Black Ant Problem

This is excatly what our exterminator did. He sprayed not only around the house, but our fence where he noticed them, and the 2 oak trees on our property. It's been 3 months now and still no sign of black or red carpenter ants. I paid like $300. I was skeptical, but it worked. He used something that gets tracked back to the nest, so even later when ants try to make a nest of it, they'll get killed too. Not sure how long the stuff lasts, but so far, so good.

Oh, and it was a liquid poison that he sprayed. So the ants "tracked" it back to the nest.

But carpenter ants dont eat sweets. Your method is probably good for the tiny ants.

I'm just glad we don't have Leafcutter ants.

Wikipedia

It works for me.

Good luck

After having my house treated for termites with Termador all the ants disappeared also and that has been 7 years ago. I do occasionaly see a new ant hill but it soon disappears. I think part of this success is that all my neighbors also had their homes treated with Temador.

At work we also had an ant problem that we had been battling for many nears. After getting the building treated for termites with Termador the ant problem was also alleviated.

I got liquid ant bait from

A problem with large ants in Arizona? Close enough to New Mexico...damned atomic testing. Buddy, unless you can get James Whitmore, James Arness, and Fess Parker to help you out, you're screwed.

Interesting non-funny suggestions from the group - will have to mark this thread as a reference the next time I have to battle the Little Black Ants...

AMDRO is the product you need..look at Lowes etc

You can buy it on ebay, probably, depending on your state law. You can get a Birchmeier backpack sprayer there, too. Bifenthrin is not a USDA or EPA restricted use pesticide. It's marketed primarily for termites, but it's a broad spectrum (kills a lot of things) multi-use (interior/exterior/turf & ornamental insecticide.

You might get it, or something like it at your local greenhouse.

Eh. "Professional" often means "gets paid" in the pest control business.

I am imagining a very large ant population, although you only described the "problem" as "significant". The two don't necessarily go hand in hand...

Anyway... controlling... rather "eliminating"... a significant ant population outdoors is going to be a multi-application job, unless you were to use a tree sprayer.

(One of the benefits of having your trees sprayed (by a real professional) is the overspray, so you might want to think about that.)

I have heard and read good reports regarding interior treatment ant "baiting" (the junk they take back to the nest, etc.) but I remain skeptical. Just because you don't see ants doesn't mean they aren't there, but I hear the callback rate is low.

In about half the interior instances IME the homeowner had a significant problem before they noticed the first ant. -----

- gpsman

Tero works for me. They now have a product that comes in easy-to-use trays, no mixing. It works within a week and they are gone!

On Mon 25 Aug 2008 06:31:17p, Wayne Boatwright told us...

Following up to my own post, I just want to thank all of you for your thoughtful and informative responses. You've offered many options, and I have saved the entire thread to "study" and choose a course of action.

Thanks again!

Look here:

Study long enough, and they will eat your entire house for lunch. Don't just stand there, do something!

On Wed 27 Aug 2008 01:40:39p, Phisherman told us...

Thanks!

Green? In Arizona? In the desert?

And what's this business about war against "black" ants?

Remember, you once had a governor who said: "... sometimes a Black man is the best man for the cotton-pickin' job!"

He was run out of office. Use caution.

On Thu 28 Aug 2008 07:26:55a, HeyBub told us...

Best laugh I've had in a good while!

The recipe is 1 part of Borax and 19 parts icing sugar, then Add enough water to make a thick slurry and deposit it anywhere you see the ants. Don't overdo it with the Borax - a high concentration will kill the worker ant before it can get to the queen.

Links:

On Thu 28 Aug 2008 11:14:55a, a told us...

Thanks!