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We have a problem with carpenter ants. In the wooden ceilings dropping sawdust
in a few places in the house. All our neighbors had the same problems.
I have been making up and replenishing saucers of Boric acid and sugar
and water and see them eating from these.
I also spread spent coffee grounds around the base of the house and
pulled up most of the ivy touching the house.
Other than cinnamon, which I will also try, any suggestions?
Our landlord uses harsh chemicals that we would rather not live with.
in a few places in the house. All our neighbors had the same problems.
I have been making up and replenishing saucers of Boric acid and sugar
and water and see them eating from these.
I also spread spent coffee grounds around the base of the house and
pulled up most of the ivy touching the house.
Other than cinnamon, which I will also try, any suggestions?
Our landlord uses harsh chemicals that we would rather not live with.
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SF Bay Area
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Fri, June 13, 2008 - 1:33 PMMost those harsh chemicals break sown in the soil to harmless constituents in a matter of days.
What I'd do is keep up with the boric acid ( it works but it's slow) and try to track a column of ants. That'll take some doing. But, when you find the nest you can use the harsh chemicals on the little fukers and kill 'em where they live.
They like old dying trees and stumps best-est.
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Fri, June 13, 2008 - 2:29 PMHave you tried speaking with the carpenter uncles? They may be able to slap the ants around a bit, put 'em in their place.
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Sat, June 14, 2008 - 2:45 PMI had success with this combination (but with regular black ants -- two separate colonies):
mix together
peanut butter with grape jelly and boric acid (I forget the ratio)
force some straws into the mixture
place straws in areas where animals (esp. raccoons) won't have access to them
Ants look for protein and sweets. I think I wrote about my experience in this tribe. Took about 2.5 days for the two separate colonies to trek in and out of my apartment and eat from the PJ&J&BA mix. Must've been thousands upon thousands of ants, as the stream was thick and steady -- saw even some queen ants -- until the trail diminished to just a few. -
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Sun, June 15, 2008 - 12:38 AM
I have had success with a bowl of molasses and sugar. I add in sugar until it is extremely thick. then i set it next to the and trail and just let them crawl in and get stuck. They crawl over each other until the top of the bowl is covered. Scrape em off and let it keep sitting there.
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Wed, June 18, 2008 - 8:08 PMI know the sweets and boric acid works for the little ants, but does it also work for carpenter ants?
I didn't think they were attracted to the same bait.
That would be nice if they were. -
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Mon, June 30, 2008 - 9:24 PMThe carpenter ants feed regularily at our saucers filled with the boric acid acid,
sugar and water brew. It is a long process and the numbers are dwindling.
we just discovered a heavily traveled pathway to our house in the power lines.
I got some of that gooey paste you use on tree bases to keep ants off for the power lines.
I will put out little bowls of uncooked grits for them too.
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Mon, June 16, 2008 - 5:43 PMWell biggest issue is finding the queen. If it is in the attic you need to find the material they have infected cut it out and replace it. I treat the timbers with copper sulphate <very mild and will not be a problem behind drywall. The other thing they need is a source of water. Make sure you have no leaky pipes.
Clear all vegetation away from the foundation. This also includes woodpiles ect. They also frequently walk up the walls behind the siding to access harder to get to boards. The little sawdust piles are a good hint as to their entry point.
Chances are if they have been at it a while there is some extensive inwall damage
Goodluck
JSin -
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Tue, June 17, 2008 - 7:22 AM-***********Well biggest issue is finding the queen. If it is in the attic you need to find the material they have infected cut it out and replace it. I treat the timbers with copper sulphate <very mild and will not be a problem behind drywall. The other thing they need is a source of water. Make sure you have no leaky pipes.************
JSin is exactly correct.
The water the ants harvest is used to rot the wood. They can harvest water from pipes that are merely bare inside the walls. Humidity around cold water pipes gives rise to condensation build up on 'em and the ants will harvest it from the pipes. Leaky toilets and faucets are the number one cause of this. -
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Sun, June 29, 2008 - 8:36 PM
Paul Stamets talks about a non-spore producing mycelium that these ants are attracted to. It then kills them.
Check out this video @ 12 1/2 minutes.
Actually the whole video rocks if you have time
www.ted.com/index.php/ta...he_world.html -
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Mon, June 30, 2008 - 9:45 PMThe Stamets talk is fascinating, as usual.
Too bad he felt the need to partner with the defense
dept!
Does Stamets Fungi Perfecti sell the carpenter ant
mycelium yet? Last time I checked they didn't offer it. -
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Re: carpenter ants removal
Tue, July 1, 2008 - 12:26 AMDOD? please explain or post a link...
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