My bass boat is kept outside on a gravel driveway. I have a good cover on it & use a 3 bank charger. Several weeks ago, I started noticing a few black carpenter ants crawling around and didn't think much of it because it set under a couple of big trees.
A few weeks later it got much worse when I noticed they were climbing the extension cord and going inside the boat. I finally broke down and bought a big container of spray that you pump up every 30 seconds or so.
It killed the ones it hit immediately but the pump quit working after using about 1/3 of it. I wound up pouring the rest in a circle around the boat thinking it might run them off.
A few days later they were back again. I went back to Lowe's where they recommended getting a 20 lb. bag of pelleted poison. It was supposed to treat a good portion of the yard. I put it out heavily all over the gravel driveway and adjoining yard & especially around the trees.
A few days later, I could see some ants struggling to move up the extension cord and falling off. I figured it was working and even noticed some of the ants carrying it up the extension cord to the nest. I figured after several days that would be the end of it.
Wrong! They seem to be moving up & down the extension cord more than ever.
I was told to throw three canisters that emitted poison fumes into the boats with all compartments closed. I was getting ready to do this when I noticed a warning not to do this around plastic. My gas tank is not metal, so I worried it could affect it or some of the wiring to my electronics.
I have researched this but haven't found anything that looks like it is surefire other than an exterminator.
Does anyone have any good suggestions to take care of this problem???