Ants in the boat

[bakerjw]

Yes, I have had ants in the boat. The little buggers got into the console where some of the wood was exposed and also in the screw rail at the top of the cap. As I am doing a partial restoration of the transom and deck, I've been trying to track down where they've been living and found it yesterday.
Darned little buggers.

ETA. Well, it was not the screw rail. There was a narrow board from the front eyelet going to the top edge of the hull. Even from the factory, it had never been sealed.
So... Ants are now gone and a new support structure will be put in place.

 

[alldodge]

What were they living on, they cannot digest wood

 

[Scott Danforth]

carpenter ant do eat wood

 

[bakerjw]

Moisture ants will eat wood once it breaks down into cellulose. We found them in old areas of our house when we were doing the renovation.

An AI answer.

Moisture ants primarily feed on honeydew, a sugary substance produced by aphids, scales, and other sap-sucking insects like mealybugs and whiteflies. They often actively tend these insects to protect them and harvest their honeydew.
When honeydew is unavailable, they will scavenge for:

• Sweet substances, including food spills, syrup, and soda.
• Protein sources, such as dead or live insects and decaying organic matter.
• Wood cellulose, as they digest wood to aid in nest construction and feeding within rotting structures.

 

[Chris1956]

We had Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It drowned all the bunnies and mice, which has been good for us. The bunnies have been relentless eating all my plants for the last 4 years. The mice have invaded my garage. Traps of all kinds were ineffective. The weekends NorEaster flooded some stuff. Hopefully it drowned the mice. I have seen some rabbits

 

[jlh3rd]

We had Hurricane Sandy in 2012. It drowned all the bunnies and mice, which has been good for us. The bunnies have been relentless eating all my plants for the last 4 years. The mice have invaded my garage. Traps of all kinds were ineffective. The weekends NorEaster flooded some stuff. Hopefully it drowned the mice. I have seen some rabbits

I have had great results using this trap in my two outdoor sheds this past year.

 

[Chris1956]

Sure looks good, however the mouse in my garage ate thru the tote I had the birdseed in and climbs in and out all the time. He would make mincemeat out of that bucket unless I had some way to kill him.

He also stole the mouse trap I set for him. Since I doubt he could climb with the trap attached, I expect the last flood in the garage got him. I just need to find the body.

 

[jlh3rd]

you didn't read the ad. You put about 3-4 inches of water in the bucket and a dab of peanut butter on the plank. They can't get out if the bucket, they drown.
Just caught my first one a few days ago, and my sheds no longer have that "smell".

 

[tpenfield]

What were they living on, they cannot digest wood

Might have not seen the frequent DoorDash deliveries to the boat. .

I've had ants in one of my boats . . . not sure what they were living on, but they seemed to have found something. I sprayed the daylights out of all the compartments, nooks & crannies . . . success.

 

[Chris1956]

Peanut butter is usually a good bait for mice. However, the one in my garage won't touch it. I tried for weeks. The trap he set off was baited with sunflower seeds. He had been eating those for weeks out of the bird seed. Weather he would walk the ramp and fall into the trap, I am not sure. It is something to consider. He is much smarter than the average mouse.

 

[redneck joe]

 

[bakerjw]

Terro works great.
As I was already redoing the deck, I wanted to make sure that I had not missed anything along the way. Found the one old spot and all seems clear now.