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carpenter ants

elsmitro

floppy member
Hi folks,

I have a problem with carpenter ants. We have lots of trees and a 1 acre pond at the lowest point in the property that everything drains to. Most of my trees are getting older and when we have a big storm I occasionally lose a tree. When I cut the trees up I find that the center is usually ate up with carpenter ants and I believe them to be the true culprit in the trees demise. Is there anything I can do to rid us of the carpenter ants without killing the pond?

Thanks!
 
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Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
We had an infestation of carpenter ants last summer and had to deal with them.

The thing that turned out to be most effective for us was a granular product that was spread around the perimeter of the house to keep the ants from entering the house. Your situation is obviously different in that you are trying to protect trees. But my problem was that the big carpenter ants were coming to the house from the woods that are only 20' from the wall of that side of the house. My thougth is that you could get some of the granular product and sprinkle it around the worst affected areas in your woods. It does kill the ants and it supposedly works for the entire season. Since it works for the season, I would suspect that rain won't wash it down to your pond. But reading the lable would be a good thing!!!

I bought it at the local Sears Hardware Store last year and it worked like a charm.
 

Cowboyjg

Country Club Member
Site Supporter
The carpenter ants are not killing your trees!! The trees are already dead or dying from other reasons and the ants are making a home in the damaged area.

Carpenter ants are typically found to nest in warm moist conditions. Examples being dead sections of trees, under mulch, in the loamy soil beneath shrubs and trees and abandoned termite damage in wood. They have also been found to nest in areas like water damaged insulation in walls and attics. The idea is to kill the nests. There are two types of nests, Parent and satellite. There can be multiple colonies in an area as well. Baiting the area with granular baaits like Advance or Niban can be an affective long term treatment. These materials will not harm the pond as the contain very small amounts of the material that kills the ants.

Carpenter ants are also nocturnal and at night with a flash light ou cal usually trace thm back to thier nests. You have to realize that your situation involves a sizeable area in thier natural habitat and the best you can hope for is some control. It is not likely you would ever perminantly rid yourself of them as ther is always the creation of new colonies in and around your property as well as your neighbors.
 
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