NationStates Jolt Archive

This Summer, for some reason, the ants are voracious and have taken to coming into the house. I have no idea what they're finding to eat, since I'm very careful to always clean up after food preparation. This morning, they were all over the place where I prepare coffee, although there's seemingly nothing there they could eat.

Anyone know how to keep them out of the house without resorting to insecticides ( which I don't like )?

Just sprinkle Cayenne Pepper wherever they have to cross a threshold into your house/kitchen, etc. Along the baseboards in the kitchen too. They HATE the stuff and won't cross it.

Good luck.

Boiling water? Bleach of some sort?

Buy termites. They're natural enemies. Buy and spread termites wherever you see ants. Then let nature take its' course.

Boric acid. It's available at any pharmacy, I would assume. I think you can mix it with jelly to bait them or if you know where the nest is, mix it with boiling water and pour it right down the hole. I'm sure you could easily Google up a website with more specific information than I have.

Get one of these as a pet
http://www.cogsci.indiana.edu/farg/harry/bio/zoo/anteater.jpg :D

If you can, around you can plant spearmint around your house..or really just in one spot and itll prolly spread all over. We had those plants around our house for 2 years and never saw any ants inside because of it.

Actually, I've been wondering the same thing. I have a rapidly growing hill in my backyard, and they're the biting kind. I hate to uproot nature like this, but they're biting my girls, and I need to get rid of them. How to you get rid of a nest?

Actually, I've been wondering the same thing. I have a rapidly growing hill in my backyard, and they're the biting kind. I hate to uproot nature like this, but they're biting my girls, and I need to get rid of them. How to you get rid of a nest?
You could always dig it up and scatter the ants and larva around for the birds to eat I guess.

Actually, I've been wondering the same thing. I have a rapidly growing hill in my backyard, and they're the biting kind. I hate to uproot nature like this, but they're biting my girls, and I need to get rid of them. How to you get rid of a nest?
I used water (dumped it down the nest to kill the queen) and ample amounts of raid on the ants that came out.

You could always dig it up and scatter the ants and larva around for the birds to eat I guess.
We've tried that at my parents' place where the hills have gotten truly huge...but I think unless you get the queen (who is usually deep, deep down), it just sets them back a bit.

I used water (dumped it down the nest to kill the queen) and ample amounts of raid on the ants that came out.
I did the water thing, but I want to avoid using poisons. My youngest daughter has a bad habit of eating dirt, and I can't always stop her in time.

If you can, around you can plant spearmint around your house..or really just in one spot and itll prolly spread all over. We had those plants around our house for 2 years and never saw any ants inside because of it.

Well, it's not the mint itself. Though all mint (Spearamint, Peppermint, Catnip) will work. All of those plants attracy Aphids, and Ants use Aphids like we use cattle... It just gives them a ready food sourse, and decrease the chance of them looking for more..

I did the water thing, but I want to avoid using poisons. My youngest daughter has a bad habit of eating dirt, and I can't always stop her in time.

Repellents: Ants can be repelled by vinegar, cayenne pepper, citric extracts, bone meal, cinnamon, cream of tartar, salt, and perfume. You will have to keep trying different repellents to find the one your ants aren't willing to tolerate. Place lines of the selected repellent at points of entry and at various points along their path.



http://infoventures.com/e-hlth/answers/ants.html

They know more than me on this

I tried boric acid before and it didnt work for me. they walked right over a thick line of it as if it wasn't there.

never heard the cayenne thing before or the termite thing or the spearamint thing. though I dunno if I would purposfully put termites in my home lol

I ended up calling a guy to spray - they have environmentally friendly, plant friendly and pet friendly poison supposedly.

Pour a bit of petrol down a hole, follow with a match. Have to be careful but no insect life can trump an f/a blast.

Buy termites. They're natural enemies. Buy and spread termites wherever you see ants. Then let nature take its' course.
Kewl! I'll test them at your place first to make sure it works. :p

I know putting a pie-tin full of beer in the garden gets rid of slugs. Well, actually, they all just pile up in the beer for disposal, but same effect. Maybe it works for ants too? If not, at least any pets will be entertaining after finding the trap...

http://infoventures.com/e-hlth/answers/ants.html

They know more than me on this
Thanks for the link!

I found this on that site: "If you have multiple nests, you could dig up a bucket of ants from one nest and dump it on another nest. Ants are very territorial, and they will readily hunt and kill invading colonies."

Start an ant war! LOL!

This Summer, for some reason, the ants are voracious and have taken to coming into the house. I have no idea what they're finding to eat, since I'm very careful to always clean up after food preparation. This morning, they were all over the place where I prepare coffee, although there's seemingly nothing there they could eat.

Anyone know how to keep them out of the house without resorting to insecticides ( which I don't like )?

Several companies now sell barrier products you scatter around the house containing Pyrethrins. It has been used for thousands of years, is harmless to kids and breaks down to nothingness in about a week. While it will kill an ant on contact it has no effect on pets or children. In fact, it can be applied directly to pet coats to kill fleas.

For outdoor nest, boiling water or setting the grass around the nest in fire (carefully) should do the trick. You can always dig in the nest to help.

For indoor colony, I think you can buy in most place these little round box witch contain food that kills ants. They basically go in the box, and take the poisoned "yummy" food to there queen

And while you're going at the ants - remember that they trace scent-roads. I once had some kiwis sitting in my kitchen and ended up with an ant trail through my room (2nd floor with balcony - I traced them back and they actually lived next door in the flower box because my neighbor is a sorry ass and never waters his plants, thus creating the perfect sand-terrain for ants to nest).

Anyway, I used Febreze to cover the trail they used - those found were smitten indoors. After one or two days of doing that once in the morning the ants couldn't find their trail anymore (and of course I got rid of the kiwis, mmh :p).

Smite them! SMITE THEM! SMITE THEM! :D:D:D

Windex will kill ants. Also try a mixture of salt and cayenne pepper in windows, doorways, etc.

Draw a line around the areas you don't want them intruding with chalk. For some reason, they refuse to cross chalk lines.

To beat the ant you must think like the ant,
become the ant and you will solve your problem.

Bleach. We get ants every summer and diligent application of cleaning bleach solves it every time.

Draw a line around the areas you don't want them intruding with chalk. For some reason, they refuse to cross chalk lines.
ROFLMAO! You're kidding, right??? :D

Windex. 409. Anything chemical. Or if you're sadistic, hairspray and a lighter.

ROFLMAO! You're kidding, right??? :D



It was on some TV show discussing ants lol. It was back when I was 7 or 8...so one of my brothers and I went outside, found an ant on our driveway, and drew a chalk circle around it. It would never cross. We experimented with multiple ants, until one (which we labeled "Rambo ant"), after having discovered there was no escape route, slowly crawled through the chalk.

It was on some TV show discussing ants lol. It was back when I was 7 or 8...so one of my brothers and I went outside, found an ant on our driveway, and drew a chalk circle around it. It would never cross. We experimented with multiple ants, until one (which we labeled "Rambo ant"), after having discovered there was no escape route, slowly crawled through the chalk.
Interesting! However, I can't see myself drawing chalk lines all over the house. People might think some sort of massacre had happened there! Heh!

I've got this thing that attaches to my keychain and makes a noise that repells mosquitoes. I've heard that these things work for all bugs, but I've got no personal experience. I googled and found this: http://www.pestfree-electronicpestcontrolrepeller.com/ but I'm sure you could find something similar without having to shop online. My dad got me the keychain at COSCO.
It's awsome that you don't want to use pesticides. yay :)

You can also try slices of cucumber--ants seem to love the taste, but they can't digest it and it kills them. I had the same problem just a couple of weeks ago and it worked like a charm.

Thanks for the link!

I found this on that site: "If you have multiple nests, you could dig up a bucket of ants from one nest and dump it on another nest. Ants are very territorial, and they will readily hunt and kill invading colonies."

Start an ant war! LOL!

lmao

I've got this thing that attaches to my keychain and makes a noise that repells mosquitoes. I've heard that these things work for all bugs, but I've got no personal experience. I googled and found this: http://www.pestfree-electronicpestcontrolrepeller.com/ but I'm sure you could find something similar without having to shop online. My dad got me the keychain at COSCO.
It's awsome that you don't want to use pesticides. yay :)
I don't really want to kill them, and I certainly don't want to harm anything else. :)

As for the Boric Acid thing, the cheaper and easier thing to try is "20 Mule Team" Borax - available at the supermarket.

Apply liberally around the entire perimeter of the house, extra thick at the doorways. Also use in the corner of the wall and floor under counters. The key, however, is thickness/consistancy. Think mine-field. If there is ANY safe passage, they will find it.

Depending on the breed of ants Borax will usually do the trick.

Smoke 'em out.

Bleach. We get ants every summer and diligent application of cleaning bleach solves it every time.

Exacty what I do.

However, if it's fireants, Eutrusca, you really need to kill them. They'll spread, and they're non native to the US. They've actually killed off some species here in Texas.

lmao
Holy shit, if you could get like a wormlight and camera and do that you could make a mint on your website called ant fights!

I don't really want to kill them, and I certainly don't want to harm anything else.
Well, if they are comnig inside they PROBABLY arn't fire ants; however, ants inside are annoying as hell, I've heard tobacco works, tehn again my dad has been chewing the stuff for years and is a cheap bastard so of course that is something we would think up

Can you identify the ants? That's really the first step - control varies with species and habits.

You may find deterrence is more difficult to achieve than population control. Some of the insecticides used for ants are very safe if properly applied (perimeter control - contact poisons) or without risk if used as bait (forms of Boric Acid in sealed traps). They take bait to the nest and distribute the food, so it's very efficient. You don't necessarily need to kill all the ants to solve your problem.

I base that on experience with agricultural pest control, but not ant specific.

Ooh!Also, some flying insects will lay their eggs in the ants, or on the mound. When they hatch, the ants explode, or get eaten.

Ooh!Also, some flying insects will lay their eggs in the ants, or on the mound. When they hatch, the ants explode, or get eaten.

Certain species of wasps I think. But the real problem is getting the ants when they start hiding in the rafters or some hard to reach spot.

Actually, I've been wondering the same thing. I have a rapidly growing hill in my backyard, and they're the biting kind. I hate to uproot nature like this, but they're biting my girls, and I need to get rid of them. How to you get rid of a nest?

Boiling hot water with parafine into the heart to the nest, leave that for a day and then a dd more parafine and a match!

I remember when I was a kid hearing about a species of Australian ants who could eat an entire sheep in a single night. It scared me, because I didn't realize the sheep in question might be dead.

Anyway, you're doomed. Just evacuate the building and head for the hills. And whatever you do, do not fall asleep in your backyard.

Vacuum Cleaner?

Have you considered charging them rent? :D

Ants have no souls. Use insecticide. No problem. Just like don't go crazy on it.

Vinegar. My mom uses it all the time to get rid of the ants.

You'll get used to the smell. It'll become a part of your life whenever you walk into the kitchen.

I'm getting the same problem as you. Apparently ants just LOVE summer heat....bastards...

Unfortunately we've ran out of both vinegar and ant spray. Dammit.