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WA. In and around house lately. Terrified they're Carpenters.


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#1 Offline jumpin_jumpin - Posted May 26 2020 - 10:15 AM

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Finding these more and more in and around the house. As a new homeowner, I'm terrified they're carpenter ants. The house is on the older side- built in 1960- so there are certainly gaps and cracks around the house as expected over the past 60 years. 

First post, so I'm sorry if formatting isn't perfect. 

 

https://ibb.co/pw2bV3J

 

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#2 Offline Nare - Posted May 26 2020 - 10:18 AM

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I'm fairly certain that that's a Formica sp. worker. So not a carpenter ant.



#3 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted May 26 2020 - 10:54 AM

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Probably Formica fusca group.

#4 Online ANTdrew - Posted May 26 2020 - 11:12 AM

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No need for terror in any case. Get some Terro ant gel and seal any cracks or entry points to your home.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#5 Offline TheMicroPlanet - Posted May 26 2020 - 11:14 AM

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Just a harmless Formica worker, as others have mentioned.



#6 Offline jumpin_jumpin - Posted May 26 2020 - 11:50 AM

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Thanks, so much everyone! I feel much better knowing they're not Carpenter ants. Any best method for getting rid of these? I'll seal the entry points as best I can, but also curious what other methods of elimination I can take. 



#7 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted May 26 2020 - 12:09 PM

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Well there is ant killing spray you could order if you want to kill them, but if you don’t want to wait I don’t know any others if the top of my head.

Edited by Kaelwizard, May 26 2020 - 12:10 PM.


#8 Online ANTdrew - Posted May 26 2020 - 12:12 PM

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No need for terror in any case. Get some Terro ant gel and seal any cracks or entry points to your home.


"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#9 Offline jumpin_jumpin - Posted May 26 2020 - 3:20 PM

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Updating with some better pictures, as someone else suggested Carpenter and now my anxiety is up again. 

 

 
 
 
 


#10 Offline NickAnter - Posted May 26 2020 - 3:23 PM

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Formica sp.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 


#11 Offline TheMicroPlanet - Posted May 26 2020 - 3:33 PM

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Definitely Formica. However, if you could get a few side pictures of her mesosoma (the middle part that elementary schools call the thorax when it really isn't...), that'd be great.



#12 Offline AntsDakota - Posted May 27 2020 - 4:20 AM

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No need for terror in any case. Get some Terro ant gel and seal any cracks or entry points to your home.

WHY???

"God made..... all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. (including ants) And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV version


#13 Offline Serafine - Posted May 27 2020 - 4:25 AM

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How to tell apart Formica and Camponotus (works fine unless you're in the tropics):

http://www.myrmecos....and-camponotus/


  • DDD101DDD likes this

We should respect all forms of consciousness. The body is just a vessel, a mere hull.

Welcome to Lazy Tube - My Camponotus Journal


#14 Online ANTdrew - Posted May 27 2020 - 6:40 AM

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He wants to get rid of the ants in his house, so I told him the most effective way. I'm certainly not encouraging this, just answering his question.


"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.




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