Topic: Ants in my outlet (pants)

[eigenvector]

Jerks, little buggers invaded one of the outlet boxes in my basement and shorted it out.  Well, technically they didn't short it out - I tripped the GCFI before opening up the faceplate to see what's what in there.  Now it won't re-activate, which means they mussed it up.

Hosed it down with Silicon Dioxide (diatomaceous earth) and now I have to wade in there this morning and get them out of there.

Undoubtedly they're coming in there from the outside, slipping under the sheathing.

Shop Vac them out, dust the interior with more diatomaceous earth, then seal it back up.  Probably get beaten up by spiders who will resent having their meal ticket taken away from them.

[CycleRanger]

Screw that Hippy remedy! Go after them with real chemical warfare!

Listen, and understand! The Ants are out there! They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are powerless!


My Mom, who lives near Tacoma, has been battling ants for years and they require serious remedies.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

That reminds me that I forgot to chermically nuke my ants yesterday. I'll be right back........

[eigenvector]

They're gone today.

Shop Vac'd them and their little nest.  I disabled the outlets, can't repair it until I can borrow a truck to haul some sheetrock in (not hauling sheetrock with my truck's new paint still drying).  Gonna repair the whole section which was a terrible sheetrock job anyway, not to mention the outlet box which was bad plastic with metal bracket job that stuck out a mile from the drywall.

What do you all think about the idea of using caulking on the inside of the stud wall to keep little beasties from slipping in between the studs and the sheathing?  It's a lot of caulking, but it's not expensive.  On the other hand - would it even work or would it even cause damage (humidity trapped inside etc...)?