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Would wood mulch next to building be a factor in attracting carpenter ants?

Wood mulch will most definitely attract carpenter ants. They’re quite good at detecting certain smells and decaying wood (aka: wood mulch) is number one on their list of “10 best places to live”.

Does this mean you shouldn’t have wood mulch on your property? No. If you want to keep wood mulch but not attract carpenter ants, treat with either the CARPENTER ANT BAIT or the SUSPEND mentioned in our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE. Baiting the mulch will be the most cost effective. As foraging ants come around, they’ll no doubt encounter some of the bait, eat it or bring it back to the nest and eventually consume some. This will have a deadly consequence and once a few ants die, the colony will recognize the source of the problem and avoid the area.

Liquid spraying with Suspend isn’t as easy to do but you will have the added benefit derived from using a residual meaning that liquid treatments will cover any invading pest. Use about 1 gallon of finished product for every 800 sq/ft of mulch and treat every 2-3 months to keep them in check. Since wood mulch tends to attract everything from termites to scorpions to roaches to springtails, treating it with a liquid would be the better of the two preventive treatments for carpenter ants.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Ant Bait: http://www.bugspraycart.com/bait/granule/pt-advance-carpenter-ant-granules

Suspend: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/suspend-sc

Carpenter Ant Control: https://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

we have flying ants. do they bite? how to get rid of them?

Most all ants will generate “flyers”. These are usually reproductives (aka: males and females, kings and queens, etc.) with the sole purpose of leaving an existing nest to mate and start new nests. In most cases seeing 1-2 of these in the home does not mean you have a local problem. But if you’re seeing 5-10 or more, it’s highly likely there is a nest in or on your home which will need attention (chemical treatments).

Another possible insect that sends out flyers in the spring are TERMITES. These guys are very different from ants but in fact can be a much bigger problem. There are some key differences between ants and termites but the swarmers each will generate can be quite similar.

Can flying ants bite? Absolutely. The rule to follow here is based on the species. For example, pavement ants are docile and don’t sting or bite. And the swarmers they produce tend to be very similar. Fireants, however, are stinging pests. They use a piercing stinger located on their abdomen which can deliver a nasty bit of potent poison. Their swarmers can sting as well as the other members of the local colony. So the rule here is if the species you have is known to bite or sting, it’s most likely their swarmers can too.

At this point I suggest you find out for sure if you have ants or termites. Next, I’d start doing one of the recommended treatments explained in either our TERMITE ARTICLE or ANT CONTROL ARTICLE. And if these ants are large and black, it’s most likely you’ll need to do one of the recommended CARPENTER ANT CONTROL treatments.

Alternatively you could choose to do some treatments without knowing for sure. Inside the home, PHANTOM AEROSOL is effective on both ants and termites and will provide good control for the immediate situation. But if you have termites or carpenter ants, you’ll probably need to use some TERMIDOR and treat around the home where these pests are entering or nesting for a longer resolution.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Termite Swarmers or Ants: http://www.termites-swarming.com/winged/winged-ants-or-termites-swarming.html

Termite Control: http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control

Ant Control: http://www.bugspray.com/article/ants.html

Carpenter Ant Control: https://www.carpenterants.com/carpenter-ant-control

Phantom: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/pt-phantom-17-5oz

Termidor: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/termidor-sc-20-oz