Ants in my boat?

[Eddie Keefe]

Will spraying my boat ruin anything? Ants are everywhere on my boat (PT185) and i know that they have to be eating on something. Carpet glue? Anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of them?

 

[Texas Transplant]

Try the ant traps that are available.



Tex

 

[TrepMan]

Elk - Does the boat sit outside? If so first thing to do is preventative maintenace with Diazinon every month heavily where the boat sits. That will help them NOT re-occur.



On the existing ones ideally if you can find where their queen and eggs are you can spray with an indoor/outdoor ant spray from any store to kill the colonly. Most of them are safe on carpet, just check the labels.



Trep

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I think you'll be O.K. using spray..most are safe for carpets and such. The diazinon is a great idea but, some places don't sell it anymore. There is white powder(can't remember the name) that's great. We had some ants in our house last year and a buddy gave me a little..killed the whole colony. Anybody know what it's called?

TEE

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Trep, they just made diazanon a banned pesticide. No more will be produced just like DDT and Chloradane (termite treatment). Can you tell I used to own a Pest Control business (TOXIC again!!). Elk, first find out WHY they are in your boat. Ants don't eat carpet glue...cockroaches and termites might.....anyway, check for any leftover or forgotten food etc., then check to see if they are nesting in the boat or just passing through. Ants travel by scent left by the ones in front of them, thats why you get so many at once (and why they always travel in a single-file line. Your boat may just be in the middle of an ant highway. If so, either sprinkle moth flakes around on the ground by your boat (if you are a "non-toxic" proponant) or get some commercially avaliable insecticide specifically for ants. If they are nested in the boat (I would have to make a determination as to what species of ant to be sure if it is possible) then Trep is right, you will have to kill the nest. Only carpenter ants would have a reason to nest in the boat and that would be rotten wood, maybe you have bigger problems, LOL.



TOXIC

 

[TrepMan]

Tox - I heard about that with Diazanon that's why I BOUGHT Home Depot OUT!!!

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

It's good stuff. Used to be my first choice. Good kill rate and residual. Used to add another chemical (Vapona) to it to get it to vaporize and get behind walls etc., now everyone uses Dursban which smells terrible (it's supposed to) and isn't as good but it is safer. If I am not mistaken it is a Pyretherin (sp?) which means it is made from Orchids.



TOXIC

 

[Donald Fruge]

You can still get Malathion(spelling) at wally world. I am not sure about ants but it sure keeps the Mosquitos away.



Wolf

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

That's cool but I gave it up because it will kill you over time. Pesticides take up residence in your fatty tissue (which I have plenty of) and never dissipate. Eventually it gets to TOXIC levels....I could have got the business big enough that I didn't have to service accounts but that would have taken more time than I wanted to invest.



TOXIC

 

[Bob G.]

Diazanon is some bad stuff! I used to use it around the perimeter of the house until I read all of the bad stuff about it, especially with kids and pets around. I use some stuff called Revenge (I think that's the name). They make a spray and a gel that works pretty good.



Bob G.

 

[David Hunt]

Eddie,



I think you ought to go back a few posts and check you bilge. Maybe somebody from the assembly line left a food cache there and the ants are having a big picnic.



Find the source and kill them.



david.....

 

[TrepMan]

Now Now x-basstrap that was uncalled for!

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

ELK,

I had ants in my old boat and they had moved into some wood in the floor, near the back of the boat at the floor drain. Had to cut out the old wood and put in some new stuff. Was not a big deal.



Carlos

 

[Bruce Yeaton]

I had ants in my PT 175, they made their way thru the foam in the back. I took out my batteries and electronics and flooded the boat in my driveway. They literaly poured out the drain plug with the water. Put some bait in there after it dried and sprayed with ant killer, never saw another one near the boat again.

 

[brooks williams]

Similiar experience (and remedy) to Bruce Y. It looked like a bad sci-fi movie when I flooded them out.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I'm callin PETA on both of you .....



TOXIC

 

[Eddie Keefe]

Tell them to come see me first, because I'm fixin to do the same thing.

 

[samr russell]

I've frequently had this problem. I found the ants were coming down my power line to the onboard battery charger.



Bengal Roach Spray has worked for me. It seems to make it to all the hidden places and I don't see an ant for many months, course they figure it out and I start over. But, this works.