9 replies to this topic

[ParaStatic]

House is getting invaded by camponotus herculeanus, super large and short tempered ants. Can you guess who got blamed for it? Will be spending the day tracking down the real nest as I know they are only setting up a satellite nest. Unfortunately for them it is in or around my girls bedroom.

[Mathiacus]

Sorry in advance.. but lol! I just had my wife complaining at me today about ants. The wild version of ones I keep came after the sandwich mess that I didn't clean.

Are you going to attempt to capture and keep the colony?

[Crystals]

Camponotus herculeanus are Canada's worst destroyer of wood in houses (we don't have termites).  They are famous for finding any damaged wood, and once established, they can burrow through undamaged wood - such as the 2x6's that make up the framing of your house.

Probably just exploring, but they can hide their nests so well...  Most of the nests I found were inside of living trees that looked perfectly healthy, or occasionally in damp wood laying in the grass.

 

I had a similar "this must be your escaped ant" incident.  After my mother spotted an ant on her living room rug I was called and told to not to let my ants out (this was a Lasius species).  Lasius are extreme escape artists, so I collected, and dumped it into my Lasius colony - woops...  Must have been from a wild nest.  It didn't last too long.  When I told my Mother, she chuckled and said it was good to know that mine weren't getting out.

[ParaStatic]

Yeah I traced these back to a Pine tree across the driveway. I think they are setting up a satellite nest in the attic. Either way, if they are not mine they are not welcomed. They were biting a guest in his sleep last night as well. Will be making them a sweet treat to bring home to mommy in a few.

[Mathiacus]

Ohh! Borax bomb incoming! Poor mummy won't see it coming.

[Mercutia]

Wow a Camponotus that is aggressive? I'd love to keep one of those. xD

[ParaStatic]

Well set out some baits, dusted cracks and put a gel bait by their home. So now just wait it out. And these are very aggressive, if they weren't so bad and in a living tree I would have attempted to get the queen and keep them. However I don't have time for their aggressive shenanigans.

[Crystals]

Yes, the larger nests of Camponotus herculeanus or modoc can be quite aggressive even when they are a long ways from their nest.  Those majors pack quite the bite as well.

Good luck with the borax, I have never seen it do more than kill a few workers, even when mixed with water and sugar.  The gel baits seem to work better - and if you water those down a tiny bit 2 gel: 1 water, they work much better.  I have had to help some elderly ladies when these gals have moved into their walls and they couldn't afford an exterminator.

 

If you can find their entry point on the outside of your house, silicone it.  Or wasps, other insects, or mice may follow.  Yellow Jackets are terrible if they get between your walls...

[Michaelofvancouver]

Camponotus herculeanus are Canada's worst destroyer of wood in houses (we don't have termites). ......................

 

Actually, I beg to differ here. I have seen termite nests in Vancouver, and at my school. I have even seen their nuptial flights (and fed some to my ants) .

[Mads]

The lower mainland of BC as well as southern Ontario have vastly milder climates than the rest of Canada. When I was in the lower mainland we were getting six cuts of hay, for example, here on the prairies we generally only get two and in some places, three. This means that these "micro climates" can sustain species that the rest of the country can't. There are, I believe, three species of native termites in western Canada, all native to British Columbia. None of these though are overly destructive like the introduced dry wood termites. There are also reports of Fire Ant colonies in the lower mainland that are thriving. The odds of this species surviving in Canada outside of the lower mainland is extremely low however.