Barbara J. Hamby

Ant Rant

For over a month now, we’ve been warring with carpenter ants. When we first reported their presence to the management, they sent an exterminator out who sprayed inside and outside. Since then, we’ve collected hundreds of ants. Gradually, more of them were dead than alive, but a few live ones are still turning up here and there.

Yesterday, I just got back from a meeting, when an exterminator came to the door to ask about the ants. He wanted to be sure I knew definitely they were carpenter ants and I assured him I did. I told him about an experience with a barn where carpenter ants destroyed a pile of lumber in the loft. I didn’t think to offer him some samples of our dead ants. Actually, I hadn’t noticed we had collected a couple dozen more since the last cleanup.

Before he left, he told us about an apartment he saw a week ago where carpenter ants destroyed a deck, which fell off. We are in an apartment that is at ground level at the parking area and the living room and master bedroom are at second story level above a basement apartment. Our ants appear to be coming in the end of our unit where the second floor deck is located. So, do I dare go out and water the plants?

Later, the new manager of the apartments came to take a look. She explained to me that she had no idea what carpenter ants looked like. I offered her some to take with her, which she did. Presumably we will be hearing more from the exterminators.

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