The Ants Go Marching…

Since we moved into this house in 2001, we’ve experienced ants.  Little tiny ants, big flying ants, and outside ants.  I took ant carcasses to Westlake Ace and Home Depot.  The little tiny ants were normal household ants, and even though they get into the dishwasher and won’t go away, they’re nothing major.  A little Terro will do the trick.  The big flying ants are just swarmers of outside ants, and they’re nothing major.  They’ll do that in the springtime.  Just spray them and they’ll eventually go away.  The outside ants can be managed with granule shakers.  This is what I was told.

When our house was listed for sale a few years back, the big flying ants appeared.  The listing agency had an on-call exterminator come to check them out to be sure they weren’t termites, and to spray them, free of charge.  They sprayed, and several days and several vacuum loads later, the ants were gone.  You get what you pay for, I learned last week.

I’ll spare you the worst of the disgusting details of my discovery, but let me say that the sound and sight of my bathtub covered with big flying ants freaked me out!  I sprayed them, and they kept coming.   “This is September!  Why are they swarming now?  And it was just raining an hour ago!”  I could see them on the outside, too, so I went out to look at the house.  The entire side of the house was covered with these things, from the kitchen window, up the siding to the bathroom window.  I knew this was not a normal “nothing major” situation.  Last year I painstakingly caulked around all the trim of the windows on the inside.  Every crack was completely sealed, as were the openings, with V-Seal.  These guys were coming through the window itself!

I was already late to pick up the kids from school.  When I returned, the swarms were gone, except for a few inside stragglers.  It was late in the afternoon, and we had things on the schedule, so I did my Internet research and prepared for controlled calls to exterminators in the morning.  Eew, eew, eew.

I was lucky to get a knowledgeable pest guy on the phone.  I described the carcasses, and he informed me that they were probably carpenter ants.  We’d experienced carpenter ants in Georgia, and these didn’t look the same.  But, he said, any ant that swarms, especially in weather like this, is likely a carpenter ant.  I explained that all previous consultants said these were harmless.  He tried not to laugh out loud, but said that just wasn’t true.  Brad said carpenter ants can do a lot of damage over time; it’s been seven years.  He took a lot of phone time to explain what needed to be done, when, how and why.  He said no matter who I used to do it, I would have to have semi-annual pest treatment after the round of initial treatments, because the ants would want to come back.  Great.  When can you come out?

The next day, a Saturday, Brad with Advanced Pest Management came out, took one look at the dead ant in the sandwich baggie, and showed me why it was a carpenter ant.  I’d already been on the Web, so I knew he was right.  He honored his ballpark quote, and said he  would bait, too, because there is a nest in the outside wall.  The windows are infested, and the siding definitely has to go.  He doesn’t know what other damage they may have done inside the walls.  He’s gets rid of them, doesn’t fix up after them. 

He squirted the bait, and made the first exterior treatment.  Another exterior-only, then an interior/exterior spraying, and they should all be among the non-living.  Brad says this course of treatment will get all the ants and other insects and arachnids, but that the little tiny ants, which I also saved in a baggie for him, were actually infant carpenter ants.  Semi-annual treatments will keep them away, and we won’t have to spray the house ourselves monthly.

So, for seven years, I’ve been asking “professionals” for help with these bugs, and have received unprofessional direction.  If we had gotten a contract on the house, any competent inspector would have noted carpenter ants, and we would have had to mitigate.  So why didn’t that exterminator just take care of it?  Who knows, but I’m  going to dig out the file and let you all know who it was!

On Friday, since Brad couldn’t come out right away, I went back down to Lowe’s to see about replacement windows for the kitchen and master bathroom.  I already have an order for six other windows and install, which are supposed to be in tomorrow (see related stories).  They know me.  They labeled this “SOS windows part 2″ and had the same installer/carpenter call to set up the look-see.  It won’t be pretty.  It may involve severe construction.  But I know it will be done right, and maybe quickly.

Add this episode the the myriad fun things homeowners have to deal with.  When people say owning a home is expensive, THIS is what they mean.

The Windows, Part 3

Okay, so the windows were due to be delivered to Lowe’s last Thursday.  I got a call from their very adept, polite and friendly install coordinator, saying that she just found out from Peachtree that the windows aren’t made yet.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.  All of a sudden, Peachtree “consolidated production lines” (translation: shut down a factory and sent the orders to another one) and everything is a week behind schedule.  I did not want this, and am not happy with it, but somehow I expected it.

While I was on the phone with the gal from Lowe’s, it was raining.  Hard.  And the rain was coming in the windows.  My telling her this does not make Peachtree magically *poof* the windows into the warehouse.  But it does alert her to the fact that I am desperate.  Indeed, I did get a call Monday with an update on ETA of the product.  AND!  Last night I was out, but DH took a message that Lowe’s called to say the windows were done, on the truck, and on-time for delivery tomorrow.  Well, well!

I must reiterate that the customer service from Lowe’s has been outstanding.  I tend to get frustrated (didja notice?), am easily exasperated, and jump to alternative solutions.  These people have tempered that, by staying on top of things and communicating relevant information to me.  So far, they have earned my trust; I hope that remains so throughout the project.  I feel comfortable and sure with their products and service.

So this delay sets me back on the painting and staining, trim caulking, and new window coverings.  The front porch trim also desperately needs painting, but we have to wait on that so that the paint matches the windows.  Looks like my October is going to be crammed with projects for both months.

To complicate window matters even more, last week we discovered carpenter ants (see related story).  They have chowed down on two windows and a wall of siding, and who knows what else inside the walls.  So, I first called then went down to Lowe’s to see about new kitchen and master bath windows.  Same Peachtree windows, same installer/carpenter, please.  No problem for Lowe’s!  Now I have a second ”SOS order,” they call it, in and am waiting for that to process about three weeks.  But everyone knows this is not to delay the first install.  And, of course, the installer has a guy who can re-side, but that will have to be painted, too.

Oh,  the joys of home ownership!  These are unexpected costs for us, as we thought we could delay at least another year.  But, fortunately, we’re bendy, and will weather this storm of repairs.  Pun intended.