Darn Ants!!!!!

[lynn71092]

I had a 10 lb. bag of dry dog food in a covered and clicked close plastic bin and had to throw it away yesterday because the bag was full of ants!!!
Does anyone have any ant repellent clues?
I had the dry cat food way up on a shelf and found them in there this morning.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I had a 10 lb. bag of dry dog food in a covered and clicked close plastic bin and had to throw it away yesterday because the bag was full of ants!!!
Does anyone have any ant repellent clues?
I had the dry cat food way up on a shelf and found them in there this morning.

We had a lot of spring-time ant problems -- the little hexagonal bait things work okay (the ones that they take the food back to the nest). Two years ago, we finally started with a bi-monthly service (Orkin) and haven't seen an ant (or centipede -- we had them, too) since. It's worth it to not have to worry about the dog getting one of the baits.

 

[cabanafrau]

Depending on where they are, where they travel in your home, a white vinegar wipe down on the counter tops, mop down of flooring helps discourage them and won't harm the family or pets.

 

[lynn71092]

Depending on where they are, where they travel in your home, a white vinegar wipe down on the counter tops, mop down of flooring helps discourage them and won't harm the family or pets.

Is that a vinegar and water mix?

 

[NonScents]

I had a 10 lb. bag of dry dog food in a covered and clicked close plastic bin and had to throw it away yesterday because the bag was full of ants!!!
Does anyone have any ant repellent clues?
I had the dry cat food way up on a shelf and found them in there this morning.

A small sprinkling of Borax powder around the edges of counters and shelves in cupboards will kill the ants and is also non-toxic. (20 mule team Borax in the laundry detergent aisle of the supermarket.) Works against cockroaches and fleas too.

Ants love pet food, the only sure-fire way to keep it ant-free is to put it in the refrigerator; will also keep the pet food fresher. I know that is hard if you have 40# bags for large or multiple dogs, though.

 

[lynn71092]

A small sprinkling of Borax powder around the edges of counters and shelves in cupboards will kill the ants and is also non-toxic. (20 mule team Borax in the laundry detergent aisle of the supermarket.) Works against cockroaches and fleas too.

Ants love pet food, the only sure-fire way to keep it ant-free is to put it in the refrigerator; will also keep the pet food fresher. I know that is hard if you have 40# bags for large or multiple dogs, though.

I know, I wish I had an extra refrigerator in the garage, that would be ideal.
I will try the vinegar and the borax thing first.
I hate to have an Orkin man coming to the house, the dog (150 lbs.) jumps on everyone.

 

[pyrxtc]

I have found the "click close" plastic bins don't work well. Found a mouse in mine....

bought one of these and never another problem.

 

[cabanafrau]

Is that a vinegar and water mix?

Definitely on the floor it's a mix. Countertops can be mixed or straight.

It won't out and out get rid of a big invasion, but it will help deter them from those areas & maybe encourage them to move along elsewhere.

 

[monkeybug]

We bought Terro aunt baits from Home Depot after reading another thread on the Dis. It's made with borax, and the bottle doesn't have many warnings on it, so I'm thinking it's not as toxic as some. I bought the liquid that you put on the little pieces of cardboard (because that's all they had) but I think they make them that come already in little trays.
It's been working great!

 

[lynn71092]

You guys are great, I will defintely be trying these.
I was going to google Repelling Ants ands figured I would just ask the Disboards, they know everything!!

 

[pipersmom]

I think the vinegar thing may depend on what type of ant it is..I've had them bad this year, heard about the vinegar tip and tried it. (Straight vinegar, no water). The only thing I ended up with was ants on counters that smelled like pickles! It was worth a shot, but I finally ended up breaking out the Raid one morning before we left the house. By the time we got home that evening the smell had mostly disappated, and I haven't seen another ant since. I also put some of the hexagonal bait traps out just to be on the safe side. Don't know if maybe you can block the animals out of the room where you're having the problem so you can spray..we left just because my dd has lung issues, and I didn't want her breathing it in that day..the smell wasn't horrible, but definitely noticeable!

 

[lucas]

Terro, terro, terro!

The ants must take the terro back to the nest to kill the queen. If not, the ants will reappear. Once you put it down you will see them trailing - do not kill them, they must take the terro back to the queen.

 

[lynn71092]

I think the vinegar thing may depend on what type of ant it is..I've had them bad this year, heard about the vinegar tip and tried it. (Straight vinegar, no water). The only thing I ended up with was ants on counters that smelled like pickles! It was worth a shot, but I finally ended up breaking out the Raid one morning before we left the house. By the time we got home that evening the smell had mostly disappated, and I haven't seen another ant since. I also put some of the hexagonal bait traps out just to be on the safe side. Don't know if maybe you can block the animals out of the room where you're having the problem so you can spray..we left just because my dd has lung issues, and I didn't want her breathing it in that day..the smell wasn't horrible, but definitely noticeable!

What do you mean about the Raid, the spray in the can?

 

[robinb]

Ants also HATE cinnamon. I bought a big container of cinnamon from the dollar store and spooned out a line of it around the window where the ants were coming in. I saw one ant go right up to the line along her trail and then stop dead. She wouldn't cross it! My ant problem went away in about a week and then I cleaned up the cinnamon.

 

[2goofycampers]

I have been doing pest control for 8 months now. This is the best over the counter ant killer there is.

http://www.terro.com/products.php?product=liquid_ant_bait

 

[Barbossa]

I have been doing pest control for 8 months now. This is the best over the counter ant killer there is.

http://www.terro.com/products.php?product=liquid_ant_bait

I second this. The beauty of Terro is that its active ingredient is Borax and thus is not highly toxic. If used diligently it will significantly reduce the size of ant colonies. It's available in bottles, I pour it near ant trails outdoors which really cuts down on the number of ants that make it inside the house. For ant colonies that live inside the house, I'll choose a hidden area to put the baits (it will attract pretty huge ant trails, so it's nice to keep them out of view). Ants will find the baits pretty much anywhere you put them.