Carpenter ants?

[NTBeer]

I have a mature shag bark birch in my yard, about 50 feet tall and probably about 40 - 50 yards old. Recently I have begun to see some "sawdust" around the base on two sides, and what look like ants to me, though I don't really think I could identify a termite. What should I use to eradicate these critters? Or should I not worry about it?

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I would start with some Diazinon and do it fast, liquid mixed up in a bucket and poured around the tree and granular around the tree as well, keeping the granular replaced every week to ten days.

At my first house they destroyed a couple of plum trees in no time, and at my second house, they destroyed a 20 year old weeping willow. At both houses, the trees were goners before I realized what was going on. They ate the heart of the tree each time.

Carpenter ants are bad news.

 

[easttex]

Carpenter ants are bad news.

They're damn difficult to get rid of as well. It takes the right kind if strong insecticide to wipe them out.

 

[NTBeer]

Thanks guys, I'll start with that. We had them by our front door when ser first moved here so I know how bad it can be, but that was 20 years ago...

 

[Beernik]

My wife trapped the biggest f-ing black ant I ever saw a few weeks ago, so I called an exterminator. Turned out it was a carpenter queen.

So far, we think it flew up from a nearby wetland and was trying to establish a new colony.