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Mold and Carpenter Ants

Many homes with carpenter ants also have a mold problem. Why?

Because the ants find water damaged wood attractive, as it makes their job of chewing the wood for nesting purposes easier. If the wood stayed damp long enough for the ants to be attracted, there is often mold growth in the building materials as well. Some molds affect human health detrimentally, esp. the black molds. Drywall and carpet are particularly prone to mold damage and should be discarded if a lot of mold is found, as they are difficult to clean. I have had good success with borax and safer’s insecticidial soap on a carpet in a car that had no under padding.

Mold spores in the air of your home can cause allergies, forgetfulness, throat irritation, hair loss, exhaustion and fatigue, asthma, itchy ears and scalp, nose bleeds, frequent colds, because of lowered immunity and other symptoms. Children and infant are esp. vulnerable, remember the cluster of babies with bleeding lungs in the US ? That condition was later connected with extensive mold damage in their homes. Toxic mold is just that.…toxic. Stopping the water problem is necessary, but then the mold dries out and tries to colonize some other areas, so the spores are send out. It is these mold spores that carry the toxins. Drywall unfortunately is a good medium to grow mold. Homes with forced air heating systems will circulate the air in the house and distribute mold spores around.

If you suffer from poor health, cleaning up water-damaged areas of your home might help you a lot. There are numerous good websites on mold clean up. Porous materials like carpets and drywall should be tossed if not dried out within 24 to 48 hours, because if mold growth has started it tends to go all the way through and is therefore difficult to clean.

If you have/had mold, your houseplants are probably harboring some, too. Repotting them and then always adding H2O2 (Hydrogen peroxide) in the water is good, getting rid of your plants is even better. I know this sounds drastic, but in about 75% of homes with carpenter ant problems there are elevated mold levels as well. The hydrogen peroxide has the added benefit of making your plants vibrant looking. You can actually hear it "fizz" if the earth has some mold as you add the hydrogen peroxide water. Remember to put something under the plant pots, so no water can get into the floors. Hardwood floors are esp. prone to this because the water goes into the cracks unnoticed and then the mold starts to grow underneath.

If you are sensitive to molds, you may want to have your heavy metal levels in your body checked. Chlorella is able to pull out some of these, if taken consistently. Mercury levels in our environment are rising a whopping 1.5% yearly! according to Dr. Mercola - www.mercola.com. Apparently higher toxic metal levels are related to being sensitive to mold.

When you are breathing toxic mold on a regular basis, you are putting toxins in your body that have to be dealt with (fatigue), proper absorption of nutrients is diminished and a "leaky gut syndrome” may develop. Subsequently allergies often develop. You can partly counterbalance this by ensuring intake of friendly bacteria, like in yogurt. You may be sensitive to fermented products like kefir and sauerkraut. If you feel tired shortly after eating them, they are not for you (yet).

If you are doing your own mold clean up, make sure you get plenty of fresh air and keep materials damp, (yes: damp) as it is the dry mold spores that are so harmful. A spray bottle with H2O2 works well, when used often and liberally. Hydrogen peroxide is excellent for mold control. Bleach is cheaper, but hard on the environment and your own health. Lysol sprays can temporarily knock out the mold spores in the air, but should probably not be used long term. It will not solve the problem in the long term and ingredients are questionable. Borax will retard mold growth.

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