Over a month ago we discovered carpenter ants in our living room ceiling. It's red cedar, tongue and groove. They are coming in on the south side of the house where the deck is.

I downloaded the recommendations of the B.C. Pest Management Service (Gov't)

They said carpenter ants are beneficial in nature, so don't go overboard. Also they don't eat wood, as termites do, but build tunnels for their eggs and larvae. Nevertheless in time the damage to the building can become serious.

Also they say that since they need moisture for their eggs, a nest in a house is usually a satellite nest, and the home base will be an old log or something not far from the house.

But they say to follow the ants back to their main nest!

They also say how to ant-proof your house and what poisons to use and where to put the poisons.

I will do all of these things to prevent further infestations.

But I was wondering about fumigating. A neighbor said you can put a 'bomb' in your house, shut the house up tight, and take your pets away for about four hours. The gas kills all bugs. Then you return and air thoroughly.

Has anyone tried fumigating for ants? If so, did it work? I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Bug bombs do not work effectively on termites/carpenter ants and behind the wall pests.

If you read the bug bomb label it tells you to open doors, drawers etc on cabinets and closets to get the full penetration of the pesticide into "enclosed" areas.

Fumigation where the house is tented works because not only to the seal up the structure they also use a lot more pesticide that remains over a longer period of time and works its way into every nook and cranny.