Need info on Carpenter Ants

[steen995]

When we had carpenter ants we had a couple people out and ended using this company that sprays some stuff called Termidor. I went to his web site which linked to a national web site - http://www.ipconetwork.org/ that lists places that use this stuff in different states. (I'm in Washington) This stuff worked great and was good because they didn't have to drill holes to shoot into or behind our siding (which is the "new LP" and I was afraid to mess with our siding at all).

 

[preshi]

We used to have those in Lake Tahoe. When you sat in the loft and all was quiet you could hear them chomping on the insulation or wood or something right above you in the ceiling! It was CREEPY!! One bit my brothers lip when he was crawling on the ground and it wouldn't let go! Those thing are nasty!

 

[CJRN]

I'm going to check out that website, thanks.

Just FYI, we built our house, and the very first year we had a ton of ants.....talk about GROSS, I was in my 2nd floor bathroom, did not have my glasses on, reached up on the top shelf in the closet, and a bunch came tumbling onto me....................I IMMEDIATELY packed up my two kids, called DH, and informed him the kids and I would be staying at my mother's until he was able to come home from work, and get rid of the ants!!!

A friend of ours in construction said the ants have memory, and most likely they lived here before us, meaning lived in trees that we removed to build our house. Of course I have no idea if this is true.

I am always leary of spraying chemicals, not only for my dog, but we have get our water from our own well, which the pesticides would eventually seep down from the ground into our drinking water!

 

[rayelias]

One good thing about having ants... chances are if you have ants you don't have termites. They're mortal enemies. (Typically, the ants win in a war.)

Kind of stinks if you have carpenter ants, because they will do damage. But, if you have regular old ants, it's a good chance you don't have termites.

Again - if anyone has carpenter ants, please read that website. The BEST method is just vacuuming them up. The reason you have them is because there is a habitat that they find attractive - which is moisture. Get rid of the moisture, and 90% of the time the carpenter ants will leave. No chemicals, no drilling in walls, nothing like that.