Keeping Carpenter Ants Away

[bob gresko]

Do you guys have any tricks up your sleeve to control/eliminate any carpenter ants or other bugs that may be in the firewood pile?

Thanks Bob

 

[skid row]

Boric acid works great. Ya can buy it at trader horn or some hardware stores.

 

[Bruce Hopf]

Boric acid works great. Ya can buy it at trader horn or some hardware stores.

What about moth balls?Bruce.

 

[ziggy2b]

soap

I use 20 mule team borax soap can get it at dollar store.. put it around the foundation of house once a year.Never had ants in house.

 

[mga]

i use Ortho Max. can be sprayed inside or out. i also use it on wood piles after i stack them.

 

[skid row]

What about moth balls?Bruce.

I dont know about mothballs for ants, maybe some other members will chime in about using those. All I know is that they sure work great in the closet and keeping moths off wool clothing. Maybe they would work for ants.

 

[DUSTYCEDAR]

20 mule team borax soap IS THE TRICK
wont hurt pets and kid safe

 

[bob gresko]

mga,
How much do you drench the wood pile? Do you try to spray all sides, the top, and quite a few crevices between the ranks?

Also, does borax kill the ants or just repell them?

 

[Bruce Hopf]

I dont know about mothballs for ants, maybe some other members will chime in about using those. All I know is that they sure work great in the closet and keeping moths off wool clothing. Maybe they would work for ants.

I put moth balls down where I wan't to keep mice, and rats out of. Does the trick for that as well. Bruce.

 

[mga]

mga,
How much do you drench the wood pile? Do you try to spray all sides, the top, and quite a few crevices between the ranks?

Also, does borax kill the ants or just repell them?

after i stack, i just spray the pile. the nice thing is that it leaves a residue that kills long after it has dried. it not only kills ants, but an assortment of other bugs too. i don't drench the pile...just give it a quick spray in between the logs.

i also spray the perimeter of my house twice a year...inside and out.

when i split wood and i see any ants, i immediately spray that piece of wood and even if they're inside any holes...it'll get them. i like the stuff. i have some very tall poplar trees way out back that were ant infested and i didn't want to lose them (for the shade) so, i sprayed those two years ago. ants are gone!

 

[asb151]

Termidor! The ultimate in ant/termite treatment.

 

[larman]

I use 20 mule team borax soap can get it at dollar store.. put it around the foundation of house once a year.Never had ants in house.

do you mix it or just use the powder form?
larman

 

[mga]

20 mule team borax soap IS THE TRICK
wont hurt pets and kid safe

borax soap will also kill plants around the foundation. if you have onamental plants, be aware.

it's also great for killing poison ivy. it takes a while to get into the root system, but it will kill it dead for quite a few years.

 

[Petr51488]

after i stack, i just spray the pile. the nice thing is that it leaves a residue that kills long after it has dried. it not only kills ants, but an assortment of other bugs too. i don't drench the pile...just give it a quick spray in between the logs.

i also spray the perimeter of my house twice a year...inside and out.

when i split wood and i see any ants, i immediately spray that piece of wood and even if they're inside any holes...it'll get them. i like the stuff. i have some very tall poplar trees way out back that were ant infested and i didn't want to lose them (for the shade) so, i sprayed those two years ago. ants are gone!

I don't mean to bring up an old thread, but i used to use this chemical from the home depot that hooks up to the hose and kills all types of ants and bugs. Its works pretty well, until i read not to put it on firewood. Is it good to do it if the wood will sit for atleast 4 months after it gets sprayed?

 

[mga]

I don't mean to bring up an old thread, but i used to use this chemical from the home depot that hooks up to the hose and kills all types of ants and bugs. Its works pretty well, until i read not to put it on firewood. Is it good to do it if the wood will sit for atleast 4 months after it gets sprayed?

i'm not a chemical expert, but i don't see a problem spraying wood with insect killer on firewood.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Those chemicals will persist in the wood, and will go up the chimney in smoke. Not good! Kind of like burning pressure treated wood. I think this guy said it well:

people who burn pressure treated wood and trash in their fireplaces gives a bad rep for all the others who burn responsibly.

this is one reason why so many towns are addressing OWB's these days. please, don't do things that will make the government go after regular fireplaces or wood stoves.

burn responsibly.

 

[Andy99]

The Borax is a white powder. You just sprinkle it around the wood pile?

 

[wireedm]

If safety is a concern, use grits (we also eat them here in the South lol)

The ants eat them, the grits expand once the moisture hits them.

POP

Unfortunately they don't sound like popcorn though.

 

[mga]

Those chemicals will persist in the wood, and will go up the chimney in smoke. Not good! Kind of like burning pressure treated wood. I think this guy said it well:

lol....touche'.

but, seriously....there's a huge difference between spraying the logs and soaking the wood in preservatives.

and, i'm willing to bet that you could never tell, using any instrument you wanted to use, that i sprayed my wood pile with Ortho when i burn it.

 

[mga]

The Borax is a white powder. You just sprinkle it around the wood pile?

20 mule team borax soap laundry detergent.