We just built a brand new home and moved in just this week. With that construction we had a separate contractor install a new gas fireplace. The mantle of the fireplace is a huge old piece of wood. When we started the fireplace for the first time to do a burn off we noticed carpenter ants coming out of the mantle. The fireplace company sent out a pest control company and he sprayed the mantle but guess what? They're back. The fireplace company is willing to do whatever we want but what I am concerned about is how can I be assured that the ants haven't also gotten somewhere else in the house like the framing etc.
Answer:
Spraying the mantle won't do a whole lot of good because unless you get to the queen she'll just hatch a new batch of workers. The system I've described normally gets rid of everyone of them because the bait is hauled back to feed the queen and she takes her demise. Because your house is so new, I'd have a professional exterminator handle the whole colony. They know how to get to the queen and to whaever larvae that might hatch after she's gone. In fact, the pros may have to visit more than once to do just that.
Remember, even if you don’t do your own work around the house have to hire someone, you put yourself at a great advantage when you can intelligently discuss a project with the various trades people.
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