Carpenter Ants....Help!

[yankeesouth]

I may have asked a similar question in the past but I need some help. Does anyone know a sure fire way to get rid of carpenter Ants? I have been doing A LOT of research on them.

I know you have to find the nest…..I know they spawn satellite colonies….I know you have to kill the queen…..I know they like moist areas.

Here is the scenario: Cabin is in the woods in a pretty much shaded area. There are dead trees/leaves everywhere. It does remain moist the vast majority of the time due to lack of sunlight. I noticed “frass” or aka the sawdust from the ants, behind my panels in the walls and in the some parts of the roof. Yes this tells me there is moisture. I cannot afford a new roof and the moisture in the walls is by an old stone chimney that acts like a sponge. The chimney is also on a side of the cabin that gets the direct rain.

If I cannot completely get rid of the moisture is there still a way to get rid of the ants? I purchased some Advantix granules and Maxforce gel bait.

Thanks!

 

[Warm_in_NH]

http://www.amazon.com/LastiSeal®-Ma...96364620&sr=8-2&keywords=stone+chimney+sealer

http://www.amazon.com/TERRO-Liquid-...364652&sr=8-3&keywords=terro+liquid+ant+baits

As long as there is wet wood, there will be carpenter ants. When we find them, usually we're ripping out the entire rotted section and replacing it so the whole colony and all the damage and all the nesting material and food (soft wood) is gone. End of story. But, we're carpenters,we get called in to fix the rot and the source, no moisture, no ants.

If you can't afford to fix the problems that are enabling them to survive, you're fighting an uphill battle. The dampness will rot the wood slowly over time, the ants will DESTROY the wood and fast. I make a majority of my living repairing rot, and I'm still amazed at the difference between a wet rotted wall without ant damage and one that the ants have gotten into. They speed the process up by at least 300%, and I'm talking one condo that sits next to another, same control factors, only variable is ants.

Seal the chimney with a product similar to what I've linked to above, that'll stop the weeping of moisture from the chimney. I imagine your roof (if shingles) is now green and mossy, as it sounds like a damp location without much sun. I suggest washing your roof with a roof wash product, moss and mildew killer (make sure you read it and it's safe for shingles), usually I spray it on and scrub with a stiff push broom, then rinse it off. Many roof specific products will have zinc in them that helps with the formation of new growths. Use a roof patch to seal any cracks you see in the shingles. Shy of replacing it, that's probably your best bet.

I've had good luck with the Terro ant bait above as well, BUT, I've never had to use it on carpenter ants. The smaller ants love it, you'll see a bunch after you place it, be patient, and in a few days they're all gone.

Let the sun shine in!

 

[Highbeam]

I live in carpenter and country. We are wet, we are forested, we don't get too cold or too hot. Yes, I've fought and beat the carpenter ants and I have the solution for you.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/t...ign=cross_sell&utm_source=h&utm_medium=mybuys

This is the stuff. It kills everything. You can't buy it at the store, you must buy it online and be warned that it is the real deal so don't eat it.

The website is also quite good and sells other stuff.

 

[Highbeam]

How funny, that brand is no longer for sale in WA. The generic still is though.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/taurus-sc-termiticide-p-1816.html

 

[mass_burner]

I had excellent results with Advance. Just sprinkle it in little plastic containers, like those that nails/screws come in, and cut holes on both ends for access. Place them where you see 'em. They take the "food" back to their nests.

 

[yankeesouth]

Thanks for the replies. I am officially going to war with these things this year. I never really hit it hard in the past, or at least with any quality treatment. That Termidor looks like the real deal. It was hard to find a negative review about it. As for the roof…..it is getting done next year. So basically I need to get through a year.

Warm......you decrsibed my cabin situation to a T. Hence a metal roof next year.

 

[mass_burner]

i dunno know, this looks like some nasty stuff. I would never use this around my house.

http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Termidor

 

[Highbeam]

i dunno know, this looks like some nasty stuff. I would never use this around my house.

http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Termidor

If it wasnt nasty, it wouldnt kill stuff.

 

[mass_burner]

If it wasnt nasty, it wouldnt kill stuff.

its the non-ant "stuff" I'm worried about.

 

[Highbeam]

i dunno know, this looks like some nasty stuff. I would never use this around my house.

http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Termidor

Oh I see your issue, the link you provided is for using termidor to kill underground termites. The directions are different and much simpler when killing ants. For ants you simply fill up your sprayer and apply a perimeter band around your home outside only. The ants must walk through it and they will drag the poison back to their colony and the colony dies.

All of the standard application rules apply like don't eat it, don't let your neighbors eat it, don't let your dog eat it, don't put it in waterways, etc. Those are typical of most any pesticide. The termidor only needs to be applied twice a year to remain effective (per the directions) but I have found no reinfestations after one dose.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

As a little fun fact, they don't need wet wood. If they are going to raise young they need the moisture, but satellite nests don't necessarily need it.

2nd paragraph under Where They Live

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/carpenter-ants/

 

[ChipTam]

Do you know how to tell if they're carpenter ants? You put them under a microscope and look for the tiny little tool belts. Sorry, that joke is only funny if you don't have carpenter ants.

ChipTam

 

[Hogwildz]

These work great. I use them around my place. They get set outside along the perimeter, the ants take it back to the colony, dead colony.
Change them every spring, good till next spring.

They make a smaller clear bait trap for smaller sugar ants also.

http://www.amazon.com/TERRO-Outdoor-Liquid-Ant-Bait/dp/B005IASD1A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1397416972&sr=8-4&keywords=terro outdoor ant bait

 

[Highbeam]

These work great. I use them around my place. They get set outside along the perimeter, the ants take it back to the colony, dead colony.
Change them every spring, good till next spring.

They make a smaller clear bait trap for smaller sugar ants also.

http://www.amazon.com/TERRO-Outdoor-Liquid-Ant-Bait/dp/B005IASD1A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1397416972&sr=8-4&keywords=terro outdoor ant bait

Good price too. They look easy to change which will only help them perform. Don't let your neighbor's kids take the bait cups and dip their french fries in them.

 

[Hogwildz]

Good price too. They look easy to change which will only help them perform. Don't let your neighbor's kids take the bait cups and dip their french fries in them.

The hardest part of changing them is picking them up and putting new ones down.
The do dry out by the next Spring, so they do need replacing each year.
The one downside is disposal, but I just put them in a bag and put in the trash at my next fill up at the gas station.
No neighbors kids to worry about. But the french fry dip idea sounds tasty ;-)
And it does not seem like animals bother them, with the exception of squirrels messing with one once. Didn't seem to affect the squirrel.
They really do work well, and I like that they stay outside the house.

 

[TradEddie]

I've had good success with a perimeter spray each Spring and Fall, supplemented with baits in all bathrooms and under all sinks. For the last couple of years I've been using an Ortho product that I bought in one of the big boxes. If you are shopping for something, choose the one with the most serious warnings, this is not the time to be all eco-friendly, if you are planning to mess with mother nature, do it properly.

TE