We recently had our kitchen renovated and we had to tear down a portion of the wall. We never had a problem with ants until we did this. Now, no matter how much I wipe up after cooking dinner, when I wake up in the morning they are all over the countertop, in the sink, and even in the microwave. We ordered a pizza the other night and I placed it in the microwave to keep the ants out but they still got inside. I purchased this thick syrupy blue stuff. you're supposed to place a drop on the counter and they will eat it and take it back to the queen. It worked temporarily but they keep coming back. Any permanent solutions (aside from setting the whole house on fire...haha)?
2006-10-05 03:55:09 · 9 answers · asked by SmartyPants 5 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
Ugh, ants.... What a pain in the a-- they are. But no fear, they are easily detered, if you are proactive.
First, go to Lowes, Home Depot, etc... and get the following....
Grants Ant Spikes
Ant Granules http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=46486-316-51100&lpage=none
1gal spray jug of Ortho Home Defense MAX http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=11983-446-11983&lpage=none
Ant Traps.
Place the granules around the perimeter of your house and water lightly. Next the Ant Spikes, place them wherever you see ant trails, as well as near openings, or cracks that can lead into your house. Finally, use the MAX to spray around the perimeter of your house, where you see ants, around the perimeter of windows, near openings to your house, cracks in your foundation, sidewalks, etc... Anywhere you see ants, or have seen ants. Also spray inside your house, if you have small children, then DONT. But you would spray around the base of your kitchen, kitchen island, fridge, etc... Obviously, keep the spray off of food, or surfaces that can come in contact with food. And finally, place ant traps strategically, in a typical kitchen 4 or 6 will go a long way.
I had a problem with ants at my old house, but in 2 days I completely removed them from the interior of the house, and over the next few weeks, I was able to keep them completely away from my house until we moved out. But, you have to be proactive about this and perform continuous action. Every 4 to 6 months the ant spikes need to be replaced, if the area you placed them gets watered often, then you need to replace them every 2 to 3 months. The ant granules, need to be reapplied every 2 to 3 weeks, for the first 2 or 3 months. And of course, you should spray the perimeter of your house once a month with the MAX. But trust me on this, the products I mentioned work the best, and the chances of human contact are very very minimal. Also, unlike using Raid or Black Flag, these products continue killing over a much longer period, and without any nasty smell. But hey, trust me on this, I swear it works. At first it may seem pricey, compared to using Raid, but its actually cost effective, considering these are products that are used for long periods of time.
Also, if you have pets, dont be tempted to buy a product made from sand. As this can kill any pets you have, or make them very very sick. And if you do have pets, to keep them away, sprinkle some pepper around where you treat the outside of your house. That should be enough to keep them away.
2006-10-05 06:20:56 · answer #1 · answered by jeff the drunk 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mix a combination of Borax and Icing Sugar power half and half and put in area where ants are. they will take it to nest and poof in no time they will self destruct. I had many and this was the only remedy that worked for me. Remember to shake the mixture well so the icing sugar coats the borax. Borax can be got at your local Wal- Mart and Icing Sugar at Supermarket.
2006-10-05 04:58:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You already learned the key is killing the queen or queens. It may take a little time to find where they are coming from and to but its worth it to find the nest. Go to a hardware store or home center and get the best poison they have....the best would be one that doesn't just kill them like RAID but which allows them to transport the killer back to the queen. When shes dead they are soon all dead.
2006-10-05 04:17:11 · answer #3 · answered by Capt 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see the ants. They eat it-take it back to their nest and it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it does work. With this remedy, you don't have to worry about your pets and kids getting harmed.
2006-10-05 05:46:31 · answer #4 · answered by Hestia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ants become a nuisance when they enter homes. Instead of spending money on costly pest control, you can get rid of ants by removing the food source and using soap water.
I found the information at http://tinyurl.com/mdhlm useful.
2006-10-05 11:33:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I use baby powder, the kind in a plastic container. Just "dust" it into all the woodwork. After several hours you can vacuum up the leftovers. This works especially well if you have pets-it's not poisonous.
2006-10-05 11:12:36 · answer #6 · answered by fujiwest1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We used raid, sprayed it around the outside of our house and the inside walls it seemed to keep them out, we did this every two weeks or so.
2006-10-05 04:03:13 · answer #7 · answered by klairyker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are these poison traps you can get that look like a floss case, but entice the ants (with a certain smell) and then they go in, after they go in, they dont come out. : )
2006-10-05 04:04:06 · answer #8 · answered by Yuri Slavio 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cinnamon and windex. I spray the windex on them to celean off the surface they are marching on and then pour cinnamon on the clean surface. Works great! You can also use simple green, any spray cleaner works just fine.
2006-10-05 08:32:30 · answer #9 · answered by Hadda Bad Day 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋