil, peppermint oil 
• Quantity: 16 ounces

Pros

• Kills on contact for fast-acting carpenter ant extermination; works in gardens, food handling areas, closets, crawl spaces, and cracks 
• Creates a barrier that repels pests and prevents infestations from happening 
• Uses ingredients safe for humans and the environment; suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Cons

• Smaller quantity compared to other carpenter ant treatments; may require multiple purchases for larger infestations 

With ingredients that are safe for humans and the environment, Eco Defense is an effective and safe way to rid one’s home of carpenter ants and other pests. Eco Defense uses geranium and peppermint essential oils to kill ants along with fleas, earwigs, gnats, scorpions, and a host of other pests. 

In addition to killing on contact, it also serves as a preventative to repel insects. The formula, which is USDA Certified BioBased, is considered safe for use indoors and outdoors with less concern about coming into contact with people or pets. Though effective, Eco Defense is one of the more expensive options on the market. 

Get the Eco Defense carpenter ant killer at Amazon, Eco Defense, or Walmart.

Best Bang for the Buck

Mighty Mint Insect & Pest Control Spray

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Product Specs 

• Type: Spray
• Active ingredient: Peppermint oil
• Quantity: 1 gallon

Pros

• Safe for people, pets, and the environment; won’t hurt beneficial insects
• Very easy to apply; comes with a built-in sprayer for applying in the home, in gardens, garages, storage areas, pools, and patios
• Pleasant smell emitted after application; will not leave harsh smells in the house like most chemical carpenter ant killers

Cons

• Does not work on some pest varieties; may not be ideal for some users’ needs 

Mighty Mint is an affordable yet effective means of repelling carpenter ants without harmful chemicals, and it imparts a pleasant, natural aroma in the process. It relies on peppermint oil, which has a high concentration of menthol, to deter and drive off spiders, ants, and a variety of other pests effectively. Peppermint is nonlethal, so while it won’t kill ants, it won’t harm beneficial insects either. It is also safe to use indoors around people and pets. 

Get the Mighty Mint carpenter ant killer at Amazon or Walmart.

Best Bait Gel

Combat Max Indoor and Outdoor Ant Killing Gel Bait

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Product Specs 

• Type: Gel
• Active Ingredient: Fipronil
• Quantity: 27 grams

Pros

• Concentrated formula; very small amount needed to kill the entire colony 
• Doesn’t make a mess like other carpenter ant killers; simply apply and forget 
• Fast acting; kills the entire colony in just a few days

Cons

• Fipronil can harm the environment and should be kept away from people and pets

Combat incorporates crosshairs into its logo for good reason: The ant-killing gel comes in a syringe for precise, targeted application in entry points like cracks and crevices. 

While the active ingredient, fipronil, is not considered to be environmentally safe and should be kept away from people and pets, only a small amount in a tiny space is required to get the job done—and such a small amount is unlikely to have an impact on the wider world. The applicator also prevents the messy overspray that other products can cause, making it easier to limit its application to a small crack, minimizing potential contact with people, pets, and the planet. 

Combat gel is capable of knocking out an entire colony because all it takes is one ant to come into contact with the gel and carry it back to the nest. Within a few days, this ant bait gel will attract ants and kill the entire colony. 

Get the Combat carpenter ant killer at Amazon, Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, or Walmart.

Best Granular

Advance Carpenter Ant Bait

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Product Specs 

• Type: Granular
• Active Ingredient: Abamectin B1
• Quantity: 8 ounces 

Pros

• Versatile formula; suitable for a wide variety of ants and can be used both indoors and outdoors
• Covers areas large and small; 1.8 ounces of product can cover 5,000 square feet 
• The compact container is easy to store in garages, sheds, or cupboards 

Cons

• Some users have reported that this option emits a foul or fishy smell 
• Apply as directed and store far from any household pets

Made with a wide variety of attractants, this Advance carpenter ant bait is the perfect solution for common ant problems. These granulated baits for carpenter ants are capable of eliminating carpenter, acrobat, Argentine, bigheaded, fire, harvester, pharaoh, and other ant varieties for complete control over these pests. It can also be used indoors and outdoors for excellent versatility. 

Though these gel baits come in a compact 8-ounce container, just 1.8 ounces of product covers over 5,000 square feet. However, this insecticide may cause mild symptoms in dogs and cats if exposed to ample amounts. 

Get the Advance carpenter ant killer at Amazon or Walmart.

Best Spray

Orange Guard Home Pest Control

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Product Specs 

• Type: Spray
• Active ingredient: Orange peel extract
• Quantity: 32 ounces

Pros

• Safe for use around food, children, and pets and will not harm the environment
• Works as pesticide as well as a repellent for added user-friendliness
• Ready to use as soon as it arrives; suitable for small-scale infestations 
• Affordable compared to other carpenter ant killers on the market

Cons

• Needs more frequent applications than other pesticides; small quantity is not suitable for large-scale infestations 

An inherent problem with most spray pesticides is that the wide release of the product can cause tiny particles to become airborne—a hazard if they contain harsh or toxic chemicals. That’s not an issue with Orange Guard carpenter ant spray, which uses orange peel extract as its active ingredient. 

This formula makes Orange Guard one of very few pesticides appear on the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe List in regard to food. This rating makes Orange Guard safe to use in the kitchen and around people and pets. It also appears on the Organic Review Institute’s list of organic products. Orange Guard works as a pesticide when sprayed directly on insects and also as a repellent. 

Get the Orange Guard carpenter ant killer at Amazon or Walmart.

Best Outdoor

Wondercide EcoTreat Outdoor Pest Control Spray