We only started mulching with commercial mulches(Bagged) a couple of years ago. Since them we have been seeing more tiny ants in the house. And DH says they are outside, he saw a column of them climbing the foundation, which he despatched with insect killer.
Is the mulch attracting them? Does it need to be treated? Sprayed? Not used next to the foundation?? He used to use peatmoss to top dress the gardens.. With the advent of the colored mulches, we started using the red/browns as our log sided home is a cinnamon color.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
We are in Delaware in the middle of the peninsula. Our soil is very clay heavy.
Nanzi

On 4/29/2013 1:44 PM, Nanzi wrote:
We only started mulching with commercial mulches(Bagged) a couple of years ago. Since them we have been seeing more tiny ants in the house. And DH says they are outside, he saw a column of them climbing the foundation, which he despatched with insect killer.
Is the mulch attracting them? Does it need to be treated? Sprayed? Not used next to the foundation?? He used to use peatmoss to top dress the gardens. With the advent of the colored mulches, we started using the red/browns as our log sided home is a cinnamon color.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
We are in Delaware in the middle of the peninsula. Our soil is very clay heavy.
Nanzi


There are ant barrier insecticides that you can sprinkle around your
foundation and water in. I would have done it over a month ago here in
Northern DE but got a termite treatment last year when I saw them too
close to the house for comfort. The termite treatment apparently should
also keep ants down and there are Bayer DYI products you can find at
Lowes or HD.

We had a couple of bad ant years but not since I started putting down
the barrier insecticide. You also want to go around your foundation and
look for cracks where ants may be marching into the house.

Termites also go for wood mulches but I think cedar is resistant. Don't
know about ants. Both ants and termites need moisture and mulch is
probably not helping.

Nanzi wrote:
We only started mulching with commercial mulches(Bagged) a couple of
years ago. Since them we have been seeing more tiny ants in the
house. And DH says they are outside, he saw a column of them climbing
the foundation, which he despatched with insect killer.
Is the mulch attracting them?

I can't think of any reason why. Ants don't eat wood or wood fibre unless
they are whiteants (termites) which are different.

Does it need to be treated? Sprayed?

Probably not.


Not used next to the foundation??

Of no importance.

D

Nanzi wrote:
We only started mulching with commercial mulches(Bagged) a couple of years ago. Since them we have been seeing more tiny ants in the house. And DH says they are outside, he saw a column of them climbing the foundation, which he despatched with insect killer.
Is the mulch attracting them? Does it need to be treated? Sprayed? Not used next to the foundation?? He used to use peatmoss to top dress the gardens. With the advent of the colored mulches, we started using the red/browns as our log sided home is a cinnamon color.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.

spraying an ant column is unlikely to do
much to kill the ant colony.

there are bait stations and bait gels that
will be ingested and taken back to the queen
to take care of the infestation in the house.
read and follow directions on package. after
that is done, find the cracks/gaps in the
house exterior and seal them up. you won't
need to poison anything else after that to
keep them out. especially if you do not
have easy water or food sources that they can
find if a random scout does get in.

to discourage ants in the wood chip mulch
put it down thickly over a weed barrier fabric
and fold the edges over each other and pin it
down so that there are no gaps for weeds or
ants to get through. there are species of
ants that will use bark or wood as a home, but
if the wood chips or bark are treated it's
pretty unlikely they'll find that a welcome
home until after they start breaking down and
become humus. when that happens they should
be refreshed (scrape off the top layer of
good chips until you get down to the bottom of
broken down material, scrape that up carefully
to not damage the weed barrier fabric, then
replace the good chips and add more to top it
off, around here we have to do this about every
five years).

if you live in termite country i recommend
not keeping any wood near the foundation of a
house and also hiring a professional to treat
the perimeter to keep them from finding it a
welcome feasting spot. do this _before_ putting
down a weed barrier or mulch around the house
foundation. -- NOTE:


songbird

"Nanzi" wrote in message
...
We only started mulching with commercial mulches(Bagged) a couple of years
ago. Since them we have been seeing more tiny ants in the house. And DH says
they are outside, he saw a column of them climbing the foundation, which he
despatched with insect killer.
Is the mulch attracting them? Does it need to be treated? Sprayed? Not used
next to the foundation?? He used to use peatmoss to top dress the gardens.
With the advent of the colored mulches, we started using the red/browns as
our log sided home is a cinnamon color.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
_______________________________________
Gosh ants in your garden. Where exactly do you think ants live normally?
Why nuke them when that are outside where ants are supposed to live?

They are coming in the house, that is why we are trying to get rid of them right next to the house. Re read my original post.

"Nanzi" wrote in message
...
They are coming in the house, that is why we are trying to get rid of them
right next to the house. Re read my original post.

Mea culpa. I'm sorry I didn't noticed the 'in' the house. I saw your
mention of the foundations and thought they were outside. I've got limited
sympathy for the many people have to kill all forms of life that live in the
garden and which might not do what the human owners of the garden expect.

Impressive thread.....

On Thursday, May 2, 2013 2:38:39 AM UTC-4, Farm1 wrote:
"Nanzi" wrote in message

...

They are coming in the house, that is why we are trying to get rid of them

right next to the house. Re read my original post.



Mea culpa. I'm sorry I didn't noticed the 'in' the house. I saw your

mention of the foundations and thought they were outside. I've got limited

sympathy for the many people have to kill all forms of life that live in the

garden and which might not do what the human owners of the garden expect.

I too don't approve of indiscriminate killing., But also don't want to share my home with crawling critters!! No problem.