I'm Fed Up

[disney junky]

I'm a teacher. About a month ago, ants appeared in the faculty room. Not a lot of ants, but enough, on the floor in the lav and in the area where food is prepared. Pretty much throughout. Excuse my crassness, but if you use the toilet in a sitting position, there is a pretty good chance that whatever clothes you have lowered to allow you to relieve yourself will be fair game for the little critters. Even if they don't find their way into your undies, the seed is planted, and you think they are there.

A quick fix, right? On three separate occasions, I have requested that the janitorial staff take care of them. The solution. They vacuum them. They won't spray for fear that a parent might complain if the odor affects one of the students. This is in the faculty room, a place where students aren't allowed. But, that seems to be lost on them. The other issue that they fail to consider is that THERE ARE INSECTS INFESTING AN AREA WHERE WE ALL EAT and a little smell of insecticide may be preferred over INSECTS IN THE FACULTY ROOM.

I'm probably going to bring some industrial strength spray and spray and spray and spray, and frankly, I hope I get in trouble because I'm sick of it. Sick of it. Then my story can be told.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I would bring in something from home, like one of the barrier products.

Did you report it to the school administration?

 

[CathrynRose]

Can they do something about it over Christmas break, maybe?

Blech. Grody. I agree.

 

[shortbun]

You'd definitely be in trouble with me if you sprayed in a public area. Use cinnamon and ask the custodians to disinfect. Then-all food must be removed and all areas scalded. Do not spray insecticide anywhere near where I eat...it's a neurological toxin.

 

[dakcp2001]

you could get little ant bait traps, just be aware they draw the ants out first so you will see a lot of them then they go away

 

[LuvOrlando]

As a Mom of 2 Asthmatic children please use caution, I don't blame you for being upset and I'm not jumping on you but I think you would feel horrible if someone else got sick because of the fumes. As an alternative to spraying could you tuck a few of those ant motels in a few hidden places over the break then be in there 1st thing the first day back to remove them. I think those motels have poison in them that the ants bring back to the nest, maybe you could use double sided sticky tape and fix it behind the commode or under the sink as an alternative to spraying. Just a suggestion. Even as a person who gets migraines from smells with 2 Asthmatic kids I think the rules are absurd, things can be done which won't pose a threat to the kids. Fumes are bad but so are filthy insects... ewwww.

I was on one of the PTA's committees which gave us a room in the kitchen and the mouse droppings were everywhere. They said it couldn't be treated because of the poisons yet somehow everyone ignored how dangerous mouse droppings are.... like its more ok for my kids to get a nice side of Hantavirus with their tater tots

 

[lovetoscrap]

I think you could get in big trouble if you spray something from home. I have seen flyers posted in schools about upcoming pesticide service with a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo on them and information about what is in the spray and the ability for anyone to request information etc.... I have also seen these in commercial buildings. And not only for pesticides but for all cleaners being used. I think that there are laws that have to be followed. It may not be a matter of making the janitor or principal mad, you could violating laws. The school could probably be fined. I hate ants too but it is probably not worth risking your job over.

There should be a way for the school to be treated legally for pests-- maybe over the upcoming holiday? I am guessing they are treated at least yearly. With all the food crumbs that end up all over schools if they weren't they would be overrun with roaches and mice! I would ask for more information from the principal or head custodian about what the laws and procedures are and maybe call your district Facilities Maintenance department and see what they say.

 

[olwyngdh]

See if you can find some Terro. You can just pour some on little bits of cardboard or posterboard and tuck the bits into or behind drawers or cabinets.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

See if you can find some Terro. You can just pour some on little bits of cardboard or posterboard and tuck the bits into or behind drawers or cabinets.

This stuff works!

 

[WDWisTheBest]

I would bring in something from home, like one of the barrier products.

Did you report it to the school administration?

Knowing how the political correctness of a school system works and understanding the liability of bringing something from home to treat a school condition, I would never consider treating the condition myself.

The situation is no doubt bad, but........

I wouldn't put myself at risk. Others will have different thoughts.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

In the school where I work, employees (even the custodian) are not allowed to spray any pesticides on school property. The custodian will spray the ants with a cleaning solution and wipe them up. If the problem is bad enough, the district will send in a professional pest control company, usually during a long weekend or school break. They are required to post signs saying what they sprayed and we have to leave them up for at least a week.

Several years ago, we were finding cockroaches in our classrooms. They sprayed over spring break and created a barrier around the classroom entrances. For weeks afterward, I would sweep up the dead ones each morning until I finally stopped finding them.

Report the problem to your school administrators and ask them to put in a work order for a professional spraying. But definitely don't do it yourself to keep yourself out of trouble.

 

[savannahcat]

See if you can find some Terro. You can just pour some on little bits of cardboard or posterboard and tuck the bits into or behind drawers or cabinets.

This stuff works!

I agree! This is the best solution I have ever found for ants.

 

[pilotwife_02]

A professional exterminator/company will have something that is gel based and nontoxic.

When we lived in an apartment we had ants and they came in and put little beads of gel in areas and assured us that there were no fumes and it was non-toxic to humans.

 

[emdav]

I know my son's school has a sign on the front door warning that insecticides are in use. I think it may be a law that they notify the public. Base on that, I'd make sure I'd have all my bases covered before I would ever think to use one in a public building.

 

[ctinct]

I would prefer ants over the mice poop we have. Sorry, I know that doesn't help you, but our entire school is pretty much infested and no one seems to give a rat's #@%.

 

[tvguy]

In the school where I work, employees (even the custodian) are not allowed to spray any pesticides on school property. The custodian will spray the ants with a cleaning solution and wipe them up. If the problem is bad enough, the district will send in a professional pest control company, usually during a long weekend or school break. They are required to post signs saying what they sprayed and we have to leave them up for at least a week.
.

Same in this part of California. When I was involved in little league it was even illegal to use fertilizer on the baseball fields on school grounds.
Once you have ants, you will always have ants, even with professional pest services. You can just reduce the frequency of invasions, and the intensity.

 

[disney junky]

Apparently my desperation wasn't apparent in my initial post. I don't care about the rules. I don't care about regulations. I want to kill them. I want them gone, not next week or over Christmas vacation. Now. Take me out in cuffs. Lock me up. JUST NO MORE ANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Apparently my desperation wasn't apparent in my initial post. I don't care about the rules. I don't care about regulations. I want to kill them. I want them gone, not next week or over Christmas vacation. Now. Take me out in cuffs. Lock me up. JUST NO MORE ANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got it when you mentioned the concern about them in your undergarments. If the school will not help, unobtrusively take matters into your own hands. Don't tell anyone else, just do it.

 

[disney junky]

So I brought it up at the department chair meeting last night, during the 'for the good of the order' time. With voice trembling and tears welling up in my eyes, I explained how I understand all the regulations and what not, but that I found the whole ant thing demeaning. I explained that I don't expect much in the way of comforts here. I know I can't go to the bathroom when I have to go, only when I can go, and that my 64 degree room was plenty warm. But ants in my pants....!

I don't think I got through to the principal until I mentioned that next week, when he very thoughtfully buys lunch in the form of giant subs for the faculty, subs that will be placed in said faculty room for a period of three lunches, it's likely that the ants will get to those, ruining his attempt to do something nice for the faculty for the holidays.

At that point, with eyebrows raised, he declared, "I'll talk to Paul about that." (Paul is our director of building and grounds and perhaps one of the most powerful men here-they say he even has a say in late starts and snow days). But alas, this morning, the ever present ants were still, well, ever present. Give them time, I said to myself. Give them time.

 

[npmommie]

I'm a teacher. About a month ago, ants appeared in the faculty room. Not a lot of ants, but enough, on the floor in the lav and in the area where food is prepared. Pretty much throughout. Excuse my crassness, but if you use the toilet in a sitting position, there is a pretty good chance that whatever clothes you have lowered to allow you to relieve yourself will be fair game for the little critters. Even if they don't find their way into your undies, the seed is planted, and you think they are there.

A quick fix, right? On three separate occasions, I have requested that the janitorial staff take care of them. The solution. They vacuum them. They won't spray for fear that a parent might complain if the odor affects one of the students. This is in the faculty room, a place where students aren't allowed. But, that seems to be lost on them. The other issue that they fail to consider is that THERE ARE INSECTS INFESTING AN AREA WHERE WE ALL EAT and a little smell of insecticide may be preferred over INSECTS IN THE FACULTY ROOM.

I'm probably going to bring some industrial strength spray and spray and spray and spray, and frankly, I hope I get in trouble because I'm sick of it. Sick of it. Then my story can be told.

oh that is gross and give me the heebie jeebies just thinking about the toilet scenario!
sprinkle borax around the edges of the room, and the edges of the counters etc.
it dries out the ants, killing them.
and not so toxic.