Carpenter Ants

[crappieperchhunter]

Had a mess of Carpenter ants in the cottage this spring. Noticed the same thing last spring as well so we decided to have the cottage sprayed. That was done and now our weekend visits to the cottage find us sweeping up dead ants when we arrive...so I know whatever they did was successful.

 

My question to anyone with some knowledge on the topic is this. Is there anything I could do on my own to help to keep them at bay? I was thinking I could get whatever sprays/chemicals anyone could recommend and give things a little squirt a couple of times throughout the summer/fall.

 

The $$$ I spend on having the cottage done was a little steep for me. So if I could "do it" myself and maybe save some $$$ I would be happy.

 

Any tips /suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thx in advance for any help.

[SylvanOwner]

I had a few in my house a couple years back and subsequently did some reading. Carpenter ants aren't like other pests in that they bore to make a nest but they are actually eating. It was also written that they are very difficult to get rid of and you likely won't succeed unless you get the queen. They often have satellite colonies to replenish the herd. They also are most active at night so people are fooled into thinking they have gotten rid of them but they just aren't seeing them - check around after dark and look for trails of ants, this will also help discover where they are coming from and/or hiding out. The literature suggests ripping out whatever you have to to get to the nest and kill the queen.

 

My solution included doing this, at least the tracking part and then I just sealed everything up and haven't seen hide nor hair since, even after dark.

 

I know this doesn't sound encouraging but I hope it helps!!

Edited May 27, 2010 by SylvanOwner

[muddler]

Had a mess of Carpenter ants in the cottage this spring. Noticed the same thing last spring as well so we decided to have the cottage sprayed. That was done and now our weekend visits to the cottage find us sweeping up dead ants when we arrive...so I know whatever they did was successful.

 

My question to anyone with some knowledge on the topic is this. Is there anything I could do on my own to help to keep them at bay? I was thinking I could get whatever sprays/chemicals anyone could recommend and give things a little squirt a couple of times throughout the summer/fall.

 

The $$$ I spend on having the cottage done was a little steep for me. So if I could "do it" myself and maybe save some $$$ I would be happy.

 

Any tips /suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thx in advance for any help.

[muddler]

I don't know what happened there (above post). I used a solution of 1/3 liquid dish soap and 2/3 warm water. I sprayed it into every opening I think the ants were using. Seems to have stopped them. Later ( acouple of days) it was easy to clean up any soapy residue. I plug all the holes with 5 minute epoxy mixed with saw dust after a couple of days of spraying..

 

Pressure treated wood will NOT stop them. They'll eat that too.

 

I keep an old dish soap bottle filled with this mixture and take a tour looking for stray ants and saw dust.

 

Hope this helps.

 

muddler

[Billy Bob]

I had a problem with them for several years...sprayed the house and used pesticides along the foundation but that didn't seem to help. Then a couple of years ago I was redoing the bath tub tile and ripped out the tile and drywall and found thousands of carpenter ants between two wall studs that were only 1/2" apart...spray them with a LOT of Raid and vacuumed and dug them all out...haven't had any since......but I have heard they like a water source so now it makes sense...I spent all my previous efforts more in the kitchen area.

 

Bob

[Governator]

There's a product called "Home Defense". You can get it at Canadian Tire and probably other places. It's truley amazing stuff. You can buy the standard spray bottle or the pump one that gives you continuous spray to go around your house/cottage. I buy the bigger one with the pump. You spray aroundthe base of your property and you're pretty much good for the summer. If any are already in the place, spray under baseboards with it and they'll never come in that room again.

 

Here's a link to the smaller spray bottle version: http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443295498&bmUID=1274997402428

 

You'll find the bigger one in the store though for sure.

[irishfield]

They'll be nested in a wall somewhere until you find them, spray the crap out of them with poison and dig/vacuum it out. I remember the shower of white eggs on my head all too well when pulling the living room apart at the lake... Amazing how far they will go into structure to nest. I found them in an interior wall.. close to the ceiling.. 10 feet from an outside wall.

[tb4me]

There's a product called "Home Defense". You can get it at Canadian Tire and probably other places. It's truley amazing stuff. You can buy the standard spray bottle or the pump one that gives you continuous spray to go around your house/cottage. I buy the bigger one with the pump. You spray aroundthe base of your property and you're pretty much good for the summer. If any are already in the place, spray under baseboards with it and they'll never come in that room again.

 

Here's a link to the smaller spray bottle version: http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443295498&bmUID=1274997402428

 

You'll find the bigger one in the store though for sure.

I second this post...Awesome stuff. I use it at home and at the trailer..Highly recomended! its like drawing an invisibleline around your home and it wirks well

Edited May 27, 2010 by tb4me

[Big Cliff]

I'd just get an ant eater as a pet.

[crappieperchhunter]

I'd just get an ant eater as a pet.

 

LOL....I'll try to train the cat to do that. It should work shouldn't it

[Nanook]

Steve, Ive never tried this, but an old timer round here says Quote "Sprinkle a good layer of old coffee grounds around the house and they wont cross over" Unquote

This wont help with ones inside so cant help you there

[Paully]

[moparhawk]

I had a problem with them for several years...sprayed the house and used pesticides along the foundation but that didn't seem to help. Then a couple of years ago I was redoing the bath tub tile and ripped out the tile and drywall and found thousands of carpenter ants between two wall studs that were only 1/2" apart...spray them with a LOT of Raid and vacuumed and dug them all out...haven't had any since......but I have heard they like a water source so now it makes sense...I spent all my previous efforts more in the kitchen area.

 

Bob

I'm not an expert but have remodeled homes as my profession for many years and whenever I've found them there was always water involved. Just like the shower in the above quote, or a poorly flashed window, etc. Stop the leaks and maybe no carpenter ants.

[tdotfisherman]

I've been dealing with Carpenter Ants in my kitchen for the last 2 weeks or so.

 

I've put out those traps that you can buy at CT, the ones where the ants bring the food to the queen, and it kills the hive.

 

Has anyone had success with those? I'm still having ants lingering around, and I put the traps out about a week ago..

[Gerry]

They will nest in wood softened by a water leak and getting rid of them without finding and fixing the problem is futile. I went through this about 10 years ago, I paid handsomely for professionals to spray on 2 occasions and they still returned. Finally, while renovating a washroom we found the nest where they had bored into a 2x4 behind a shower wall. The shower itself had been showing sings of leaking which is why we decided to renovate. We ended up having to cut out the the stud (2x4) placing it in a pail of water and taking the whole thing outdoors. Never had a problem after that but before this we had been battling them for 3 years.

[Billy Bob]

I've been dealing with Carpenter Ants in my kitchen for the last 2 weeks or so.

 

I've put out those traps that you can buy at CT, the ones where the ants bring the food to the queen, and it kills the hive.

 

Has anyone had success with those? I'm still having ants lingering around, and I put the traps out about a week ago..

 

In my case these traps were a waste of money.

[Jason B]

I am a licensed exterminator. I've heard it all, people putting garlic or coffee around there house to deter ants. The only way to get rid of carpenter ants is to find the nest and destroy it. It will always be around water damaged wood. Kitchen and bathrooms are always a hot spot, leaky pipes?, a drip here and there. I wouldn't waste money on ant traps or anything like that. A good aerosol or a dust always works. Don't be afraid to have a beer or two and just watch where they're going. I've had a nest in an oak tree outside my house for years studying them i guess. Didn't notice it until i saw the birds eating the ants at the entrance. Good luck they're a real pain sometimes.

Edited May 28, 2010 by Jason B

[Jewelbee]

I have these 'monsters' in and around my deck every year. Some find their way indoors. I find putting the Ant killer drops down seems to slow them a lot. They take it to the nest so the queen eats it too. In spite of it tho, they are back EVERY year