Help!!! Ending the ant invasion???

[tmfranlk]

How can I stop the major any invasion going on in our apartment?!?!?! I am looking for any possible way WITHOUT using some chemical spray (e.g. Raid, etc). Any suggestions? Have you ever used the ultrasonic repellants that plug into the electrical outlet? Do they work?

I am desperate as today they have decided that our bed is a good place to crawl around and I am afraid that the baby's crib is next.

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[Chattyaholic]

The only room we've ever had a problem with ants is the kitchen. I use that Terro stuff, or black pepper, and it takes care of them within a few days. We've never had them wander into any other rooms in the house though.

 

[Music Mole]

We use a citrus-based solution outside to deal with ant mounds in our yard - we get it at a local organic garden supply. If you have a similar store, I'm sure they'd have some good suggestions. A good online source of organic products is www.gaiam.com if you don't have a local organic gardening store.

My mom has had success with "traps" (little baited "motels") in her apartment - she wears it got rid of her "sugar-ant" problem. I am worried about using those because I don't want to attract more ants inside from out so I haven't tried them myself. I know that once when ants were in my pantry, I did have a professional come out, and he was able to put down a powder that was non-toxic for people & our dog, but it defintiely worked. He only had to come once and it wa about $75.

Hope some of this helps - I know how you feel - once they are there you really feel like they are taking over everything.

 

[mickeyfan1]

Go to a pool supply store and buy DE. (Diatimatious 9sp?0 earth)They will know what it is. just get as small a bag as you can, it is cheap. Spread it out over the doorways around the edges of the floors or whereever ants cross. Her's how it works, DE is actually finely ground animal bones, to you, it is dust, to ants, it is like glass shards. It sticks in them, and makes them die. It is not a chemical.

 

[vald1977]

We have used the ant cups in the kitchen of our old apartment and they seemed to work pretty well. It takes a few days but once we put them out, we never had a problem again. We bought the more expensive ones (I believe they were made by Raid).

We do have the plug in bug repellents in our home also becuase I really hate bugs and spiders. I honestly can't tell you if they help much because we never had too many bugs in here to begin with. I wouldn't think they would do too much good if you have a lot of ants around already.

Good luck. I hope you can get the problem taken care of quickly. Have you spoken to your landlord if you rent? They may be able to have an exterminator come in.

 

[Music Mole]

Just a word of caution about DE - use indoors with caution (if at all- see package instructions for more info) as it can irritate the airway for humans and pets. Personally, for this reason, we limit our use of DE to our outdoor flower beds, and wear a mask when applying it. The same crystalline structure that makes it uncomfortable for the exoskeleton of the insects (and thus an excellent insect repellent/control) is not good for your lungs either.

 

[Boots]

You know if anything works tell me too. Currently our ants are in hiding, but I am sure that they are just waiting until the proper moment. We have had an unending battle for almost two years. Our kitchen and bathroom are the "hot" spots. Maybe mine just moved over to your house. Our DD said she believe all we did when we put out anything was cultivate an ant farm and say come on over and dine on the ant bait. Wish I did know what to tell you!

 

[Shannon G]

I would recommend having a professional come i, especially if they are carpenter ants (the big black ones). They can really cause a lot of damage, because they chew through the wood of the home. I'd speak to your landlord about having someone come in and treat the building. We had to have our house treated last year, because we had carpenter ants. They treated inside the house and sprayed outside around the house on the initial visit, then came back and sprayed outside the house once a month for 3 months, and we didn't have any further problems. Whatever they use is also save for people and pets. I specifically asked about the chemicals they use, because I was pregnant at the time, and was concerned about being exposed to anything that was potentially harmful.. They provided us with a fact sheet explaining what they used and why it was safe.

Good luck!