Ants!

[Little Red Tractor]

It's about that time of year again. For the last 3 years or so, beginning sometime in May, we are infested with a small brown ant (sorry, never thought to take a close-up for ID). They have confined themselves to our kitchen, but no amount of house-keeping will seem to keep them out. Various ant traps have not been successful.
I'm hesitant to use any pesticides, but might have to if it continues.


Any thoughts?

 

[ozley]

Get some Optigard ant gel bait. They eat it up.

 

[Smallplot]

If you look around your foundation you will probably see where they are making entry. I use Ortho Home Defense Max Spray and spray a line around the entire concrete foundation. Of course this has to be repeated following a rain but it really helps to keep them out. You will never kill em all, there just too many.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

We haven't found an entry point. We have the foam all around the foundation and suspect they're entering between the foam and the concrete.

 

[rekees4300]

Any thoughts?

This stuff works for our kitchen ants.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Ant-Killer-Terro-Liquid-Baits/dp/B001HWZ85M/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1335817292&sr=8-6]Amazon.com: Ant Killer: Terro Liquid Baits 2 Pk: Patio, Lawn & Garden[/ame]

 

[dmccarty]

We have been getting the ants for decades in both our current house and the house we had in the city. The baits previously mentioned helped and I used to spray the foundation as well. Eventually they disappear.

The ants really tick me off but the ants are better than ticks in the house. :laughing: After the wall studs were up I went around and foamed any gaps between the foundation and the sill plate. One main reason was to keep out the danged ants. :laughing: The ants won.

Later,
Dan

 

[Thomas]

I use product from Orthro...ants,grants,grubs etc. just spread (not spray)around foundations little heavy maybe twice year..maybe,thumbs up from me.

 

[am122]

Got ants get Diatomaceous Earth, I bought a 40# bag of the food grade due to pets and use it everywhere and it was only $18 at the coop.

 

[deerseeker001]

terro this stuff works good

 

[adjusterr]

I agree with the others, Terro works great. A clear liquid, you place a few drops on a small cardboard tab provided with the package and the ants eat it and carry it back to the nest and that's the end of the ants. Place it where you see ants running and they will surround the bait like cattle at a feed trough. Good luck.

 

[bearcreek paul]

Like they said Terro works great. They take it back to their nest and it kills the queen.You just have to be patient.If you want to make your own baits it's just boraxo soap and sugar. I have had a war with carpenter ants for the last 2 years.The little buggers are starting again this past week!

 

[RobertBrown]

Terro :thumbsup:

I have used this and it is extremely effective.
I believe it to be relatively safe as it's main ingredient is boric acid.
Hard to say what kind of ants you have or if it will work, but given the circumstances, there is no good reason not to try it. As I recall 3-4 dollars will get you enough to last the rest of your life.

 

[jmurray01]

The barrel in the bottom of our garden which has daffodils in it gets infested by ants every year, and this year will no doubt be the same.

They always go away in winter though and the flowers come back up in spring, so I'm tempted to just let nature take its course again.

 

[RollTideRam]

If you found where they are entering on the outside, track them back to their home and apply poison. They were in my in laws kitchen. I tracked them to a window in the back of the house. Outside they were coming around the edge of the house to the front, then down to the porch, across the yard from the far side of a flower garden. If you find their home that is the best way.

 

[MissouriSprayer]

All you need to know is fipronil. Follow directions on a simple perimiter spray an no more ants.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

You may find this surprising, but Sun & Earth natural citrus cleaner works great!

Sun & Earth All Purpose Spray Cleaner : All Green Products

 

[Garybake]

Got ants get Diatomaceous Earth, I bought a 40# bag of the food grade due to pets and use it everywhere and it was only $18 at the coop.

Diatomaceous Earth
This really works on all ectoskelatal invaders. The sharp crystals invade joints and shreds them apart after they track through it. Totally safe to pets/children and the environment.

 

[NevadaMOGuy]

I use Ortho Home Defense Max Spray and spray a line around the entire concrete foundation.

Good stuff. :thumbsup:

Ortho Bug B Gon and Ortho Home Defense Max both use the same kick butt active ingredient, just in different concentrations.

Bifenthrin has a very long residual so it will keep on killing.

I use it in a pull behind sprayer, with my lawn mower, and just ride around the house and outbuildings...putting down a ring of DOOM for all insects that trespass. :laughing:

 

[Smallplot]

Good stuff. :thumbsup:

Ortho Bug B Gon and Ortho Home Defense Max both use the same kick butt active ingredient, just in different concentrations.

Bifenthrin has a very long residual so it will keep on killing.

I use it in a pull behind sprayer, with my lawn mower, and just ride around the house and outbuildings...putting down a ring of DOOM for all insects that trespass. :laughing:

A little off topic here Nevada, how is that water tank working on your BX for you?

 

[Looking4new]

It's about that time of year again. For the last 3 years or so, beginning sometime in May, we are infested with a small brown ant (sorry, never thought to take a close-up for ID). They have confined themselves to our kitchen, but no amount of house-keeping will seem to keep them out. Various ant traps have not been successful.
I'm hesitant to use any pesticides, but might have to if it continues.


Any thoughts?

Corn meal.