need ant control solution?

Question

I recently developed an ant problem in my apartment, and I need a way to get rid of them without also putting my dog at risk, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer 1

CLEAN YOUR HOUSE

Answer 2

Boy can I sympathsize!

I also have 3 cats, and have had to learn to put out food only at certain times for them- then take it up immediately when they're done eating.

I have learned that diluted lysol will kill them, and I can give the area I've sprayed a quick clean-up afterwards: A good idea so there won't be any little ant-corpses to draw in more ants.

Good luck!

Answer 3

What kind of ants?
Basically they go where there is food.
If they are going to the dog dish, common this time of year, only put out what your dog will immediately eat .
Trash can?
Clean it and take trash out dailey .

Big Black Ants , may be Carpenter Ants, call your landlord .

Answer 4

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://www.pests.in useful.

Answer 5

I was going to say carefully mix some cayenne pepper and salt together, but since you have pets I cant. Get a professional to advise you.

Answer 6

MANAGEMENT

Ant management requires diligent efforts and the combined use of mechanical, cultural, sanitation, and often chemical methods of control. It is unrealistic and impractical to attempt to totally eliminate ants from an outdoor area. Focus your management efforts on excluding ants from buildings or valuable plants and eliminating their food and water sources. Reducing outdoor sources of ants near buildings may reduce the likelihood of ants coming indoors. Remember that ants play a beneficial role in the garden in some cases. Become aware of the seasonal cycle of ants in your area and be prepared for annual invasions by caulking and baiting before the influx. Different species of ants respond to management practices differently. For management information specific to a particular species, see the online Key to Identifying Common Household Ants.
Monitoring and Inspection

Monitor for ants near attractive food sources or areas of moisture. Ants may invade kitchens, bathrooms, offices, or bedrooms. Inspect under sinks, in cupboards, along pipes, and along electrical wires. Look for large trails of ants or for just a few stragglers. Straggling ants are scouts randomly searching for food or nesting sites. When you spot ant trails, try to follow the ants to where they are entering the building and to the nest if possible. Look for holes or cracks in foundations or walls that provide entry points to buildings.
Exclusion and Sanitation

To keep ants out of buildings, caulk cracks and crevices around foundations that provide entry from outside. Some caulking products available to professionals contain silica aerogel for long-term control combined with pyrethrins for more immediate effects. Ants prefer to make trails along structural elements, such as wires and pipes, and frequently use them to enter and travel within a structure to their destination. Indoors, eliminate cracks and crevices wherever possible, especially in kitchens and other food preparation and storage areas.

Store attractive food items such as sugar, syrup, honey, and pet food in closed containers that have been washed to remove residues from outer surfaces. Rinse out empty soft drink containers or remove them from the building. Thoroughly clean up grease and spills. Remove garbage from buildings daily and change liners frequently. Look for indoor nesting sites, such as potted plants. If ants are found in potted plants, remove the containers from the building, then place the pots for 20 minutes or more in a solution of insecticidal soap and water at a rate of one to two tablespoons of insecticidal soap per quart of water. Submerge so the surface of the soil is just covered by the water-soap solution.

Outdoor ant nests may be associated with plants that support large populations of honeydew-producing insects such as aphids, soft scales, mealybugs or whiteflies. Avoid planting such trees and shrubs next to buildings, or manage honeydew producing insects. Keep plants, grass, and mulch several inches away from the foundation of buildings because they provide nesting sites for ants.
Management on Trees and Shrubs

When numerous ants are found on plants, they are probably attracted to the sweet honeydew deposited on the plants by honeydew-producing insects such as aphids or soft scales. Ants may also be attracted up into trees or shrubs by ripening or rotten sweet fruit or floral nectar. These ants can be kept out by banding tree trunks with sticky substances such as Tanglefoot. Trim branches to keep them from touching structures or plants so that ants are forced to climb up the trunk to reach the foliage.

Protect young or sensitive trees from possible injury by wrapping the trunk with a collar of heavy paper, duct tape, or fabric tree wrap and coating this with the sticky material. Check the sticky material every 1 or 2 weeks and stir it with a stick to prevent the material from getting clogged with debris and dead ants, which will allow ants to cross. Ant stakes with bait can also be used around trees. In landscapes, some mulches can repel ants and discourage nesting. For example, aromatic pencil cedar mulch repels Argentine ants, whereas pine straw provides an ideal nesting site. Be aware that not all types of cedar chips repel ants: the effectiveness of red cedar chips found in California has not been verified.
Baits

Baits are insecticides mixed with materials that attract worker ants looking for food. They are a key tool for managing ants and the only type of insecticide recommended in most situations. Ants are attracted to the bait and recruit other workers to it. Workers carry small portions of the bait back to the nest where it is transferred mouth-to-mouth to other workers, larvae, and queens and other reproductive forms to kill the entire colony. Bait products must be slow-acting so that the foraging ants have time to make their way back to the nest and feed other members of the colony before they are killed. When properly used, baits are more effective and safer than sprays.
What to Do If You Have an Ant Emergency

* Determine what the ants are attracted to and remove the food source
* Vacuum trails, wipe them with soapy water, or spray with window cleaner
* Locate entry points and caulk openings or plug with petroleum jelly
* Put out bait stations or apply gel bait at entry points
* Baits take time to work so continue to clean up trails
* Indoor sprays are not usually necessary

Baits are available in several different forms. For residential users, the most readily available forms are solids or liquids that are prepackaged into ant stakes or small plastic bait station containers. These products are easy to use and are quite safe if kept away from children or pets. Some products dry up rapidly and must be frequently replaced to control a large population. A few boric acid products are liquids that are poured into containers or applied as drops on cards.

Reusable bait stations, which are primarily available to pest control professionals, are more useful than prepackaged baits for difficult ant problems. Reusable stations can be opened, checked and refilled as needed. This is particularly important for liquid baits, which may be rapidly consumed or dry out. Some of these stations have removable cups that can be filled with two or more types of baits to offer ants a choice. Bait stations protect baits from photodegradation and disturbance by children. Some types of bait stations can be permanently installed into the ground or attached to outside walls or pavement in areas around schools or other buildings where ants are a frequent problem. They may be hidden in mulch so they are not immediately visible to children or pets.

Gel formulations of pesticide baits are packaged in small tubes. They are applied in small cracks and crevices where ants are entering. Gel products are now available to home users as well as professionals.

Ant baits contain either carbohydrates (e.g., sugars), proteins, or oils, or some combination of these as attractants along with an active ingredient (toxicant). Different attractants are more effective against different species of ants and at different times of the year. In the case of Argentine ants, sweet baits are attractive year-round. Protein baits are attractive primarily in the spring because they are brought back to the colony to feed the developing brood. In the case of fire ants, they prefer baits containing oils. Offering a small quantity of each kind of bait and observing which one the ants prefer is a good way to determine what to use.

Look for the active ingredient listed on the label of bait products. Some examples of active ingredients include hydramethylnon, fipronil, arsenic trioxide, boric acid (borax), avermectin B (abamectin), and n-ethyl perfluorooctane-sulfonamide (sulfluramid). Table 2 lists some common ant bait products organized by active ingredient. Bait products are constantly being improved. Look out for new active ingredients and improvements to current products. Avoid products packaged as granules that contain the active ingredients cyfluthrin or permethrin. Although these products may be mistaken for baits, they are actually contact insecticides that rapidly kill foragers and do not control the colony. Likewise, bait stations with propoxur are not very effective because the active ingredient is too fast-acting.
Table 2. Common Ant Bait Products Available in 2004. Effectiveness varies. Active Ingredient Example product name Formulation: application/bait
Arsenic trioxide Grant's Kills Ants* Solid: bait discs/sugar
Avermectin B (Abamectin) 381B Advance Select Granular Ant Bait Solid: scatter or use bait station/protein
Borate-based products Drax Ant Kil Gel1
Advance liquid ant bait1
Terro Ant Killer II Liquid Ant Baits2 Gel: apply in cracks/sugar
Liquid: bait station/sugar
Liquid: bait containers/sugar
Fipronil Combat ant killing gel*
Combat Quick Kill*
Maxforce FC Ant Killer Bait Gel
Maxforce FC Ant Bait Stations Gel: apply in cracks/protein
Solid: bait discs/protein
Gel: apply in cracks/sugar
Solid: bait discs/protein
Hydramethylnon Combat Source Kill*
Maxforce Ant Killer Bait Stations
Maxforce granular insect bait Solid: bait discs/protein
Solid: bait discs/protein
Solid: scatter or use bait station/protein
Sulfluramid
(N-ethyl Perfluorooctane-sulfonamide) Advance Dual Choice ant bait stations
FMC FluorGuard Ant Control Baits
Hotshot MaxAttrax ant bait*
Raid Double Control Ant Baits*
Zep ant bait stations* Solid: bait discs/protein or sugar
Solid: bait discs/protein or sugar
Solid: bait discs/protein or sugar
Solid: bait discs/protein or sugar
*Available for nonprofessionals in retail outlets. 1Orthoboric acid 2Sodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax)

To improve bait effectiveness, be sure to remove any particles of food or other attractive material from cracks around sinks, pantries, and other ant-infested areas. For the most effective and economical control, use baits only when there is an ant problem. Treatments made in late winter and early spring when ant populations are just beginning to grow will be most effective. Ant preferences can change throughout the year; to increase your success rate, set out different formulations of various bait products in a single baiting station, giving ants a choice. Do not use any insecticide sprays while you are using baits. Check and refresh bait stations regularly. Baits can dry up or become rancid and unattractive over time.

Use baits primarily outdoors. Use indoors only if there is a serious infestation and you can’t find the spot where they are entering the building, otherwise you could actually attract ants indoors. Outdoor baits draw ants out of buildings. Place bait stations where ants can easily find them, but avoid placing them in areas that are accessible to small children and pets. Place baits near nests, on ant trails beneath plants, or along edges where ants travel. Space them every 10 to 20 feet outside around the foundation and at nest openings if they can be found. Effectiveness of baits will vary with ant species, bait material, and availability of alternative food. To achieve wide distribution of the bait so the entire colony will be killed, the bait toxicant must be slow acting. Control with baits is not immediate and may take several weeks or more to be complete.
Indoor Treatments

If ants can be thoroughly washed away and excluded from an area, an insecticide is probably not necessary. Vacuuming up ant trails or sponging or mopping them with soapy water may be as effective as an insecticide spray in temporarily removing foraging ants in a building because it removes the ant’s scent trail, especially if thorough cleaning is done at the entry points. Some soap products such as window cleaners can kill ants on contact but leave no residual toxicity. Certain plant-based oils are also applied for this purpose, but their odor can be offensive.
Outdoor Treatments

A common method used to prevent ants from coming indoors is to apply a perimeter treatment of residual sprays around the foundation. Commonly used insecticides include the pyrethroids bifenthrin and lambda-cyhalothrin. Both are available in retail products, but products available to professionals provide a longer residual control than home-use products. Spraying around the foundation will not provide long-term control because it kills only foraging ants without killing the colony. Perimeter treatments may appear to knock down the population, but ants will quickly build back up and invade again. To try to achieve long-term control, some pest control companies offer monthly perimeter spray programs. Perimeter treatments pose more risk of environmental upset than baits in bait stations and are less effective than a bait-based IPM program.