Author Topic: Whats the best way to get rid of ants indoors? (Read 1727 times)

MariaCatherine · « **on:** May 04, 2014, 10:51:24 PM »

I've used boric acid in maple syrup, which does attract and kill them, but because I'm limited to using it in only one room, and I can't seal any cracks or holes anywhere, so far I've only been able to reduce their number somewhat. The infested place is a nursing home. They don't allow pesticides, so I have to be discreet and careful to make sure the poison can't be reached by any wandering or curious residents. I've told the right people in charge and they claim they're doing everything they can.

I've also used honey with boric acid, but these ants aren't honey-lovers. I've also used soapy water on them but that only seems to slow them down. Next I'm going to try spraying salt water on them, and where they lurk.

Lighthouse · « **Reply #1 on:** May 04, 2014, 11:48:05 PM »

I've heard that food grade diatomaceous earth is good for this sort of thing.

Marlelar · « **Reply #2 on:** May 04, 2014, 11:52:03 PM »

If you can access the outside wall use Amdro. It looks like cormeal. You spread it thinly, the ants think it's food and take it back to the nest. I have used this for 15+ years, works every time. I buy it at Home Despot :) or Lowe's.

Marsha

Marlelar · « **Reply #3 on:** May 04, 2014, 11:53:27 PM »

Quote from: Lighthouse

I've heard that food grade diatomaceous earth is good for this sort of thing.

It doesn't even have to be food grade unless you're putting it in grains you plan to eat. For bugs nowhere near food you can use the type you get at a pool store.

Marsha

Mabel · « **Reply #4 on:** May 05, 2014, 12:01:14 AM »

Quote from: Marlelar

If you can access the outside wall use Amdro. It looks like cormeal. You spread it thinly, the ants think it's food and take it back to the nest. I have used this for 15+ years, works every time. I buy it at Home Despot :) or Lowe's.

Marsha

I call it "Home Despot" too!

:roll-laugh1:

Neil Obstat · « **Reply #5 on:** May 05, 2014, 01:56:35 AM »

.

Has anyone tried Roach Pruffe? It's 98% boric acid crystals with 2% blue coloring. It's funny that there is a poison warning on the canister, but boric acid isn't poisonous. It's used as a topical skin treatment, even for eyewash.

Apparently since this is on the shelf as a pesticide, the law requires that the label warns against 'poison' even though it's only poisonous to insects.

I've heard that plants don't like it either, so don't put it in your flower beds!!

The cockroaches walking around get the crystals stuck to them by static electricity, and then they go to their nest at night and clean themselves off by eating dust and whatever else is stuck to their legs etc. So they eat the boric acid like that, and then it goes into their digestive tract and upsets the chemical balance so that they dry up, by dehydration.

.

shin · « **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2014, 09:01:48 AM »

They don't like cinnamon it will help!

MariaCatherine · « **Reply #7 on:** May 05, 2014, 09:06:03 AM »

The first thing I used was boric acid. I shot it along the edge of the floor where it meets the wall, and in the corners where the holes are. I guess it's not enough to treat just one room, but unfortunately that's all I can do. It seems to me the ants must be causing damage to the structure. One would think the admin would try to prevent that, but I guess they're too busy just keeping themselves employed.

Home Despot indeed!

songbird · « **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2014, 04:27:43 PM »

We had the house done for termites and I never saw an ant again!

Crickets like ants. If you get rid of crickets, your in for big trouble with ants.

Neil Obstat · « **Reply #9 on:** May 05, 2014, 04:34:13 PM »

Quote from: songbird

We had the house done for termites and I never saw an ant again!

Crickets like ants. If you get rid of crickets, you're in for big trouble with ants.

Wow! This is great news.

I know that termites and ants are mortal enemies. Ants eat termites like we have roasted turkey on Thanksgiving or a ham on Easter.

So a building with ant infestation probably has a termite problem, too. Sounds logical.

But crickets?

It sounds like you need crickets but not too many, otherwise you won't have any ants and then the termites will run rampant.

It's always something!

.

Frances · « **Reply #10 on:** May 05, 2014, 04:47:22 PM »

:dancing-banana:
Do not release crickets indoors! They have no problem obeying God's command to be fruitful and multiply! They'll infest a building the same as roaches. They're dirty like roaches, and unlike roaches, their chirping will drive you crazy!
Try Andro, or, if you're afraid of poison, use citrus peels that have been flexed to release the oils. Many ants can't strand the scent. Cinnamon sticks work with large black ants.

songbird · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2014, 06:54:35 PM »

I don't have crickets. When we lived on a AF Base, we had crickets and I did not bother with them. The housed connected to ours, boasted of having the crickets exterminated. Result was ants, fire ants and the lady of the home came out screaming for there was above her baby's bed on the wall a full circle of ants. And get this, a town south of the base had the same problems in their old homes built in the early 60's and a baby was attacked by ants. I don't recall if the baby survived or not. That bad!

Marlelar · « **Reply #12 on:** May 05, 2014, 08:43:21 PM »

Quote from: Mabel

Quote from: Marlelar
If you can access the outside wall use Amdro. It looks like cormeal. You spread it thinly, the ants think it's food and take it back to the nest. I have used this for 15+ years, works every time. I buy it at Home Despot :) or Lowe's.Marsha

I call it "Home Despot" too!

:roll-laugh1:

Many moons ago, as a young mother, I took 2 kids (prob about 18mo, and 3yo) to HD. I was stopped by an employee when I put the older one in the big basket end of the cart and told that it was a safety hazard and that he had to be in a seat. Well the little one was in the seat so I asked him for one of "their" two seaters. He said they didn't have a two seater. When I asked what parents were to do with 2 kids and no two seaters he said " YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO LEAVE THE STORE" ! Imagine kicking a woman out of the store because she has children with her...

I didn't go back to HD for over TWENTY years, back then we had a hardware store called Orchard Supply and they got my business for the next 6 years, until we moved.

Even now it is a last resort. I go to Lowe's first, Ace second, and HD only if I am absolutely, positively desperate!

Marsha

Matthew · « **Reply #13 on:** May 05, 2014, 08:49:38 PM »

What we do when we get ants:

1. Step up the frequency of sweeping/vacuuming (we don't want to force ants to come in on account of a mega banquet!)

2. Spray the outside of the house with "Home Barrier" stuff we get from Home Depot. Our home has a stone exterior, so it has regularly spaced 1 inch "weep holes" that are basically free entry points to our home for smaller creatures.

3. Buy some RAID brand ant baits. Other brands don't work, in my experience. The RAID ones are made of plastic and have a couple of entry holes for the ants on each side. They come in packs of 4 -- each 2 of them is shrink-wrapped and they are perforated together (connected with a dotted line) so that you have to separate each set of 2.

NOTE: If you do this regularly, you might want to label each ant bait with the month/year. They do dry out eventually and lose their efficacy, so it helps to know which ones still have some life left in them.

This 1-2-3 punch usually does the trick.

Petertherock · « **Reply #14 on:** May 05, 2014, 10:34:46 PM »

Quote from: Marlelar

Quote from: Mabel
Quote from: Marlelar
If you can access the outside wall use Amdro. It looks like cormeal. You spread it thinly, the ants think it's food and take it back to the nest. I have used this for 15+ years, works every time. I buy it at Home Despot :) or Lowe's.Marsha

I call it "Home Despot" too!

:roll-laugh1:

Many moons ago, as a young mother, I took 2 kids (prob about 18mo, and 3yo) to HD. I was stopped by an employee when I put the older one in the big basket end of the cart and told that it was a safety hazard and that he had to be in a seat. Well the little one was in the seat so I asked him for one of "their" two seaters. He said they didn't have a two seater. When I asked what parents were to do with 2 kids and no two seaters he said " YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO LEAVE THE STORE" ! Imagine kicking a woman out of the store because she has children with her...

I didn't go back to HD for over TWENTY years, back then we had a hardware store called Orchard Supply and they got my business for the next 6 years, until we moved.

Even now it is a last resort. I go to Lowe's first, Ace second, and HD only if I am absolutely, positively desperate!

Marsha

The only reason I like Home Depot is I get a 10% discount for being a veteran. I have a contract with Modern Pest which I got when I had the mouse problem and they also take care of ants, spiders and lots of other pests. The only thing that would cost extra would be if I had termites or bed bugs...thankfully as far as I know I don't have either one!