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I have a carpenter ant problem in my house and I have two children under the age of 3. I'm hoping someone could recommend an effective solution for my situation. I don't want to use poison of any kind. Thanks!

Heres an example...

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2fsearchResults.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@1144200006.1154449741@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccaddihhffjhjcgelceffdfgidgmj.0&MID=9876

2006-08-01 05:35:07 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden Do It Yourself (DIY)

16 answers

Carpenter Ants are a difficult problem for a homeowner to solve. You really need an inspection by a professional exterminator to identify where the ants are getting into the home and to design a safe treatment to get rid of them.
Carpenter Ants form nests in wall voids, attics, fence posts, window frames, etc... Its important to identify any nests that may be inside the walls so that they can be injected to exterminate the ants . If done properly, there shouldnt be any need to treat in your living space. All treatments should be in wall void areas and the exterior of the home.
Carpenter Ants travel up to 30 yards for a food, water or harborage area. It's important to trim any shrubs, trees , or landscaping away from the foundation or roof line to limit how these pests can get onto your home. Try to give 6 inches between your home and any foliage. Also keep gutters and the roof free of any debris that might hold water and attract them. Keep all firewood away from the home as well.
The best time to find out where these ants are getting in is in the afternoon when it gets cooler. Check around the foundation, eaves, and windows for any trailing activity. They will be most active just before dark.
In the long run, carpenter ants are a neighborhood problem and something that you will need an ongoing program to protect against. Inspection on a periodic basis will be needed to insure that they dont return.

2006-08-01 07:47:36 · answer #1 · answered by jeff b 2 · 1 0

I would recommend giving them a try, I've used them successfully with a spider problem and they work well. Also you can purchase them for under ten dollars apiece at true value hardware where I got mine. I once had an ant problem that I solved using an ortho brand powder for ants which you can sprinkle outside near doorways or around basement windows and such. That likely would not present a danger to your children given their ages.

2006-08-01 05:46:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

No idea as I've never used them. But someone suggested vinegar as an ant repellant- and apparently it does work. I have a huge ant problem, or did until I started using vinegar alongside my regular cleaning supplies. While I still see a stray or two, I no longer get the ant swarms.

2006-08-01 05:42:16 · answer #3 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0 0

There does seem to be some amount of benefit from using these devices, although they do not work near as well as they say they do. I have seen a reduction in pests from using the devices.

2006-08-01 05:41:43 · answer #4 · answered by Interested Dude 7 · 0 0

We have on for spiders in the basement. I saw a spider sitting on it yesterday. The best thing for ants is to clean really good and fumigate. Seriously, they're resilient little buggers.

2006-08-01 05:41:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

I bought one of those supposedly made to repel mosquitoes, it did not work or did it? There was just that faint hum I could hear if I got too close to that gadget and that was as far as it worked.

2006-08-01 05:40:59 · answer #6 · answered by Gane 2 · 0 0

I know for a fact that the ultrasound repellants work on rodents, but not so sure about the bugs.

2006-08-01 05:56:09 · answer #7 · answered by quietfive 5 · 0 0

I too was trying to find something that wasn't the usual and I found this site pretty cool and I think they have a lot of good ideas. I too want to purchase the ultrasonic thingy.

http://www.allhomerepairsyourself.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bugs.htm

2006-08-01 05:43:05 · answer #8 · answered by fleababy 1 · 0 0

Scam. Use Terro. Put it out at night and pick it up in the day to protect your kids.

2006-08-01 05:39:32 · answer #9 · answered by therego2 5 · 0 0

Mine works pretty well on spiders and mice, never had an ant problem, so maybe it works on them too?

2006-08-01 05:38:41 · answer #10 · answered by rena2169 2 · 0 0

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