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- Aug 6, 2018
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1) So, We've been seeing increasing amounts of ants in the house, random areas, and usually only one every other day. BUT they are carpenter ants, so of course I'm freaking out a bit. I will say that I didn't think I had an infestation IN the house BUT, now that it's winter, I shouldn't be seeing them anymore right? They are not appearing as often now (only a few over the last month or so, and only when the temp outside goes up), but I'm still concerned. We also live in a sandy area, so we have ants everywhere outside in the warmer months. We also had a carpenter ant infestation in the roof of our shed that we replaced two years ago, which coincidentally is when they started appearing in the house. We also have a dead tree trunk that I think is now the home of the displaced nest. I do know they will travel pretty far. I did find a nest outside last year and when I treated it (killed it) the amount of ants in the house drastically reduced for that year, but this past summer they came back. I also know that they can have satellite colonies, so I may have only killed one of their nests. I know I have some investigating to do in the spring, but I wanted to know if there is anything I can put in my home that is safe for cats, in case they are trying to nest in the house. Also is there a safe product that I can distribute around my WHOLE yard in the spring to cut down (at least a bit) on the amount of ants we get. As I said, we live in an area that is very favorable to ants, but it's getting ridiculous. You should see my yard in August, when the flying ants come out, the whole yard is moving as they crawl their way to the surface and start flying.
I'm terrified that I'll have to rip down drywall just to try and find where they are coming in. I don't have the money for renovations right now. So if there is something I can apply, under by baseboards for example, that will help I would love some input.
2) We also usually get one or two mice in the house a year for the past few years, why they are dumb enough to come in with cats in the house IDK...But I went investigating because I was going around trying to see if I could find where the mice or ants may be getting in from. Well, I came across some mouse poop. and a little borough, that contained sawdust and insulation in an unfinished area where some water pipes come into the home.. Perhaps the ants are using the same entry point as the mouse? Anyway, I'll be doing a thorough investigation and cleaning of all the nooks and crannies of my house that I can reach but also wanted to know what products (spray foam?) can help seal up any areas that I find that might be contributing to my problem.
I'm terrified that I'll have to rip down drywall just to try and find where they are coming in. I don't have the money for renovations right now. So if there is something I can apply, under by baseboards for example, that will help I would love some input.
2) We also usually get one or two mice in the house a year for the past few years, why they are dumb enough to come in with cats in the house IDK...But I went investigating because I was going around trying to see if I could find where the mice or ants may be getting in from. Well, I came across some mouse poop. and a little borough, that contained sawdust and insulation in an unfinished area where some water pipes come into the home.. Perhaps the ants are using the same entry point as the mouse? Anyway, I'll be doing a thorough investigation and cleaning of all the nooks and crannies of my house that I can reach but also wanted to know what products (spray foam?) can help seal up any areas that I find that might be contributing to my problem.