Every Spring my kitchen because home to an army of ugly black carpenter ants. I have
tried pretty much everything. Raid drops, sprays and ant traps. This year they
seem particularly worse than usual.
Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants:
Inside the House Carpenter ants like moist, wet wood. Thats why youll usually
notice e carpenter ants wherever there is moist wood around dishwashers ,
sinks and bathrooms.
You
need to get rid of
the nest. Colonies within the structure should be controlled by a direct application
of a pesticide. Boric acid dust, bendiocarb (Ficam) 1% dust, cyfluthrin,
cypermethrin, bifenthrin, propoxur (Baygon) 0.5% in aerosol spray containers all
are registered materials. Nests in wall voids often can be accessed through plumbing
or electrical wiring. Electrical plates can be removed and an insecticide
applied into the wall void along the outside edge of the electrical box. Ants
follow wiring and plumbing routes through the structure. If the colony is inaccessible
for direct treatment, a 1/8 inch drill bit can be used to make small
holes in the walls so an insecticide applicator wand can be inserted for application
of the insecticide. Dust formulations are effective against all Hymenoptera
because the dust adheres to the hairy surfaces of their bodies. As they clean
themselves and feed other ants and larvae, the insecticide is spread throughout
the colony. This formulation is effective as long as it does not become wet,
so it is used primarily in wall voids.
drill small holes into the wall
with a drill- about 1/8 across. Do this from OUTSIDE the house. Fill the holes
with with boric acid. The ants should die off after touching the acid.
Prevent
Carpenter Ants from Invading Your Home! Dont let tree branches
touch your house- they will act as a bridge straight into your house. Prune these
branches! If you have wood siding, dont rest things against wood siding- rakes,
shovels bags of leaves, firewood, etc. this is a breeding ground for carpenter
ants! Fill crack or holes on foundation- these are doorway into your home
for carpenters ants. Getting concrete grout at hardware store is cheap and filling
in grout is easy to do. Good Luck!
Lisa Stewart is freelance writer in Toronto. For more household tips or to submit your home related article visit HomeGardenandGift.org.
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