Nests are also found along leaking chimney flashing, leaking skylights, and under bathtubs. Outside, nests occur in rotting portions of trees, dead stumps, and in wood landscaping ties. It is a good idea to remove all wood away from a building and to make sure that none of the house is in direct contact with the soil. Returning ants take a more direct route than ants searching for food and their abdomens are often expanded with food. Listen for chewing sounds.
Carpenter ants make a scraping noise as they excavate wood for their galleries.
Look for wood debris or sawdust and ant parts that are ejected from the nest. Put out a sweet food source such as dilute honey or jam and follow ants from your bait back to their nest. Once the nest has been located, the next step is to eliminate the ants inside. First you may want to try several measures yourself. If you can, remove all damaged wood including the ant colony and replace with pressure treated wood.