Painting trees-carpenter ants

[m Ransley]

In Mexico I noticed everone paints the lower 5 ft of the trees white, they say it keeps off the ants. In the central midwest US trees are full of carpenter ants . Does painting it work? I will not paint my trees as it looks bad but was wondering if there is a way to keep out carpenter ants and if paint helps.

[Joseph Meehan]

It only works for Spanish speaking ants.