Need help with ant problem

[Sabine]

So within the past few weeks, I''ve noticed we have a small ant problem. The problem is that I can''t figure out where they are coming from! I''ve seen individual ants, or maybe 2 at a time, in really random, spread out areas (on the floor near my son''s toys, on the coffee table, in the laundry room, and one in the pantry (this really freaks me out!), and on my bookcase. I haven''t seen any in the kitchen at all or places you would expect them to be.

Is it normal to have just individual ants in spread out places? Do there have to be more somewhere? And if so, how do I figure out where they are?

 

[Gailey]

No idea how you figure out where they are coming from, but if you put down a mixture of borax mixed with icing sugar, you should see them off pretty quickly.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Date: 3/4/2010 8:34:16 AM
Author:Sabine
So within the past few weeks, I''ve noticed we have a small ant problem. The problem is that I can''t figure out where they are coming from! I''ve seen individual ants, or maybe 2 at a time, in really random, spread out areas (on the floor near my son''s toys, on the coffee table, in the laundry room, and one in the pantry (this really freaks me out!), and on my bookcase. I haven''t seen any in the kitchen at all or places you would expect them to be.


Is it normal to have just individual ants in spread out places? Do there have to be more somewhere? And if so, how do I figure out where they are?

Not normal. Yes, most likely a lot in the walls and probably also in one place you have yet to discover (but they have). Borax and drug-store solutions can reduce the problem, but total eradication in the walls requires a professional exterminator.

 

[cnspotts]

Cornmeal or grits will safely get rid of ants in the home.

 

[Sabine]

If I do try to put something down, how do I know where to put it?

I''m starting to be very glad we''re moving out in 5 months!

 

[AprilBaby]

Anywhere the ants have been, wipe down with alcohol to get rid of the scent trail. They follow the same trails every time. The alcohol confuses them.

 

[treefrog]

Yes, they do tend to stick to a scent trail... at least for the main passages. I usually try to find a trail they seem to be using and put an ant trap there that sends them back to the colony with poison stuff. Wiping down the trail won''t keep them from continuing to come in, it will just confuse them once they are in. That''s my thought at least.

Treefrog

 

[Morgie44]

I am not sure if they are safe for your LO, but in the past we have used something like these that have worked for us. You just set them in a space where you have seen a few ants, then they take it back to wherever they are living and it kills off the colony.

 

[CasaBlanca]

Years ago, Mara posted an idea for fleas or ants. Don''t remember which.

But the stuff is what some pool filters use for a medium. (like sand) Diatomaceous Earth aka DE POWDER. The idea is that it pearces the hard crispy shell on some insects, and once that shell is damaged they dehydrate or something that kills them.

I recently was at a Ag store and this woman was going to buy 5 lbs for 19.99. I told her that I get it for my pool and get a ton more for about $29 or so. I asked what for what use she needed it, and she swore by it for her ant control. Thanks to me, she was on her way to the pool store.

This is a bright white finely milled powder. It reminds me of Baking POWDER texture. The wind will carry it off. SO I wouldn''t apply it on a windy day.

Good luck in what ever medium you choose.

 

[gemgirl]

I''ve used Orange Guard lots of times during the summer to deter all types of bugs from getting inside. It''s safe and non-toxic. I spray outside under the window sills, under the door sills and around the foundation and it usually works.

 

[Sabine]

Ugh, well, I found a BUNCH more ants in our pantry, so we totally cleaned it out and threw away any food that was open and not totally sealed (like boxes of cereal), killed the ants and used some of the home rememdies, but still called our apartment complex and they sent a guy out to spray.

I don''t know how I feel about it though...I asked him how long we should wait to put food back in the pantry, and he said we didn''t need to wait at all. He said the stuff just had a caution label like any cleaner would and is safe, but I''m still all yucked out! I don''t want to put food back in the pantry, but I need to get it all off our kitchen table!

 

[gemgirl]

Sabine, I''ve had the Riddex gizmos in my house for probably ten years now and I don''t have any bug problems.
These things plug into the wall and alter the electrical field for some distance around the outlet. The altered electrical field bothers the nervous systems of bugs and small rodents. They supposedly find it very annoying.
Whatever the case, they work.

Check out this link- https://www.riddex.com/Instructions.aspx

 

[charbie]

i''d ask kenny. he seemed to get a good response on his post a few days ago.