spraying wood

[bears12th]

So I think my supplier brought some ants with him and I see what looks to be sand and ants around my newly formed 32' X 6 X 18" (by two rows) wood stack. What is everyone recommending. I understand that spraying the wood with carpenter ants killer "could" be harmful in burning and fumes, but really, with it closed off, how harmful is it going to be if the solution says it is good for four months, and I am not really planning on burning til late October early November anyways.

What are some alternatives. I am a little worried about ants finding my house (25 ft away) or retaining walls (10 ft away). What are the pros suggestions here. I am sure this is not a first in the forum, but did a search and was unable to locate some links. Gonna try some more, but thought I would throw this softball out there for debate.

Thanks in advance

 

[burntime]

I use soapy water or diazonone if you can find it, I think they switched to tri-azonone. The later of the two are a powder that the ants like.

 

[derecskey]

Can't you spray or dust the perimeter of the pile? The ants gotta leave sometime, don't they?

 

[Todd]

I use those ant hotels. I forgot the brand name but they come in these 10 packs that you just sit out around your pile, the ants are attracted to the sweet smell, take a few licks, and take the poison back to the colony and kills them all. Works for me.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Burn all the wood...

I 'woodn't' bother. I have a few logs with ants. They'll be dormant when it gets really cold, they won't eat that much before then, and I'll have my revenge. Just can't bring in too much ahead of time- as needed. If worried- I'd get diatomaceous earth and just really powder the stack.

 

[begreen]

DDT (don't do that). Get a box of Borax (laundry additive) and sprinkle it lightly around the wood pile. That should solve the issue.

 

[billb3]

If I were to walk outside my house right now and NOT see ants and ant activity I'd be very worried.

If you recently disturbed THIER territory they are busy repairing all your damage.


You'd probably be surprised at how many scout ants walk through your house every day in the Summer.
When / if they don't find anything they don't come back with buddies.

 

[bigwill]

Just wanted to weigh in on this. I rent my clinic from an ENT MD (ear,nose, and throat) and they gave me borax to spread. So if health concerns are your priority then thats what I would suggest going with.

 

[derecskey]

Mine came back with buddies. Our back door was swarming with them recently. So I broke out this 'freebie' stuff we got from a friend that has a nuclear-radio-active-looking-logo on it, smells really bad for days, and I think was discontinued/banned. Sprayed that in a perimeter around the door. Then I put some ant traps between the storm door and house door. Then I proceded to step on every ant possible for a few days.

They're almost all gone, but now we have some scouts every day in various parts of the house.

It's that stupid downed-maple that was hollow (the trunk shattered when it fell) and I cut it up and split it and brought it up to the house.

 

[derecskey]

Where does one get Borax? Can I go into my grocery store and say, "I'd like some Borax, please?"

 

[bears12th]

You can pick up Borax at Home Depot - saw it in the store the other day. Also Walmart and I think Target may have them in the cleaning sections - maybe next to the oxy-clean/bleach section.

 

[bears12th]

Thanks for all the replys all, going to come to a decision here shortly and maybe get a chance to post the new stove (installed in Feb.) and wood pile (finished stacking 2.75 cords seasoned and 1 cord green the other day). Thanks all.

 

[KWillets]

Carpenter ants are attracted to moist wood, so drying will likely get rid of them. If they're in your house, you have a moisture problem, not an ant problem.

 

[billb3]

green box

20 mule team borax in the laundry soap aisle at the grocery store.



I've tried it on some persistant red and black ants in piles of mulch and it doesn't seem to faze them a bit.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like thatcher ants. We have them in great mounds. Haven't tried that on them, but I usually leave their nests alone as they don't bother house or wood piles.