Ants

[tomterp]

I have the big black ones here -- carpenter ants I guess? I just saw my first two of the year yesterday in the house.

If you have carpenter ants, you have problems.

But first of all, there are big black ants that are not carpenter ants, so probably not your problem.

However, carpenter ants like nesting in moist places, like wet wood which they will tunnel into, so beware if you have moisture issues.

[imref]

Last fall when I had my deck torn down and rebuilt as a porch, they tore down the drywall inside and discoverd a pretty large yellow jacket nest, gave the workers quite a bit of a surprise. 

Thankfully, I had sprayed the little hole outside where I thought they had a small next in a light fixture, and it had been enough to discourage them into leaving.  Nothing like turning a few hundred angry yellow jackets loose in one's house to create bedlam.  I'm a bit allergic to them now, also, probably an indirect result of being stung by fire ants a dozen years ago.

I ran over a yellow-jacket nest with a push mower a few years back, not much fun.  Got stung five or six times before I ran away and killed the ones on me.

[Kevrock]

Commie ants,

[Kevrock]

If you have carpenter ants, you have problems.

But first of all, there are big black ants that are not carpenter ants, so probably not your problem.

However, carpenter ants like nesting in moist places, like wet wood which they will tunnel into, so beware if you have moisture issues.

I'll look into it. As evidenced by my many ridiculous critter posts, I'm a total noob at this house/woods thing.

[HalfSmokes]

I'll look into it. As evidenced by my many ridiculous critter posts, I'm a total noob at this house/woods thing.

If you bought relatively recently, an inspector should have caught them