Ant infestation!!

77SceptreOB · #1 08-18-2009, 05:34 PM

My brother stored our SeaCraft in a open field for the last few years. When I went to start cleaning the boat out w/ a hose a bunch of ants started runnings out of the floor hatches etc. I'm talking BIG ONES and a bunch of them. They are about 7/16" long (I measured one ) LOL. Are these carpenter ants? Do they like to eat wood? How much damage can they do and most of all what is the best way to get rid of them??

thehermit · #2 08-18-2009, 05:41 PM

I had a skiff where they ate and lived in the transom

I stripped it in the winter when they were idle. Then one day the sun hit it warmed em up and they were everywhere.

All wood and ants were stripped and wood was replaced.

Find em quick.

Fr. Frank · #3 08-18-2009, 05:41 PM

Yes to their being carpenter ants, yes to their eating cellulose from wood, yes to their damaging the wood in the hull. Two years is enough time to do major damage. Inspect carefully, after ridding the boat of ants.

77SceptreOB · #4 08-18-2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Yes to their being carpenter ants, yes to their eating cellulose from wood, yes to their damaging the wood in the hull. Two years is enough time to do major damage. Inspect carefully, after ridding the boat of ants.

Unfortunately thats what I thought. Set off a "bug bomb" under the floor / hatch yesterday and set some ant bait traps at the same time. Hope their dead by now. I guess it's time to take up the floor hatches and inspect. Hope they weren't hungry!

Fr. Frank · #5 08-19-2009, 07:43 AM

For some reason, most bug bombs won't kill all the ants. Black Flag makes one that produces a gas instead of a mist that works really well. The canister has to be placed into its own cup with water in it to prevent it starting a fire, though. When I had ants in my 25 Mako, I put two below decks: one in the battery well/bilge pump well and one in the foredeck storage area.

It seems that bugs will try to get away from that gas. Without knowing it I also had an infestation of huge North American cockroaches. When I took the cover off the boat I had what seemed like tens of thousands of dead ants on the deck, and hundreds of dead roaches.

I was so disturbed by that I sold the boat a week later, and never used it again. I'm terrified of North American cockroaches. I have literally have a phobia of those roaches. Palmetto bugs don't bother me, Segmented roaches don't bother me, not do German roaches. I don't like them, but no big deal. But North American roaches, (shudder).

77SceptreOB · #6 08-19-2009, 10:42 AM

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to pull the big hatch over the gas tank tonight and inspect. I'll probably get some of that "black Flag" gas bomb JIC. These ant may already won the war (eating my boat up) BUT I will win the last battle and kill them all!

seafari25 · #7 08-19-2009, 01:04 PM

I have had issues with carpenter ants at my loghome in Nova Scotia. What works best for me is the drops that come in a little red bottle(raid I think). I put drops all over the house and the worker ants suck it up and take it back to the Queen. Voila...no more ants....till next year.

You must kill the Queen to solve your problem.
Hopefully they havn't caused too much damage.
Brandon

Smitty46 · #8 08-19-2009, 07:16 PM

Check the wood.If they are carpenter ants you will see galleries grooved out in the wood and frass (saw dust) out and about. If you need to kill ants stay away from bug bombs they rarely kill them all.
There are products available that treat the wood and kill the bugs.
If you need help re post.

Magothy1 · #9 08-20-2009, 08:24 AM

That South Carolina breed if ants is tough, you got to keep after them and keep after them and on and on, if you find piles of sawdust looking stuff you're in trouble. Use lots of spray, then scrub and spray with bleach, poison again, and so on.

77SceptreOB · #10 08-20-2009, 09:30 AM

The preliminary inspection looks good. No live ants that I could see (I pulled up all of the floor hatches) and no sawdust or wood damage / wood gallaries or tunnels. The only damage seems to be in the wood that shims/supports the gas tank on the sides. That is where I originally found them anyway. I was planning on pulling the 100 gallon gas tank anyway, so I'm going to do that and it will give me a much better view / inspection of things.