It seems like most of the reg-lers here know a little something about almost everything, so I figured I’d give a shot here first.
DW just discovered a whole bunch of little tiny ants in our second floor bathroom. No food or anything there that I could see, but they looked to the untrained eye like the kind you’d find all over an apple core after a picnic. We (meaning “I”) killed a whole bunch the old fashioned way. With my thumb. Seem to be tapering, but plenty where they came from. Seem to be coming from beneath the baseboard. To add to the mystery, there was a woodpecker tapping on my eaves the other day, right in the neighborhood over the bathroom. I’m guessing he heard the party going on and wanted to get in.
I guess the only quesiton is: Anyone know what baby carpenter ants look like or how/when they’d show up? I guess if they’re anything other than that, I’m not overly worried.
Any taughts?
Brian
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Lotsa possibilities. Like, if it's an older home with large trees overhanging or touching the roof, then the ants have access to a cooler area to nest. They like it where there is a moist and cool area like around old pipes or wall cavities accessed through vent pipes.
They'll also follow up the plumbing from damp and musky basements.
Just a possibility. I'm sure there are as many reasons as you got ants.
...Anyone know what baby carpenter ants look like...
'baby' carpenter ants are larvae or 'maggots' which pupate in a cocoon and emerge basically fully grown - you do not have carpenter ants, from your description of the size -
why are they there? habitat - - food, water, shelter - -
it is the time of year that new colonies are becoming established - possibly a queen thrown from an existing colony has taken up residence, laid eggs, and you are now observing workers (sterile females) foraging for food -
I suggest you get some baited traps from the hardware store and place one where the workers can find it and carry the pesticide back to the colony - or caulk the baseboard -
the ants are basically just an annoyance, and most likely the woodpecker is an unrelated issue -
see?... a little something about everything. i knew I could count on this crew!
Thanks David. That's reassuring. The baited traps is a good call._____________________________HomeBase______________ LLC
sounds like those pesky Argentine ants to me, that's what we have around San Diego now, and they're probably after the water if you see em going into the sink or bath drain.
It might not hurt to peek into the attic above that area to be sure everything is dry.Also peek behind any plumbing access panels that might exist.Just to be sure...Rich BeckmanAnother day, another tool.
A couple of months ago I had a some little ants like that.Never a whole lot at a time. Maybe 3 - 5 wondering around.Put out Terro II and then mixed it with some vegatable oil and not hits. Got a commercial bait for fat and sweet eating ants and nothing.About 6 weeks latter I notice that they where following one another. Put out more Terro II and I worn myself out keeping them feed, they where climbing over each other to get to it. For about 7 - 10 days. Then no more.
Around these parts, Fire ants moving like that means rain’s coming. If they’re on the second floor, it’s probably going to flood.