Field Ants

[svk]

Does anyone have trouble with these buggers invading your woodpile? Smaller than carpenter ants, are about 1/4 to 3/8" long with black head/butt and red abdomen. They bite like crazy. They are constantly in my sauna building and any wood pile that is stacked on the ground nearby it, especially in wood that has any punky area. I doused a huge nest in a rotten stump and my old woodpile with ant poision last year. Stacked the new wood pile across the lawn and off the ground, so far they have stayed away.

 

[Topbuilder]

Those are more carpenter ants. I think the red ones are workers that do not normaly leave the nest. Had some in my wood pile last year. Logs were in a rack not touching the ground!

 

[Topbuilder]

https://www.gapestpro.com/iicarpant.html

Look like the ones?

 

[svk]

Nope like this. They are a definite separate species from carpenters. We only have all black carpenters.

 

[svk]

I've only once had carpenter ants in my woodpile, because we split too early in the spring and they were still hibernating. Now I leave splits on the ground for a bit before stacking and the carpenters leave pretty quickly.

I only have problems with the field ants at my hunting cabin because they hibernate in the rafters of my sauna and I am often not there when they hatch in the summer so I don't get the poison out in time.

 

[Topbuilder]

I grew up south of the twin cities. Don't remember those buggers.

 

[mainewoods]

camponotus noveboracensis - carpenter ant. There are 24 species of carpenter ants in the US. The easiest way to tell if it is a carpenter ant is by the small hairs on it's abdomen.

 

[svk]

Well that certainly could be them too if they are smaller than black carpenters.

These ones bite like heck and I've never been bitten by a black carpenter.

 

[greendohn]

Kill 'em,,kill 'em all...

 

[krushing73]

A little diesel fuel will get rid of em. Gas will get rid of them but diesel is safer.

 

[alleyyooper]

This is even safer to get those ants that are in some form of a nest. I use the fast acting Ortho home defense when splitting wood and discover them.

Ant killer
A tablespoon of Boraxo laundry detergent, a half cup of sugar, a cup of water.

Mix thoroughly, then make a cup out of aluminum foil 1/2" deep, add some of the mix.

Watch the fun begin.

The ants come and drink, they swell up like little tanker trucks!!

They take the mix back and share it, turns out their digestive tract can not handle even small amounts of the Borax.

When they share with the queen of the nest, game over

Al

 

[Topbuilder]

Of course in the stump grinding business you encounter ants on a daily basis. Mostly fire ants. A 1/2 a cup of gas in the right spot before they are disturbed will knock out the problem in a couple minutes. Carpenter ants do not not respond the same way. I usually grind away with them.

 

[unclemoustache]

I don't usually do much about carpenters - just knock as many off as I can before putting them in the stack.

 

[CenterTree]

Diesel fuel and gasoline both seem like a poor choice for the ground (environment) system.
Maybe I am just too fussy.
I would feel more comfortable with a commercial pesticide like Bug B Gon. (Ant B Gon)/
Bifenthrin

It is even stated safe for use on vegetable gardens. Who knows.
It can be used as a "perimeter" treatment around wood piles I suppose.


The Borax/sugar seems like a nice option.

 

[svk]

I'm going to have to try the detergent mixture.

I've been applying the white powder ant poision around the affected areas. Keeps them away but I still need to eradicate the colony living in my ceiling/rafters as neither that not any traps/baits have worked inside.

 

[krushing73]

Diesel fuel and gasoline both seem like a poor choice for the ground (environment) system.
Maybe I am just too fussy.
I would feel more comfortable with a commercial pesticide like Bug B Gon. (Ant B Gon)/
Bifenthrin

It is even stated safe for use on vegetable gardens. Who knows.
It can be used as a "perimeter" treatment around wood piles I suppose.


The Borax/sugar seems like a nice option.

It doesn't take hardly any diesel /gas. The rest evaporate very quickly. You don't have to pour gallons.

 

[fubar2]

Them big black ones make a nice snap sound when they get crisp in your hot woodstove.

 

[nathon918]

maybe ask WS if he can send a cousin or 2 to ya...8 legs are better than 6...right?

 

[Whitespider]

Another resurrected thread from the past?
No... no... no‼ Y'all ain't gonna' trick me into posting... not again.

Wait damnit... I just posted.
*