You know, I’m not usually a big camper-type person (bugs…*shudder*) but that really looks like a relaxing time.  Getting out and away from everything, including the internet, sounds like a great way to unwind!  This was also a good opportunity for me to once again see how cute your little pups are

About the carpenter ant stuff we got: we did mounds of research when this problem started up, and just about every professional site we came across suggested a combination of Maxforce Carpenter Ant Gel and Advance Carpent Ant Bait Granules.  Together, they provide the ants with everything in their natural diet so no matter what time of year it is, they will eat one or the other (or both).  The gel is the best for killing the colony because they eat it and then regurgitate it to feed the other ants – so they all get it, including the Queen.  The granules inhibit egg production which can also kill the colony, but it seems to be very attractive to the ants and they eat it in large quantities.  We have watched ants pick up the granules and walk off with them or start nibbling on them.  They are big enough that only carpenter ants can handle carrying them, but smaller ants will eat it in place as well.

The thing I liked about both products is that they are *mostly* non-toxic to mammals and vegetation.  They say that a 35 lb. dog would have to eat 14 syringes of the gel in order to get sick from it.  I don’t remember the specifics on the granules, but it was a similar amount, enough that I felt comfortable putting it down on our grounds.  We used some of the gel inside as well, but back out of the way, in cracks and crevices and behind furniture or up on window sills – areas the dog can’t get to, just because I feel more comfortable using it inside if there’s no chance for anything to go wrong.

We had a hell of a time finding the products locally.  It can be purchased on the internet, but local distributers typically only sell to licensed exterminators.  We found a place about 50 miles from us in Maryland that had it and sold to consumers.  In fact, I called Bayer (the manufacturer of the Maxforce product) and asked why they didn’t sell to consumers, just to be sure we weren’t doing something that would be over our head.  They said there’s no really good reason, they just haven’t gotten around to getting it licensed for consumer sale.  So I felt good about using it.  Here’s a site we used that sells it online, if you want to go that route instead of looking around locally: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page560.html  Shop around though, we paid around $20-$25 for a tube/syringe of the gel, and that site sells it for about $50.

Good luck!