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justin
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justin

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[Pest Control] Ants

My house has an ant problem, isolated to two places. I did one of those yearly pest control things and the guy came, sprayed the external walls, sprayed along the skirting boards (liquid that dries to a fine residue), and fogged the drop roof space. This was good for the odd roach that got in, they'd just die. But there still no luck with the Ants.

previous topics:
»Recommendations to kill ants (inside)
»Ant baits
»Killing Ants - Terro effectiveness

As far as I can tell the ants have residence in places that are hard or impossible to reach: the foil insulation layers under the metal roof, and/or in the wall cavity. They always say remove water, remove food. Well, how can you remove water when they troop around the bathroom and drink from the shower, or the sink?

I made some progress in the bedroom by using gap filler on the tiny gaps between window ledges and wall, wherever I saw them, I'd work out what gap they were going from and to, and fill it, but this is no solution in the kitchen or bathroom.

I've used those liquid baits. Sometimes they gather round and drink it, then there aren't so many ants for a week or two, then they come back bigger and badder than ever.

Went to the hardware store and there are a million products for roaches and mice/rats but only three things for ants: the liquid that has borax in it, bait stations that have two kinds of bait, one sweet and one sugar, and a garden ant powder. And that was it!

I'm starting to dream about ants. I must see about 3 different species. Really tiny ones that like to trail across the floor and conquer the dog food (despite being a bowl floating in water, they build bridges!). Small ones that wander around waiting for anything they can eat on the kitchen counter, or march around the bathroom floor. And freaky large headed ones, I've no idea what they do.

The area we are in has very dry sandy soil and I know ants love that, but this is getting too much. The neighbors have the same issues as well, it just isn't something that normal advice seems to help with such as "don't leave any food scraps and water". How can you never have crumbs or water drops, in a house with dog kids and a lot of cooking? it is unrealistic.

Mostly though I don't know how to evict the nests. I can't tear the walls or the roof apart and fogging has done nothing, and the "carry the poison back to queen" thing seems to be pointless. If it kills the queen, a week later there must be a new queen. When the pest control company was here, I could see defeat in his eyes when I asked specifically about ants.

Any ideas? or are we doomed to live with these buggers forever.

mityfowl
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX

mityfowl

Premium Member

[Pest Control] Re: Ants

clean the gutters out totally and get back with us..

John Galt6
Forward, March
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp

3 recommendations

John Galt6 to justin

Premium Member

to justin
Looks like a Thompson will take care of them.

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· L2auGFwo

justin
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join:1999-05-28
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Billion BiPAC 7800N
Apple AirPort Extreme (2011)

justin to mityfowl

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to mityfowl
Last time I looked the gutters are fine, rain is rare and then comes in total downpour so we never have to do much gutter cleaning.

Do you think that stuff on baits about "killing the nest" is actually realistic? it has never worked for me. Or at least enough life is left in the nest to bootstrap a new colony very quickly.

Corehhi
join:2002-01-28
Bluffton, SC

Corehhi to justin

Member

to justin
»store.doyourownpestcontr ··· id/2704/

I had maybe a million ants in my yard one year, know idea why that happened but I literally couldn't stand in my back yard without ants crawling up my legs. I used a hose sprayer and sprayed the whole yard and no more ants for a long time.

aurgathor
join:2002-12-01
Lynnwood, WA

1 recommendation

aurgathor to justin

Member

to justin
Certain ants can be a royal pain in the butt to eradicate. First you need to determine what kind of ants do you have (I had odorous house ants and they can be very difficult to eradicate ) so you know what you're dealing with.

But you can probably get some Termidor SC and spray everything around their places, everywhere you see them, and everywhere around the house so even when they go outside for food, they have to go through areas that were sprayed with Termidor SC.

justin
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join:1999-05-28
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justin

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It's hazardous to dogs so I can't spray where I see the ants because the ants are on the floors.

Maybe I can do the window surrounds outside, and any crack higher than dog level.
justin

2 recommendations

justin

Mod

I wonder if this works

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· U6URuk90

fourboxers
Mod
join:2003-05-04
Toronto

fourboxers

Mod

It does work, make sure you get food grade.

dandelion
MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN

dandelion to justin

MVM

to justin
I don't know the chemical used. but I had such a bad problem in two areas.. you could see the ant trail from one place to another however it was unclear where any food was. I was told they can eat anything though. The pesticide company (Ortho)'s superviser came after a few of my calls and they dug a small ditch outside the house in the two trouble spots, put some kind of dried pesticide there then told me I shouldn't see any more after a week. They stayed gone so far for 1 1/2 years except once when someone dug up a fence pole. The company came back and did it again.

I'll try the diatomaceous earth also for smaller problems we get. We use raid ant bait for the mail box.. seems that is also a favorite place for some reason.

I used to think Terro ant was great and lost faith in it's effectiveness.

Same Boat
@videotron.ca

Same Boat to justin

Anon

to justin
Diatomaceous earth will work, but doubt it will wipe out a colony unless you get it right in the nest. It's the safest around kids and pets though.

Ants don't die right away, takes a bit of time for it to dry them out till they die (which is how it works. It sucks the water from their bodies).

I think the brand names sold here is called "Incectigone" at home depot. Can't say I ever saw it blown like that utube vid though, and wouldn't know where to get a blower like that.

Diatomaceous earth may be cheaper if you buy it from a pool store (It's used as filter packing). But "Incectigone" is very fine like baby powder. Don't think the pool stuff is like that. You may want to check, if it is, you may save some money. It's isn't cheap when bought by the brand name "Incectigone" and you have a major ant problem. The pool stuff is indeed used in home gardens though for snails and slugs.

Two neighbours on both sides of me had major ant problems last year. They never had anything like it. They used those ant hotel things you mentioned above. I heard them complain all summer and fall. So guess it wasn't the best.

This year for the first time in my life, I have it now. Started a week ago. Their coming in through a tiny gap at the front door. Guess I will change the gasket around the door. In the meantime, like you, I have pets, so I'm using "Incectigone". It stopped them for 3-4 days, they came back. I re-applied today, no sign of them.

So best guess is that it's good for 4 days then u will need to re-apply.

However, I think I located the nest under the front door and under the balcony. I'm going liquid poison spray tomorrow since there are so many ants, and I should be able to get at it with the poison between the balcony and the house which no pet will get at. No clue how that will work out.

Good luck. Let me know what you do. Or if you use a blower, where you got it (or what can be used). I'll let you know how my adventure turns out tomorrow with liquid poison and Diatomaceous earth again.

Hope I don't have them in the frame of the door or something weird like what you have.

Canadian Home Depot Incetigone link:
»www.homedepot.ca/product ··· r/909558

about 8-10$ for 200-grams. So do check a pool store out first and ask to see their Diatomaceous earth for pool filters. If it's like baby-powder, grab 3 pounds or so.

There is also a borax/boron method which is supposed to wipe out a colony. Never tried it. You would have to keep it away from pets :/
Same Boat

Same Boat

Anon

Here's a Borax one. I heard people say it works, but I never tried it. Wouldn't want a pet licking it type thing.

the basics are here:
»www.instructables.com/id ··· cheaply/

Borax can be had from Walmart or maybe a supermarket or pharmacy.

From what I had previously read, mis the borax with something yummy, like sugar or honey. Something the ants will go for, eat, and drag back to them to the colony.

Never tried. Supposed to work, unless it's just an old wives tale.

Lock the dog/pets (if possible) out of whatever room you are doing and you should be good. If you try this, let us know of the outcome.

justin
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justin

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said by Same Boat :

From what I had previously read, mis the borax with something yummy, like sugar or honey. Something the ants will go for, eat, and drag back to them to the colony.

Pretty much that is what AntRid is (not sure if that is a USA product) but it is a syrup and if they are in a sugar mood they love it. Take it back to the nest. Die somewhere else.




BUT, a week later, sometimes two weeks, they are back. And the nest is clearly still kicking. Or has been re-colonised. Or something.

BKayrac
Premium Member
join:2001-09-29

BKayrac to justin

Premium Member

to justin
If it's the little red guys, the terro liquid baits are insanely effective at removing them. Generally it brings the population down slowly, and they'll all die off eventually until a new colony moves in. And when that happens, just replace your bait traps(or the liquid on the cardboard if you go that route. But I would suggest the pre-filled traps if you have pets as it's harder for the animals to get at the liquid)

Never found a real effective method for killing the larger black ants, my mothers home got far better when she replaced her front window, the frame was completely eaten out with little tunnels for them. Since replacing though the infestation inside has subsided greatly. I just figured sealing was the best option for those bastards as bait never seems to work, but bait works amazingly with the little red guys. Go figure.

aurgathor
join:2002-12-01
Lynnwood, WA

1 recommendation

aurgathor to justin

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to justin
said by justin:

It's hazardous to dogs so I can't spray where I see the ants because the ants are on the floors.

Where did you get that information? I see it someone using on dogs here: »www.coondawgs.com/forum/ ··· &t=91566

But maybe it's time to get another pet: an anteater  

justin
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justin

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i got it from my bad eye sight speed reading google snippets.

It is low hazard for dogs and children, my mistake.

Grumpy4
Premium Member
join:2001-07-28
NW CT

4 edits

Grumpy4 to justin

Premium Member

to justin
I favor Borax and sweet and Borax and peanut butter for a poison method. Plastic vessels destined for the recycle bin offer rain proof reservoirs for the outdoor mix. Google will offer the recipes using the Borax sold as a laundry detergent. You may have to offer both baits (sweet and grease) for the entire Spring and Summer.

Ants who live in above ground wood areas may be eating the wood. I found an independent / non-franchise bug guy who sprayed wood ants with a concoction requiring him to wear a respirator. Don't know what the poison was though. One visit did the trick. Wish I knew what the liquid was... It shipped in a paint type can with "Sudden death to all living creatures" types of labels on it.

A swarm of very tiny live under my paver blocks sidewalk ants appeared one night. I saw no other choice but to light them up with one of these.
»www.finecooking.com/asse ··· g_lg.jpg
Know too that heating cement can cause it to explode, but it was well worth the risk at the time. I may have been wearing a Ninja costume screaming "Die Bitches Die!" yet perhaps that part of the story was closer to fantasy.

Maxx2006
join:2013-02-02
Guelph, ON

Maxx2006 to justin

Member

to justin

Re: [Pest Control] Ants

We had them in the house a few years ago used a combination of borax and this .
»www.homehardware.ca/en/r ··· Ntt=ants. Not sure it is available where you live. I know we where close to calling in an exterminator.

Asiabound
Ex-Pat
Premium Member
join:2002-12-21
Mabinay

Asiabound to justin

Premium Member

to justin
We had an ant problem here as well. If you can, root several mint plant cuttings, plant them in pots, then place them at strategic areas inside your home. Within two weeks, they will be gone.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

2 recommendations

Anonymous_ to justin

Premium Member

to justin
Ants are still better then having roaches

justin
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justin

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said by Anonymous_:

Ants are still better then having roaches

100% agree with that.

John97
Over The Hills And Far Away
Premium Member
join:2000-11-14
Spring Hill, FL

John97 to Same Boat

Premium Member

to Same Boat

Re: [Pest Control] Re: Ants

said by Same Boat :

Diatomaceous earth may be cheaper if you buy it from a pool store (It's used as filter packing). But "Incectigone" is very fine like baby powder. Don't think the pool stuff is like that. You may want to check, if it is, you may save some money. It's isn't cheap when bought by the brand name "Incectigone" and you have a major ant problem. The pool stuff is indeed used in home gardens though for snails and slugs.

So do check a pool store out first and ask to see their Diatomaceous earth for pool filters. If it's like baby-powder, grab 3 pounds or so.

Do not use pool-grade DE for insect control, only food grade. Pool-grade is carcinogenic.

Jan Janowski
Premium Member
join:2000-06-18
Waynesville, NC
·Carolina Mountai..
Synology RT2600ac
Linksys E2000

Jan Janowski to justin

Premium Member

to justin

Re: [Pest Control] Ants

We use a homemade method that works.

Mix Boric Acid into Honey...

You know where the ants are.... Smear this sticky stuff near their holes... any place you want....

They will eat it up and take it back to the colony.... Where it kills them in a few days....

Just be patient..... This Works like a charm

justin
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join:1999-05-28
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justin

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what percentage of borax powder to honey do you use?
and what percentage of borax powder to peanut butter, if your ants are that kind?

Like, a tablespoon of powder to two tablespoons of honey? or it doesn't need that much?

jrs8084
Premium Member
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC

jrs8084 to justin

Premium Member

to justin
I believe my office at work is built on some sacred ant burial ground. It is out in the factory, and there will be trails 50 yards long going to it. I gave up fighting them as I think there are several varieties, and each treatment appeared selective to each. I found one bait that was totally effective on one ant infestation, and then it would have zero effect on the next round. Terro-what a joke (for the ants I had that time)

I keep food up as much as I can (they even invade my refrigerator at work, but don't make it too far) Some like sweet, some like grease, and I think some like anything! I can go a month without seeing a single ant, and then suddenly they are swarming over the strangest item if left out. A green pepper??

Well, at least they are ants, so I don't complain too much. In Australia, you have far more deadly creatures about to deal with!

Jan Janowski
Premium Member
join:2000-06-18
Waynesville, NC

Jan Janowski to justin

Premium Member

to justin
I just asked Wife... She says she doesn't follow a recipe, but make sure you mix it in thoroughly.... You want to mix it thoroughly so it gets carried back to the nest along with the Honey....

mityfowl
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX

mityfowl to justin

Premium Member

to justin
I've had borax down in the corners for 20 years.

it works

My dogs have never been attracted to it

Jan Janowski
Premium Member
join:2000-06-18
Waynesville, NC
·Carolina Mountai..
Synology RT2600ac
Linksys E2000

Jan Janowski to justin

Premium Member

to justin
I mixed it once and I think I did one Borax to 1 Honey.... and it made a gritty paste...
I smeared it in and beside the crack of a tree in our front yard... where I saw ants coming from while mowing the lawn.... (Maple Tree, in Illinois, by the way)
and I noticed the stuff was gone in a few days....

As were the ants the next time I mowed the lawn....

That was a few years ago.... Haven't seen any ants since, as I figure whatever they took to the next is still there... and subsequent visitors would find it, too....

Booooost
@optonline.net

Booooost to justin

Anon

to justin
You're in Australia - Be thankful the ants aren't lethal to humans.

I've had good results with the bait stations. They really kill the queen - IF they're attracted to the bait.

Didn't read all the things you tried, but try an insecticidal dust. They walk through it and the static causes it to attach to their bodies and bring it back to the nest and other ants. It works well for carpenter ants; not sure about little ants.

Same Boats
@videotron.ca

Same Boats to justin

Anon

to justin

Re: [Pest Control] Re: Ants

Forgot to mention what also works, but doesn't kill them (though I know you are looking for death). The following works, tried it last week:

When I first saw them them around the door of the house, I opened the door and dumped Cayenne powder (the hot spice) on the length of the metal plate under the door. That kept them out for 3-4 days till I was able to make a store run for the Incectigone.

The Cayenne won't kill them, but they will not walk on it, nor cross a line of cayenne powder. Another oddity with ants is chalk. They powdered type used to make lines on baseball fields. They won't cross the chalk or walk on it, like with the cayenne powder.

They Cayenne actually worked better than incectigone, but it doesn't kill them. It's more like bear-spray for ants I guess.