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Once the animals and their young are out of the house, remove the nest and locate any entry points. Some may be difficult to find because some animals can fit through very small holes. Once you’ve located as many entry points as possible, use materials such as metal or masonry to block off the entry. Ideally, you should choose materials that most animals cannot chew through. Create a one-way door or flap to allow animals to leave but not return. Additional methods include using repellants designed to make an area unappealing to the types of animals that find your home so inviting. 

Termites are generally more destructive than carpenter ants, which is why it’s important to get rid of termites as quickly as possible. Termites will swarm your home to relentlessly feast on its wood frame, sheetrock, insulation, and carpet down to the studs.

While carpenter ants work surprisingly efficiently, they can still take years to damage your home significantly. It can also take termites several years to fully compromise a home's structure. However, the right colony can take down a full house in about a year. Overall, termites are far more diligent when it comes to destroying structures.

Exterminators can get rid of your current ant problem, but they won’t prevent ants from coming back. So it’s important to implement ant preventatives to avoid future infestations.

The primary reason ants enter your home is to find food. If they can’t find any, they won’t survive. So, the most effective way to prevent ant infestations is to clean, clean, and clean some more. 

Keep your kitchen sparkling and wash your dishes immediately (or at least give them a quick rinse and wash off leftover food). Take out your garbage and compost as often as possible and tightly seal all your kitchen containers, especially the mason jars you use to hold your sugar—sugar is gold to ants.

You can also hire a local handyperson to help you prevent future ant infestations. The handyman can seal cracks and fix leaks throughout your home, which will keep any ants from entering.

One of the most widespread chemicals used for killing termites is Fipronil. It’s one of the most common insecticides used by termite exterminators to kill termites fast. However, it’s toxic and generally used in outdoor areas only. Popular brand names of termite killers include Taurus, Bifen, Termidor, and BioAdvanced. All insecticides have pros and cons: Some are safer around humans but don’t last as long. Some may kill nearby plants or have power odors. Some are designed for safe indoor bait stations but take much longer to work.