11 replies to this topic

[CAantz]

There is a Camponotus colony living under a windowsill and between the shingles on my house. I think I found which two shingles their entrance is between because the ants seem to wander around, and then they all eventually disappear into a crack. My parents don’t want them there, and instead of calling an exterminator, I would like to catch them. I think they are a large colony even if there are only about 5 workers out at a time, because I have found elates during the spring in the window that they live under. If you guys have any tips on how to catch and keep the whole colony including the queen like possibly putting lemon water into the crack to force them out(idk), they would be greatly appreciated. I will add pics.

[CAantz]

I think these ants are Camponotus clarathorax but I’m not to sure. This is a major on my finger. The workers are around 5mm and the majors are only a couple mm larger.
The second pic is an elate that I caught last year from the window that I am pretty sure is from the same colony.

Edited by CAantz, October 15 2023 - 7:15 PM.

[ReignofRage]

If you're handy enough, you could just remove shingles and expose the colony - assuming they are actually living only between the shingles and the house.

[CAantz]

I might be able to, but I think they could be living inside the wood that is the windowsill and use the crack between the shingles as an entrance

[100lols]

Sounds tough! If they are a large colony in the wood I would imagine getting them out would be hard without damage.

You could try baiting them with food? Probably wouldn’t work…

Or maybe provide a nest for them to move into with suitable conditions? Also probably wouldn’t work…

Maybe try blocking off the entrance and forcing them into a container? But how would you get the queen? Who knows lol…

Good luck!!! Let us know how it goes

[ReignofRage]

I'd just remove a shingle or two from beneath the window and see what it looks like. The framing of the window would have to be completely termite-ed out for the to be living inside the wood.

Edited by ReignofRage, October 15 2023 - 9:32 PM.

[ANTdrew]

I agree with RoR. Especially as the weather cools, more and more of the colony may move directly under the shingles to take advantage of solar warmth. You’d really only need the queen and a dozen workers or so.

[CAantz]

That makes sense, I will put my heating cable out of the window and tape it on the shingles for about a day to hopefully get them all under the shingles if they aren’t already, then remove it to see what I can find.
I also put some food on the windowsill to bait some out, but no luck. I think tomorrow night when they are the most active I’ll somehow put some food directly on the shingles with a piece of tinfoil in case the windowsill was too far away.

Edited by CAantz, October 16 2023 - 6:15 AM.

[ANTdrew]

You won’t get the queen with food. It’s not worth trying.

[CAantz]

Yah I know, I was going to do it to get an idea of how many workers there are and possibly see if they use another entrance

[CAantz]

Unfortunately I do not think I can get to the colony because the shingle goes under the window frame and I’ll need to remove the whole window thing to get to it.I will keep looking for another entrance, and hopefully I can catch some of their alates in the spring.

Edited by CAantz, October 21 2023 - 7:28 AM.

[ANTdrew]

*alates