Re: Up in An Attic In August in Yuma Arizona

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Sunday, August 19, 2018 at 11:37:06 PM UTC-4, ABLE1 wrote:
> On 8/19/2018 5:44 PM, Hogan wrote:
> > Hi,
> >=20
> > I have worked in the far south, where the attics in the summer are at a=
bout 140 deg+ w/no ventilation fans, nor ridge-vents, and you only allow yo=
urself 5-8 min at most. One such journey, was in an attic with scissor-trus=
ses that allow a cathedral ceiling in the room below. There was at most a 2=
4" clearance at the peak, by about 30" wide in a triangular space (not squa=
re truss access), but I had to get to the other side of the house for wirin=
g. As I crawled thru, I noticed a carpenter ant nest in the batt insulation=
 where I needed to pass. I figured I could go over them with 4-5 inches cle=
arance and did so successfully. After I finished my wiring, I had to go bac=
k thru the same pathway. Well, by then, my vibrations after having gone ove=
r them the 1st time, had seriously agitated them. By now, my breathing was =
labored and it is afternoon hot-sun time, and I have to get out since I hav=
e spent my precious time slot away. Somehow, I was able to slowly crawl wit=
h only my hands and toes on the rafters, while there was by now about a hun=
dred or so of them in an agitated 'bite-him-now' mood. I did make it to coo=
ler pastures and never dared to do that again. If they had gotten to me, I =
probably would have just jumped thru the drywall ceiling and told the custo=
mer that the ants overpowered me. Enjoy.
> >=20
> > Hogan
> >=20
>=20
>=20
> Welcome to the neighborhood Hogan,
>=20
> Minus the Carpenter Ants I would have showed up early in the morning
> to beat the heat.  Glad you made it out to tell the story.
>=20
> The only thing I can relate to with Carpenter Ants is that a number of
> years ago we had some heavy winds in our area.  A tree behind my house
> snapped off at about 35 feet up.  Hit the back of the house, ripped the
> spouting, siding off and missed the sliding glass door.  Very lucky,
> insurance fixed it all.  Upon inspection there was a hole where there=20
> use to be a limb and the inside of the tree was a chamber of thin walls.
> The white or soft portion of the rings (cambium) of the tree had been=20
> eaten out by Carpenter Ants. This was a section of about 6 feet in=20
> length of a tree that was easily 18" to 20" in diameter and 70 feet
> tall.  I dropped the rest of the tree down and killed a lot of ants.
>=20
> About 2 years later I was in my basement and notice a Carpenter Ant
> going across the floor and up the wall.  It disappeared in the
> fiberglass insulation between the floor joist.  I thought I would check=
=20
> the insulation batting and got my step stool.  I pulled the section down
> and that is when I was covered in 1000++ ANTS.  After screaming like a
> banshee and brushing as many off as I could I got the can of Raid and
> used up a full can killing the suckers.  Ended up sweeping and shoveling
> up the piles until all were gone.  The next day we fumigated the house
> with about 4 bombs.  And then again in about a month.
>=20
> Haven't see another since.  That was about 34 years ago and I remember
> it very well.  Very horrible feeling.  What I suspected is that when the
> tree snapped off somehow the Queen found refuse in my house and just
> what came naturally, and that was to lay eggs and more eggs. Never saw
> any damage to any wood in the house flooring or framing.  They must have
> gone outside to my other trees to feed.
>=20
> BTW I did not get any bites from the ants.  Maybe I didn't give them
> a chance to put up their defenses.
>=20
> Les

I'm sure you've had others tell you that you're "distasteful" also.  (zing)=
~:-)

A few times I've had carpenter ant problems too. Don't be too sure they did=
n't do any damage. Maybe not enough to cause structural damage but you can =
bet that if you opened the drywall in that area you'd, at the minimum, see =
gouged out "trails" in the wall studs. On jobs, I've even seen them leave t=
rails in the drywall. Might even find some of their little carpenter tools =
they left behind.