Apparently termite treatment won't prevent regular ants come into a house. But are there any treatment that can prevent carpenter ants get in?
I see many ants around top of my basement sil/joist end. It is near one outside wall, where there is much mulch outside). I am not sure whether they are just ants, or carpenter's ants. How do one tell the difference? Is it time for a termite treatment? The house is a bit under 4 years old.
Carpenter ants are big. Follow their trail back to the source. Probably a tree near the house. Cut them off there.
Carpenter ants are large up to 1/2 " and black.
Thanks. Some of the ants I saw near the basement ceiling next to the outside wall are black, and are about 1/8". I googled and found they are similar to the shape of carpenter's ants.
I have no big tree outside. But they are some bushes and a a couple of small trees, and a big mulch area (200 square foot on one side) outside near that area. I can't remove those landscapings, as they are next to my main entrance door, and I am not sure what the house would look like w/o the landscaping.
I just wondering if calling termites company will be of any use.
So I just went to the HomeDepot and bought some granule ants killers, planing to spread a heavy dose of it in that area. Do you think that will be of any effects?
Art wrote:
Boric acid kills ants effectively--but it takes some time....perhaps two or three treatments over a month or so........
Boil a tablespoon or so of the powder into a cup of water, then soak some cloth in it so the sun wont dry it out real fast, suggest adding some sugar to it just for good measure.........then set it near where they are entering the building--on a hot day they will drink it as they will be thirsty--the sugar will also attract them because it is a rich source of energy, though if they are craving protein, some moist meat inside some container that will keep dogs and cats out might work better.
If they aren't big enuf to be carpenter ants, any RAID ant killer will kill them. Buy one with 3 months residual action. It will take care of them for months. Try to spray it where they are entering the house.
Lots of people with sell you insecticides to kill the ants. IF they are carpenter ants, they are likely a symptom of a problem, not a problem alone. Conditions you describe are perfect for termites and CA's. CA's , in addition, often move into empty termite tunnels. Carpenter ants like dead/damp/rotted wood. If termites got in, moisture likely can too. Get the mulch and vegetation at least 8" away from wood members of the house structure. I would try to check the sill to see if it is rotted; o/w, caulk openings wherever you can to block entry.
I've posted a gazillion times on this ng about CA's. Look me up for references, or check out your state extension service for ID and recommendations. The buggers forage at dusk, so they are easy to bait. Getting rid of favorable conditions got rid of our CA's when insecticide did not.
Wood mulch should not be piled against the house - it needs to be kept at least 6-8" from the sills or other wood parts of structure. Just clean it away where it is piled against the house and use a vegetation killer once in a while to eliminate weeds along the foundation.
You've had two lessons in how bugs get into the house - termites and ants. Gotta find their entry and clean it up and close it up.
Carpenter ants may be nesting in dead wood outside the house (landscape timbers, dead limbs on trees or shrubs, rotting fence, etc.) or in moisture damaged structural wood (sills, porches, railings, decks, behind bathroom access panels). They may live outside and forage inside for food, especially if weather conditions are unusually wet or dry. They are pretty easy to locate by following them when they forage. (I've had lots of ant adventures around our property :o) I consider carpenter ants a secondary problem - the primary problem is the damaged wood they live in and the openings they use to enter.
Your termite treatment may have a warranty to repair future damage. The ants may be covered.
They forage at night. Walking around the foundation at night with a flashlight is an easy way to find the entrance and to note the trails they use. Abemectan granules are suppose to work pretty good but the quickest surest bet is the Fipronil gel.
:) Apparently termite treatment won't prevent regular ants :) come into a house. But are there any treatment that can :) prevent carpenter ants get in? Actually a product called termidor that is used for termite control will also stop ant activity for a season...but no need to have termite treatment for the ants, just have a company do an ant treatment with the termidor.
:) I see many ants around top of my basement sil/joist end. :) It is near one outside wall, where there is much mulch outside). :) I am not sure whether they are just ants, or carpenter's :) ants. How do one tell the difference? Is it time for a :) termite treatment? The house is a bit under 4 years old.
The easiest way to describe carp ants is that they are a large ant. They may be all black or red and black.
To help reduce carp ant activity around the home make sure that no tree limbs or the shrubs aren't touching the house.
Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!
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