ants in wall behind bath tub

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I think that I have identified the ants we have by your article.  However, they are in the house, in the wall behind our bath tub faucets.  So when you take a bath, the water flow noise apparently disturb them so they come out and then drop into the bath water.  What is the best pesticide to use and what do you suggest is the best way to get to them to poison??  This is a most distressing problem with ants almost everywhere when you take a bath.  I can hardly make myself take a bath and I have to scoop out dead ants prior to getting into the water!!!  I will appreciate any help you can give us.  Thank you in advance.

In most cases people are not aware of where the ants are nesting. In your case, you seem pretty sure where they’re living. In fact bathroom walls are one of the most common locations for carpenter ants to use. These areas are usually moist and at least humid which carpenter ants love. No doubt this is why they target the bath room in so many homes.

I recommend using the most direct approach possible. That means drilling some holes and pumping the DRIONE dust into the wall void. Drill between the studs all the way around the room. These holes can be above any water proof walls you might have. And don’t forget you can access this space from two sides. That means if there is a closet on the other side it might be easier to drill through that wall instead of the closet.

I also suggest doing a good dusting on the outside of the home. This should be done now and then in the spring I’d followup with some CARPENTER ANT BAIT and spray on the foundation. The BIFEN is a good product to use and if done throughout the year, you won’t have any chance of a reinfestation.

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

Drione:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page91.html

Carpenter Ant Bait:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page253.html

Bifen:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/bifen_it.html

mobile home with carpenter ants

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we are finding one or two ants a day ( or evening ) on the floor or kitchen counter in our mobile home in Zephyr hills ,florida—they appear to be dead ,then will move a bit as we try to kill them—why are they lethargic and what can we do about them–I have even found one or two on the bed during the day.  We were sprayed in December, 2010.

Based on the small amount of activity you’re seeing, I’m not sure you can track the ants like we explain you should do in our CARPENTER ANT ARTICLE. But as you can see, they’ll remain active throughout the winter if the nest is located somewhere on the home. At this point I would suggest setting out some CARPENTER ANT GEL. Any that feed on it will be affected and with any luck, some will bring it back to the nest and kill it before spring arrives.

If the nest is still active this spring, I’m sure you’ll see a surge in the activity. At that point you should be able to locate the nest and treat it with the DRIONE DUST discussed in our article. This would be your best option if you know where the nest is located. If not, using the TERMIDOR would probably knock them out if you do a thorough treatment.

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

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

Carpenter Ant Gel:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page560.html

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page91.html

Termidor:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/termidor_sc.html

carpenter ants in attic

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I live  in Tampa Bay ,Fl. I have a ton of Carpenter Ants in our attic. It is a very difficult area to get to. In fact I don’t know how. Nearest place I can get to the nesting area is 15/20 feet. Are you able to help/suggest any solutions. I am thinking of  drilling a small hole  in the atic area and some how spraying some powder. Thanks.

If you read through our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL article, you’ll learn the DRIONE DUST must be applied directly into the nest to be effective. Based on how the limited access you have, I’m not sure you’ll be able to deliver enough of it where it will really matter. And if you only end up getting the dust over the wood where they’re living, the ants will simply avoid the area and survive fine. True, you could opt to drill through the ceiling of the room below the area you believe they are nesting. But if you don’t get the nest dead on center, the chance of them scattering around, regrouping and getting established elsewhere will be high. In the end, if this happens it will be a lot harder than it is now to get rid of them. I’m afraid this risk is certainly real and for this reason I think another approach might be better suited.

In this situation, I’d recommend one of the other products we have listed. For example, since you know there is an ant problem, it means you must be seeing them active either on or in the home. If they’re in the home, you could opt to apply some CARPENTER ANT GEL along their trails where you see them. Alternatively you could opt to spray PHANTOM throughout the home. This slow working active works because it’s not detectable by ants so they won’t know it’s been applied. After walking on treated surfaces for a few days, they will no doubt bring some back to the nest which will then get distributed to others in the nest. Before they know what happened, the nest will be killed as the product finally kicks in and begins to take effect. This will usually be 4-7 days following initial exposures.

Phantom can also be used outside on the home which is a good place to keep treating throughout the year to keep all perimeter pests at bay. Remember, preventive maintenace goes a long way at stopping major infestations from ever getting established so don’t forget to stay on the top of the treating so this doesn’t happen again.

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

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

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page91.html

Carpenter Ant Gel:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page560.html

Phantom:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_insecticide.html

carpenter ants under hot tub

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How do you get these ants out of the underside of a hot tub.  It’s up on blocks right now, and I know they are eating through the foam insulation because there are little chips of it in piles under it.

No doubt carpenter ants (and several other species like acrobat ants, fireants and some others) love foam and moisture. Put the two together and then move the piece outside and it’s only a matter of time before you have some type of an insect problem. Having dealt with similar problems over the years, I have learned that the direct approach of dusting with the DRIONE DUST featured in our CARPENTER ANT CONTROL ARTICLE is by far the best approach. It will knock them out on the spot and the problem will be solved. In most cases I’ve been able to use one of the HAND DUSTERS we have to get the dust where it was needed. Sometimes I’ve been able to crawl in through a maintenance hatch to access the main nest site; other times I’ve had to reach blindly to make the application. The Drione is like smoke so it will float around and get good coverage even if you aren’t sure you hit the spot dead on.

Alternatively, if you’re not able to get close enough to where you think they are nesting, you could opt to spray the area down with the PT-PHANTOM AEROSOL. This product works well on most any ant as it’s slow acting and doesn’t “spook” them like other sprays. The way it works is that the ants will walk over treated surfaces and as they do, they’ll be picking up trace amounts which will be brought back to their nest and “shared” with the other ants. The net result will be the whole nest will be killed when the active finally kicks in and starts to work. This is usually in 3-5 days after you treat.

One other thing. In cases like this I like to take a mirror and place it on the ground just under the tub so I can look at the reflection of the bottom side. I like to do this before I start plodding around and spooking them. Many times watching them this way will reveal the exact location where you’ll need to direct your treatment so it’s worth the effort.

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

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page91.html

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

Hand Dusters:  http://www.gotosprayer.com/dusters/hand-dusters

PT-Phantom:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_aerosol.html