Home Remedies for Slab Ants

[cgcw]

We are being invaded by slab ants. I see where they are coming into the kitchen and going into the bait trap. But, the bait is not enough to keep them from wandering. They are traveling under the kitchen table. I've watched the floor repeatedly and it doesn't seem to help. They didn't like the scent of orange Pine-Sol but once it dried, they walked right over it again. That's the best solution I can come up with but it's very temporary.

The exterminator will be out on Saturday. I don't want to spray because of the smell and health concerns.

Does anyone have any suggestion as to what might help? I though taking the ant bait trap away would do it but they just keep coming and then start looking for a new food source.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[olena]

Ammonia! I just had these things. The exterminator put some gel here and there. They take it to the queen. He told me that they hate ammonia. That's what I mop with anyway, so they were gone fast. He also took off my outlet covers and sprayed down into the walls. Within an hour, they were falling out of the electrical socket. Just make sure the exterminator is thorough and uses a multi-faceted approach. Good luck!

 

[cgcw]

Thank you, thank you!!

I didn't have straight amonia in the house but I have windex. I sprayed a barrier on the floor around where they were coming in and low and behold, they have all retreated.

 

[olena]

By the way, what is a slab ant? My ants were the little sugar or piss-ants (as Mom would call them). I think we had the same type. I've just never heard of slab ants before. I can guess at how they infiltrate a residence though.

Kill a bunch for me! I HATE bugs in my house. They're fine outside. If they want to live inside, they're gonna have to pay rent.

 

[cgcw]

In our area, exterminators have always called them slab ants -- I guess because we live on a slab?? I've heard them also referred to as pavement ants. They are small, black disgusting little things.

I could understand if they got into the sugar bowl or something good but I find them in the strangest places. They love to hang out in the bathroom --- no place special, just on the cold floor. At one time, they were all over my DS9's changing table when he was a baby. And, if that isn't enough, when DS3 was a baby, I was bathing him in the kitchen sink and these flying ants (the ones which mate) were dropping into the sink. My DH was out of town so I took the baby over to the neighbors and sprayed enough Raid to kill all of us. It was two of the grossest sights I ever experienced.

I know when they came in. When DS9 was a baby, we had a driveway pulled out in from of what was once the garage in our home. An ant colony must have been disturbed in the process. We saw the ants literally marching in through our family room. I didn't give much thought to what they were going to do once they got in, but they have since taken up residence.

My understanding from the exterminators is there is no way to rid us of ants, only control them. At times, we go for long spurs with no activity and then at others, I could pull my hair out.

Thanks for the hint about Windex.

 

[olena]

That's what I had. They weren't in my sugar bowl. They were around my sink and countertops. I know they weren't looking for water. The ground was saturated. I think the water drove them from the ground. We never had them in trails.....just scouts.

Ask for that gel bait, unless you have kids or pets that will touch it. Get the exterminator's opinion.

I also control ants outside in the yard. I don't wait for mounds to appear. Here we have nasty little fire ants. So a couple times a year, I'll buy a big bag of granulated Amdro and broadcast it over the yard with the spreader. It works well on fire ants and it's supposedly effective on other kinds. It's all over the yard, so it creates a nice ant-free perimeter around the house. Bayer Advanced also makes a similar product. I just do everything I can think of. Fire ants are no picnic.