Something To Kill Carpenter Ants?
gabrielledeveau
19 years ago
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bfroberts
19 years agoplantladyott
19 years agoRelated Discussions
carpenter ant gel
Comments (8)Acutally, to clarify, carpenter ants will not leave just because moisture problems are fixed. If there's an established nest, it's not going anywhere unless you kill the ants, run them out with something that disturbs them (and if they're in the house the place they'll run to will almost certainly be another part of the house), or remove the wood in which their nest is located (in which case they'll just establish another nest nearby). And BTW, there have been plenty of documented cases of carpenter ant nests in otherwise healthy or unblemished wood (i.e. not water-logged or even stained from previous moisture). Carpenter ant nests can be destroyed by killing the inhabitants of a particular nest, but that does not rid an area of them. Established queen nests will have satellite nests, and killing a queen prompts the otherwise sterile workers to produce eggs for the purpose of creating another queen. If the main nest and all its satellite nests are destroyed, there is still a chance of re-infestation in the future by neighboring colonies further out that spread into the newly vacated area. Monitoring for, and possibly treating for, carpenter ants is just one of those things that has to be done regularly when you own a house that has wood in its structure (in an area known to have carpenter ants -- which is almost everywhere in the U.S.). Oh, and finding carpenter ants in a house doesn't necessarily mean you have a nest in the house. Carpenter ants can be in a house just as scouts, so the idea that lack of moisture will keep them out of the house is incorrect. They prefer to tunnel through moist wood for a nest, but they will scout anywhere within 100 yards of their nest. And I mean anywhere. If there is a nest near the house, and there's a way into your house, they will almost certainly end up in there. That doesn't mean they're turning your framing into swiss cheese; in such a case they're just looking for food. Carpenter ants do not consider our houses to be sacrosanct -- inviolate unless the sin of failed maintenance is committed. They do not distinguish between forests and houses, or woodpiles and houses, and while it's true that they're attracted to moist wood, they do not require it -- it is simply a convenience for them. Like lions picking the weakest animal in a herd, it's just easier. As for your original quaestion, I've never used the gel, but it's generally considered worth the price if used as recommended. For the gel, it's important to use it in a well-travelled (by carpenter ants) area, with the understanding that it can be attractive to other insects and animals, and that it can lose its attractiveness quickly as it hardens from exposure to air. You need to locate the foraging trails and put it as close to the nest as possible -- protected from the elements and from other creatures -- and renew it at intervals (the packaging will go into more detail) if you know there are still ants in the area. The most effective way to treat carpenter ants is generally considered to be: 1. Ensure that there are no nests in the house (track the ants, kill with bait if you're uncertain of their location, or kill with drione dust if they are in a house and location is known and accessible). 2. Use a perimeter treatment at regular intervals (for the life of the home) to keep them out of the house. Ants in a natural setting do not necessarily need to be destroyed. If you are sure there are none in your house and you use perimeter treatments correctly, ants in the landscape should not be a problem (unless they're destroying something alse you cherish, like a fence). Carpenter ants are everywhere -- they exist, and there's nothing we can do about it. Get them out of your house (if they're there), keep them out, and let the ones outdoors do their thing....See MoreHow do I kill ants without killing dogs?
Comments (6)Diatomaceous Earth will kill all kinds of bugs and is perfectly safe for humans and pets. It is also called fossil flour. We used to use it for the chickens to kill mites - put piles of it around for dusting beds. We use it for ants (can even sprinkle it on counter tops). Works for roaches and bedbugs but fortunately haven't had to test it for those. Also good for pets - ear mites and fleas/ticks. Can be given in pet food for internal pests such as worms. Buy only 'food grade DE', not the stuff they sell for pools....See MoreCarpenter Ant Invasion
Comments (9)Borax is usually a good way to stop an ant invasion but there’s other alternatives. This site has ideas on getting rid of ants in the garden. Best Ways to Get Rid of Ants in Your Garden It mentions Diatomaceous Earth and has a tutorial on how to implement it. The problem with Diatomaceous Earth is that it kills an ant from the outside rather than acting as a poison when ingested. So it forms a good barrier. Here is the explanation: Natural Ant Killer, Diatomaceous Earth for Ants Other ways are baking soda ant traps, natural spray and other alternatives. If you implement an ant trap correctly it can be as effective as a Terro ant trap. Try to make the borax or even a baking soda ant trap to make sure that it kills the nest and then form a barrier with Diatomaceous Earth....See MoreHow to safely kill carpenter ants in my sago palm
Comments (9)You've seen the actual ants among that dark granular material or it is instead part of the remains of the plant structure, which you are mistaking for evidence of a nest? Carpenter ants nest in wood, if you are tearing into a nest eggs and larvae should become visible at some point. Otherwise scattered ants are foraging and not indicating the exact location of a nest. Except for when they come into a house while doing this and get onto counters etc. this behavior is of little comparative importance - the most significant thing about them being found near a wooden structure is that they might be nesting in it, gnawing out the wood. And killing a percentage of the foraging ants is not going to eliminate the nest they are coming from, which will continue to generate more ants. Ants make trails that they follow, if you are in fact seeing a number of carpenter ants moving around there look for them traveling along such routes and follow those back to the nest. They don't eat wood so the presence of their nests is marked by dust-like sawdust that they have generated and disposed of outside the entrance. If they are infesting dried conifer wood such as might be used in buildings this material will often be yellowish or otherwise pale....See Moredendy
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