So far, I've found a total of 3 big black ants in the house this spring.
These look like carpenter ants. Two were crawling around upstairs (each
found several weeks apart) but one was found in the kitchen the day before
the 2nd upstairs visitor was found. Other than the 3 ants I've found so
far, I'm not able to see or hear any other evidence of activity, but granted
I don't have x-ray vision, etc.

At this point would it wise to be immediately be seeking professional pest
control treatment, or could this likely be a waste of my money? I'm
imagining that a pest-control company would typically tell the homeowner
their house definitely needs professional pest-control treatment (since
treatment is what they get paid for). If only a professional can
determine this, then how do I know they are telling the truth (since they
are biased because they get paid to do the treatment)?

Thanks,

J.

By the way, I'm using Combat bait station traps. What else should I be
doing?

Thanks,

J.

"jay" wrote in message
news:S2Yde.11937$yd1.2277@trndny01...
So far, I've found a total of 3 big black ants in the house this spring.
These look like carpenter ants. Two were crawling around upstairs (each
found several weeks apart) but one was found in the kitchen the day before
the 2nd upstairs visitor was found. Other than the 3 ants I've found so
far, I'm not able to see or hear any other evidence of activity, but
granted I don't have x-ray vision, etc.

At this point would it wise to be immediately be seeking professional pest
control treatment, or could this likely be a waste of my money? I'm
imagining that a pest-control company would typically tell the homeowner
their house definitely needs professional pest-control treatment (since
treatment is what they get paid for). If only a professional can
determine this, then how do I know they are telling the truth (since they
are biased because they get paid to do the treatment)?

Thanks,

J.
Jay,
This is a good question. To get unbiased help on services such as carpenter
ants/termites, or foundation problems for that matter.. call either a home
inspector, or a structural engineer. You don't want to take any chances
with anything that can destroy your home. If it were another type of pest,
I would recommend a product, but not with carpenter ants.
You are definitely right in that people who sell pest control products have
a product to sell.. as do all the foundation repair companies. We've had to
deal with the latter in a rent house. After that experience, we wised up.
Hope this helps,
lucy

In article S2Yde.11937$yd1.2277@trndny01, on Wed, 04 May 2005 04:18:58
GMT, jay wrote:

So far, I've found a total of 3 big black ants in the house this spring.
These look like carpenter ants.


Read:

http://www.unexco.com/carpants.html

--
Seth Goodman

That's a really good article. Carpenter ants on the second floor is
cause for alarm but it would be far better to find the cause than treat
the symptom.

On Wed, 4 May 2005 06:37:48 -0400, Seth Goodman
wrote:

In article S2Yde.11937$yd1.2277@trndny01, on Wed, 04 May 2005 04:18:58
GMT, jay wrote:

So far, I've found a total of 3 big black ants in the house this spring.
These look like carpenter ants.

Read:

http://www.unexco.com/carpants.html

Very good info. The entire site is good.

--
Luke
__________________________________________________ _________________
"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy."
-- Christopher Shays (R-CT), March, 2005

On Wed, 04 May 2005 12:49:50 -0400, Mark wrote:

On Wed, 04 May 2005 09:10:38 -0600, Luke wrote:

On Wed, 4 May 2005 06:37:48 -0400, Seth Goodman
wrote:

In article S2Yde.11937$yd1.2277@trndny01, on Wed, 04 May 2005 04:18:58
GMT, jay wrote:

So far, I've found a total of 3 big black ants in the house this spring.
These look like carpenter ants.

Read:

http://www.unexco.com/carpants.html

Very good info. The entire site is good.

Interesting, but still very biased. One quote that caught me was:

"Carpenter ants do not damage a structure such as a termite colony, and
houses are not destroyed such as you might see on a Saturday morning TV
show your kids watch."

Tell that to the 30' Maple in my back yard that dropped almost 2 weeks ago.
About 2' up from the base was destroyed due to carpenter ants. They ate
the entire center of the base out of that tree. When I went out to look, I
never saw so many ants. There were so many, you could hear a sound like
crumpling paper. It was the ants crawling away over the leaves....

Interesting story. But a "maple" is not a "structure" nor is it
"houses." Carpenter ants do not "eat" wood. Likely what destroyed your
tree was not carpenter ants. Call a pro. Note that the rest of the
paragraph you quote is: "Long before that happened, you would have to
have discovered a very bad moisture problem." *I* did not write what
you quote above. If you have an issue with it, contact the author:
http://www.unexco.com/msgboard/msgboard.mv, or: .

Cheers!

--
Luke
__________________________________________________ _________________
"The culture of recovery is insidious: now the moral measure of a
war is how it makes us feel about ourselves." -- Wendy Kaminer

(Mark) wrote in
:

On Wed, 04 May 2005 14:38:00 -0600, Luke wrote:

Likely what destroyed your
tree was not carpenter ants.

Likely, you are 100% incorrect. I know what carpenter ants are and
they frequently take over trees in New England that had some sort
of problem to begin with. The tree may have been dying already and
the ants moved in.

Bottom line is that the ants cause the tree to collapse.

We lost our Little Leaf Linden to carpenter ants two years ago.

Absolutely no doubt.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

I have seen your problem . But i want to know in which area or city you want a pest profeccional help. Because the companies are different in every area or city. So please tell me the right place where you want that help. Then i can tell you exactly which company is best and they will be trustable and guaranteed professionals.