[Summit] carpenter ant solutions that won't kill bees!

Breslers breslerfamily at gmail.com
Thu Jun 2 17:26:03 UTC 2016


Yes NOT good to breathe, but but hard to avoid that.
You have to work at getting it airborne enough to apply it, and it settles
down pretty quickly.

On Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 10:58 AM, Theresa Mathiesen <elvamath at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Diatomaceous earth is used in aquarium filters.  I got some from
> Aqua-Life, the aquarium store on Wickenden.  I never used it, though.
>
> I'd be scared of breathing any of it in.  It can do a number on your
> lungs, and I already have a touch of asthma.
>
> Another option is a mixture of boric acid and sugar.  An acquaintance of
> mine is the health and safety officer at Brandeis University.  The
> proportions he uses are 9 parts sugar to 1 part boric acid.  Mix it well
> and put bits of it where you see traces of carpenter ants.  (I put it on
> jar lids.)
>
> You can get boric acid at pharmacies.  You have to ask for it, but it
> doesn't require a prescription.  It's actually the active ingredient in
> commercial roach etc. traps.  Carpenter ants love sugar.  They take some
> sugar to the nest and the boric acid does them all in.
>
> I've found that in hot humid weather I have to keep replacing the
> mixture.  The humidity hardens the sugar.
>
> I don't recommend fogging the house, which we had a company do a long time
> ago.  It almost killed our cat, although we followed all the instructions
> about airing out our house afterwards.  I can't imagine it was that good
> for us, either.
>
> Elva
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 10:36 AM, Delgado, Mona Moller <
> mona_delgado at brown.edu> wrote:
>
>> I buy mine at the pool shop on Charles Street.  It is a cleaning agent
>> used in pools too.
>>
>> On Tue, May 31, 2016 at 10:02 PM, Breslers <breslerfamily at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> We use Diatomaceous Earth.  Have for years.
>>>
>>> Diatomaceous Earth is ground up fossils- a fine powder- which is like
>>> broken glass to insects
>>> but they must come in contact with it for it to cut them and cause them
>>> to dehydrate.
>>> Bees & ants go different places, so apply it accordingly.
>>>
>>> I actually saw some for sale at J & L Landscaping on rt 44 last week.
>>>
>>> Most years I "poof apply" a ring of it to the underside of the shingle
>>> part of walls outside- where they meet the brick foundation- and around
>>> basement window frames. That keeps out almost all the ants that used to
>>> invade us.
>>>
>>> It can work on a porch, under an over hang or indoors (rain washes it
>>> away)
>>> It only needs to be applied sparingly, usually "poofed" out of a squeeze
>>> bottle- the powder makes a little dust cloud easily, if kept properly dry.
>>> You can get specially made applicator or use cafe-type ketchup/mustard
>>> dispenser
>>> but don't lose the little top. If it gets damp it won't cooperate with
>>> "poofing" for application.
>>> Apply extra at know paths to nests and insects will bring it to nests on
>>> their bodies.
>>>
>>> It is NOT toxic, mostly calcium & silica, but be sensible- DON'T breathe
>>> it while applying- the microscopic sharp crystals are likely also not good
>>> for lungs.
>>> But the little puffs settle quickly and it does not fly back up in the
>>> air, once applied.
>>>
>>> There is probably a YouTube video about this, come to think of it.
>>>
>>> Mrs B
>>>
>>> On Tue, May 31, 2016 at 4:58 PM, Ellen Santaniello <
>>> esantaniello at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Howdy collective brain -- Had front porch rebuilt last year and
>>>> discovered water damage and carpenter ants. Naively hoped the nice new dry
>>>> conditions would mitigate problem but have seen a few carpenter ants this
>>>> past week. Want them gone, but do not want to poison pollinators. Anybody
>>>> have experience with this or a company to recommend? Ellen on Mayflower St.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> FISHEL BRESLER'S KLEZMER & HASSIDIC MUSIC -
>>> *funded in part by a Folk Arts Fellowship grant from the RI State
>>> Council on the Arts*.
>>> www.LinkedIn.com/in/FishelBresler
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Mona Delgado
>> Academic Department Manager
>> Italian Studies/Brown University
>> 190 Hope Street/Box 1942, Providence, RI 02912
>> (401) 863-1561
>>
>> http://www.brown.edu/academics/italian-studies/
>> <http://www.brown.edu/academics/italian-studies/about/people>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>


-- 
FISHEL BRESLER'S KLEZMER & HASSIDIC MUSIC -
*funded in part by a Folk Arts Fellowship grant from the RI State Council
on the Arts*.
www.LinkedIn.com/in/FishelBresler
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