10 x40 Vinyl liner pool, cement pavers set in sand bed. Lots of ants. Ants at pool edge drag up sand which ends up in pool lowering level of deck! For 13 years. Have tried killing ants without success. I am looking for a solution to solidify the sand so that the ants will be incapable of nesting in the sand. Any suggestions? Please!
Pool deck + ants
- Thread starter stephen11962
- Start date
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
Nothing besides concrete / grout that I know of will stop them... there are products that will kill them but it can be a little hardcore...
post a picture so we can see what you have and maybe we can come up with something that will work..
post a picture so we can see what you have and maybe we can come up with something that will work..
- Nov 30, 2019
- 873
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Try Suspend. Spray all around the pool and around the perimeter of the decking. It kills on contact and leaves a residual barrier.
Back. Distracted by too much work and not enough time.
I think I was looking for something more magical. I tried to imagine a thin slurry of cement poured under some of the pavers that would then solidify. But that would leave the deck uneven.
I was told that the real solution is to lift up the pavers, put down RCA, Recycled Concrete Aggregate. Supposedly this stuff compresses such that it is inhospitable to critters. But that represents a cost that is presently not feasible. Have to win the lottery.
I think trying to relocate (euphemism) the ants is the solution for now.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I think I was looking for something more magical. I tried to imagine a thin slurry of cement poured under some of the pavers that would then solidify. But that would leave the deck uneven.
I was told that the real solution is to lift up the pavers, put down RCA, Recycled Concrete Aggregate. Supposedly this stuff compresses such that it is inhospitable to critters. But that represents a cost that is presently not feasible. Have to win the lottery.
I think trying to relocate (euphemism) the ants is the solution for now.
Thanks for the suggestions.
- Nov 30, 2019
- 873
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
What is the problem with using Suspend insecticide? It’s inexpensive, widely used, easily applied, and it works.
Katodude
Silver Supporter
- Aug 22, 2017
- 2,719
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Ants are pretty easy to kill. There are lots of graduals or gels, or sprays that you can use.
I fought the ants for years eating my sand base. I pulled up about 1/3 of the perimeter that was really bad and releveled them. It took the ants 2 months to undo my hard labor. A season later they ran out of sand all around, the entire patio was 3/4 on an inch lower and *poof*. No more ants.
Katodude
Silver Supporter
- Aug 22, 2017
- 2,719
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
+1 on the Suspend if you want a broadcast spray. Bifen works too, but does not have as much of a residual.
Woodstock1234
Gold Supporter
this won't solidify anything but is non-toxic - spread some DE (insecticidal, not pool filter) dust around and sweep into cracks. non toxic but it is not good to inhale, so use a mask if you are generating a lot of it in the air. need to reapply after rain or wet, but it will eventually make them move away and it is pretty cheap.
charliej
0
i was just about to post DE also. great for so many things.
Oona
Well-known member
I was having an issue with lots of ants as well on my concrete pool deck and bought the Terro ant bait and Telstar to spray around the perimeter-so far so good no more ants on my pool deck
Orion7319
Well-known member
- Jul 1, 2020
- 1,288
- Pool Size
- 19775
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Would using polymeric sand in the joints help? I have a concrete pool deck, never knew ants could tear up pavers like this. I have a brick walkway, and have never had issues like this with it.
arvil
Well-known member
Try boric acid if you can find it, or just borax. One part borax, 3 parts sugar, water to make syrupy mix. Put it in a jar in the refrigerator. Use the to fill some bottle caps and put it where they’ll find it, but not the kids or pets. The ants take this stuff back to the nest, it kills the queen, and the rest of the colony in a day or two.
We used Termidor in a sprayer around the perimeter of deck. Ants were gone same day and haven't been back in weeks.