Carpenter Ants
You get up in the middle of the night needing a glass of milk. You walk into the kitchen, flip on the light and discover you are not alone. You find ants on the counters and floors and you instantly know you need to call the pest control company first thing in the morning.
What your pest control company should tell you is that you also need to call Roto Rooter, a roofer and/or a tree trimmer. Those large black ants are most probably Carpenter ants and they are present because there is a strong possibility of an existing moisture problem.
Start by locating the moisture source if you do not already know where it is
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Fixing the source of moisture usually eliminates the ant problem. Resolving your moisture problem takes away the soft wood the carpenter ants seek. If the carpenter ant problem persists after the corrections have been made you should call a professional pest control company to help you located that ant population. A simple treatment can eliminate any resident ant colonies. Remember, it's fix the leak first, then treat for remaining insects. If you don't fix the water problem new carpenter ant colonies are likely to return.