Carpenter Ants!

[G Henslee]

Translated: "I'm clueless, so I'll ask _you_ questions instead of answering yours, and send you to google".

[contrapositive]

Hi. We had a mild infestation of carpenter ants in June. We would see them mostly outdoors in one corner of our brick ranch, but occasionally we'd see a few stragglers indoors. We called an exterminator right away. He said it probably had to do with the previous wet fall and mild winter. There was no damage to our home.

Anyway, after the initial treatment they all vanished, and we've since had two follow-up treatments. We're schedule for four more at almost $100 a pop. My contract says I can stop treatments any time, and with winter coming up (I'm in Pittsburgh) I'm wondering if I'm doing myself any great disservice by canceling future treatments. Any thoughts? Thanks.

-jk

[Pop]

Ask him why you need the treatments. Do the eggs last that long? Is that why he's treating? If he's only treating outdoors, I think I'd check with a competitor and see what htey recommend. Or try google.

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) Anyway, after the initial treatment they all vanished, and we've since had :) two follow-up treatments. We're schedule for four more at almost $100 a pop. :) My contract says I can stop treatments any time, and with winter coming up :) (I'm in Pittsburgh) I'm wondering if I'm doing myself any great disservice :) by canceling future treatments. Any thoughts? Thanks. :) :) Find out what he plans on doing in the Winter. terminix was sued a few years ago .. can't remember where, maybe Conn...maybe Vermont, somewhere's up there, for Winter treatments of carp ants. Next Spring , having the foundation treated with a product called Termidor by a pro will pretty much stop carp ants and all other problem ants that find their way inside for about a year.

[Tim Fischer]

Carpenter ants pretty much mean you have water damage/rotten wood. Carpenter ants don't like good wood.

You may want to investigate what's rotting that is attracting the ants in the first place. The ants are only a symptom of a deeper problem.

-Tim

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) Carpenter ants pretty much mean you have water damage/rotten wood. :) Carpenter ants don't like good wood. :) :) Can depend on the species of carpenter ant...in the South the species are a lazy ant looking mainly for just hollow areas to nest. Over 80% of all my carpenter ant work has nothing to do with wood at all much less rotted wood. Usually I find them nesting on the home in the framing of storm windows/doors and window screening.

[Pop]

lol henlee thinks everyone is like him.

: : Translated: "I'm clueless, so I'll ask _you_ questions instead of : answering yours, and send you to google".

[Amun]

With ants it's foolish to go for treating the house when the the ants will do it for you.

Go to your local hardware/garden center, and look for a squeeze bottle of "ant drops"

I prefer the "green cross" brand but "raid" and others may be available where you live.

It's basicly just a clear syrup (poison bait). and costs about $2.00 a bottle.

I keep it out regualrly on the deck & patio as it keep the little red guys under control too.

Put down a few drops where you see the ants scurrying on the ground, they will suck it up and bring it back to the nest and share it with all the others.

After a few days the nest will be DEAD.

Carpenter ant's don't eat the wood like termites, they just hollow out tunnels to live in, and carry out the sawdust. And prefer decaying wood as it's easier to tunnel through. the sawdust piles outside of the opening always gives away their location.

You might want to see why the nest got established and repair any rotting wood or water leaking

The usual caveats apply, keep small children out of it, and pets.

AMUN

[Stormin Mormon]

I've had good results with liquid ant bait from

which is a lot cheaper than $100 a pop treatments.

[Norminn]

I've been fairly certain that I chose the wrong career, and now I know that I did. $400 for carpenter ants? Outside? Crimany, clean house and get rid of crumbs. Find where they get in and plug it up. Check the attic, fascia, soffits and window frames where they are lurking to see if there is damp or damaged wood.

There are different varieties, and the best resource I have found for our locale is U of FL - check the extension service in your area. Our condo was full of them when I moved here, and over two or three years of working with hubby to clean up and fix the place, we found they only inhabited dead or damaged wood. They were indoors in only one unit, which was a filthy mess. By repairing rotted wood, including leaky roof, dead limbs, rotted fencing, etc., they were eliminated. Also caulked around windows, plumbing entries, etc. The U of FL has great info, which bears out what we found by trial and error and trying to crush them to death with tons of poison. They forage in the evening and are easy to follow to nest. Tree branches overhanging roof is a favorite means of entry. Lots of critters will come indoors during abnormal weather cycles, including coral snakes :o) Carpenter ants here seem to be cyclic, and when more fire ants are present there are less carpenter ants. Another omnivorous bug here is mole cricket. The critters are quite interesting when you are trying to get rid of them, and I favor making the environment less favorable before dumping poison all over. Boric acid bait allegedly works well, but you have to find their trail.

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