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getting rid of toilet ants

 
Posts: 300
Location: CT zone 5b
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I've got a nasty case of toilet ants. What i suspect that means is the subfloor/ wax ring are shot and they're there for the moisture. My toilet sweats like crazy and I usually leave a towel on the floor under it during all the months that the temp is above freezing.

This is a multi-part problem.
-I want the ants gone (probably eating up the subfloor)
-I will need to fix the toilet/floor
-and ultimately stop the toilet from sweating so bad that it's wrecking the floor.

If I address the real problem, will the ants go away? Im not into using poisons.
 
Posts: 115
Location: Chcago IL
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I don't know about toilet ants but the toilet wax ring replacement is a simple enough job. Usually you just need to unscrew the two screws on the sides, lift the toilet, set it aside and replace the wax ring. The hardest part is to put the toilet back in place while keeping the two screws in place, i've done it by myself but it's much easier with a second pair of hands.

if you've never done it before you should look at how the screws are kept in place before reinstating the toilet. Some people use generous amounts of silicon on the outside part of the ring before installing the toilet to make sure there won't be any leaks.

Now if the subfloor is already rotten it'll become a bigger job but you won't know until you remove the toile t and look.
 
Posts: 167
Location: MAINE
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Are you talking about CARPENTER ants i wonder?
these ant's need wet wood making it easier to chew
to set up shop for an ANT Colony under your sweaty toilet.

read here:
http://www.appalachianfeet.com/2010/02/23/how-to-kill-fire-ants-carpenter-ants-and-termites-with-mushrooms-a-mycoremediation-crash-course/

- Rav

 
pollinator
Posts: 4024
Location: Kansas Zone 6a
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There are things like borax and DE that will help repel ants in the future, once you fix the problem.

My parents had the sweaty tank problem bad when I was a kid. They installed a mixer valve so the tank fills with warm water. The valve was set to about room temperature, didn't use much hot water. If anything it saved water because it got all the cold water out of the hot pipe so you didn't have to wait for the water to warm up in the sink.
 
Will Holland
Posts: 300
Location: CT zone 5b
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I wanted a mixing valve last summer when my dad and his friend re-plumbed my whole house, but it didn't happen for some reason or another. Then I thought it it seemed wasteful to use warm water for the toilet and run the hot water heater. So, it's good to hear it sort of uses less water in a way.
 
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