eek!! i have ants in my logs - Woodworking Talk

greg4269ub · 09-15-2009, 10:41 AM

i discovered that one of the logs i brought home this past weekend has carpenter ants living in it. what can i spray the boards with so that i don't stain the wood?

**Daren** · 09-15-2009, 11:40 AM

They make dry granular ant killer. I have some "Rid-A-Bug", it kills on contact and fast. I use it around the foundation of the house, just picked it up at ACE Hardware. It would not stain the lumber...but if the log is ate up with ants I would probably just burn it anyway depending on how much damage is there. I have opened logs before that I had no clue had ants in them...they came pouring out like in a horror movie and headed straight for the lumber stacks in the shed

. I just sprinkled the granules around and nuked them in their tracks.

greg4269ub · 09-15-2009, 11:44 AM

sounds good. the log appears to have them coming out of the crotch when i cut it i'll see how bad it is.

jeffreythree · 09-15-2009, 11:47 AM

I cut a log with them and they ended up everywhere, including on me. Then they decided the mill's engine would make a good home. I used some generic ant spray for those and some granular ant killer to keep them out of the wood stack when they moved over there. Now I need rat repellant(the darned things almost ran up my legs), rat piss stained cedar doesn't look so hot

.

dirtclod · 09-17-2009, 10:40 PM

Hitting a large colony can be creepy especially when they run out and coat the mill and cant. Seems most tailmen start behaving like they got ants in their pants even when they don't.

The local ants we find in logs don't hang around after sawing unless it's in a stack of green dead-stacked lumber. They don't like dry wood. Even though I know they'll leave on their own, I'll cut some areas out to get rid of their galleries before stacking the board They may hang around firewood, but when unprotected it stays wet enough to keep them happy. Besides, if you're watchful and quick, you can pluck some tasty morsels out of the fire...

Handyman · 09-20-2009, 01:38 AM

My ant problem in in my shed up on the loft in a stack of very dry Cypress 1x8 house siding. I had had then in there once before and I sprinkled a dry granular ant poison and I thought that was the end of them. While cleaning up in there today making room for 2 new tool boxes I found piles of wood powder that looked like it had black pepper (any droppings) in it. I took all the peices of wood down off the loft and found enough ant eggs to cook a nice big breakfast. After getting it all cleaned up with a wetvac, I needed to know what to put in the building to keep the ants out. I am going to try Daren's advice and put the "Rid-a-bug" all around the building inside and out.

Having anything made out of wood here in the deep south is a challange. If it ain't termites, it's carpenter ant's

Minotbob · 09-20-2009, 04:41 AM

Has anyone ever tried Diatomatious Earth?

This is from Earthworks Earth.

Diatomaceous Earth is a natural, organic insect killer. Diatomaceous Earth kills by physical action and not by chemical so there is NO harm to pets or humans. The tiny hard and sharp diatoms scratch off the insects waxy coating, causing it to dehydrate.
Use Diatomaceous Earth for control of roaches, silverfish, ants, fire ants, bedbugs, lice, mites, spiders, earwigs, flies, fleas, box elder bugs, crabs(std), Pubic and hair Lice, scorpions, crickets, and many other insects. Diatomaceous Earth can be used in and around the home, yard, animal housing, etc. Sprinkle a 2 inch wide border around the foundation of your house to prevent insects from entering. Diatomaceous Earth will not harm earthworms or beneficial soil microorganisms.

In fact I take DE, the food grade type, everyday with breakfast.

Minotbob · 09-20-2009, 04:48 AM

Also, a few years ago I was living in Germany and was buying old wooden block planes. Some of them had been infected by bugs. so each of them I put in the oven and brought the temp up to about 350 deg. that got rid of the bugs but I don't think you could do this easily with lumber.