Air tight breaker box? Ant infestation

[JChad]

I have a home site with multiple circuit breaker boxes. The main one is on the outside of the cabin, but it has a large circuit that runs from the box to a remote breaker box, which feeds a third breaker box. Therefore all are exposed to ants. At this place there is a severe infestation of crazy/tawny/Rasberry ants.

I hired a professional to try to control them but his methods lasted for less than a month each time and he visited 6 times in a year. Because they have no identifiable nest, they are a plague and solutions are only temporary. They started 2 years ago and I have found that they are attracted to anything/everything electrical. I have opened my circuit breaker boxes to find dead bodies 4" deep in the bottom. They have also filled every circuit breaker switch with dead bodies. Every component and wire and crevice in the box has dead bodies. If a switch is turned off, it has less than a 50% chance of ever making contact and working again because dead bodies prevent metal-metal contact.

Chemicals do not last. There is no way to seal a standard box. I can only think that if the whole box is airtight that I might have a chance. Are there airtight boxes? Or are there other ideas?

 

[WorthFlorida]

If you have air tight or wet (or damp) rated boxes they are usually used with conduit. Using conduit may help. Try putting foam gasket material around the perimeters. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-K...Rubber-Foam-Weatherstrip-Tape-R538H/100189634 You may find that the ants will eat through the gasket material anyway.

If there was a way the bug guy would know about it. Ants are nearly impossible to prevent entering anything and they'll eat through most anything to gain access to a food source. Did the exterminator ever use "Termidor"? It will take a few weeks to kill off a colony and repeat applications for a few months will be needed. You spray it around the entire perimeter of the home. About two feet out and one foot up from the house foundation. Termidor is for exterior applications only, however, I did use it in the garage attic when my house was invaded by ghost ants. It took weeks to get rid of them using Termidor along with an ant bait gel.

https://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/...MInui7__Cj1wIVpbftCh0uJAAhEAQYASABEgKDOfD_BwE

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I would try sealing the holes with caulk, and try a bunch of moth balls inside the panel. Those give off gas for quite a while. I am think that some ants may eat thru the caulk but would find the air inside distasteful enough to turn around and give up on your box.

Maybe instead of caulk, mix something with steel wool, and let them try eating thru that.

Otherwise you could try putting a breaker panel inside a big NEMA 4 box.

 

[JChad]

...

WorthFlorida: Thanks for that info and detail. I was so disillusioned by the pest guy that I dropped him after the 1 year contract. There were two problems I [later] identified, which cost him so many trips: (1) he used Termidor but broadcast it over the grass (didn't follow label instructions!) (2) he only used Termidor once, switching to other products, hoping that one would be a silver bullet. Regardless, because the nest or source cannot be identified, solutions only address symptoms, not the cause. I used Termidor correctly and found great results, but it breaks down and starts being overrun after 2 months. Because Termidor cannot be continuously used, I suppose to reduce the risk of resistance, I have Dominion on hand to use next. I tried liquid ant bait but they ignored it after a couple of days - haven't tried gel.

...

WorthFlorida and Reach4: the gasket and caulk ideas are worthy. To highlight the sealing issue, most of the ants seem to be entering between the box lid and box. They way the manufacturers make these, it is nearly impossible to add a gasket and be sealed, yet allow it to be opened and closed. The other issue is that these ants are so small that the seal must nearly perfect (air tight). I have a cab tractor on site and have seen ants running around behind the plastic cover of the instrument panel. They can get into anything, and do so for no reason (i.e., food).

I have been considering designing a cap or cover of some kind (shower cap type of concept) that could be placed over the lid of a closed box to seal.

 

[Reach4]

I wonder if peelable silicone or removable caulk would work for you.

 

[Thall]

Try dissolving borax and sugar into water and place it in a container in their marching line. This worked well for me. I have read that it is also effective on the nest since they will bring the sugar/borax mixture back to the nest. I was finding dead ants for days in the problem area, even after removing the borax/sugar..maybe due to residue on the floor.