ANTS have invaded my house - need help

maisid
maisid Posts: 69 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hey guys, for a while I have had problems with ants, nothing big, just a few here and there. I have tried anything from

* cinnamon
*baking powder
*ant-poison-trap
* lemon juice
*bleach

but this morning I came downstairs to a huge farm having invaded my kitchen. I have already put all the food away, so I am not sure what they are here for. Maybe they like my cozy house, but I am egotistic and I do not want to share my house with ants..

Does anybody have any ideas what to do? I feel overrun :(

Thank you

P.S. I hope the pictures are working, first time I am trying to post pictures

dms2gj.jpg

2zi1pc5.jpg

ip1enl.jpg


Dang, Pics didn't work

Replies

  • catneon
    catneon Posts: 911 Member
    Sorry i'm glad the pics don't work! I HATE ants! if there are a few here and there a little raid and some traps should be good but realistically if they have "invaded" you probably need something stronger and good old natural recipes might not be strong enough.

    The key is to feed them something that they will bring back to the nest and destroy the colony look for ant poison food.
    I do have to say I have heard that people have had success with a borax/powdered sugar combination (probably easy to google) as a poison trap but I have not tried it myself.
    Good luck !
  • What316
    What316 Posts: 563
    Just give up and kneel before you're new ant masters
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
    I used to have this problem every single Spring, so awful. I see you are in Denmark, so I don't know if you can find it there or not, but I found Terro Liquid Ant Baits works great. It also comes in a spray can too. I heard about it and found it at my local Pleasants Hardware Store here in U.S. ( I am in VA). You just cut a little sliver off the side, set it in place and let the ants have at it.

    One word of warning. When you first put out the baits, the situation may actually get worse as they all come out full force for the what they think is food. It took a few days, but sure enough, they died off and I got to reclaim my house. You should've seen my baits, they were loaded. It was quite disgusting.

    Good luck!

    ETA: this is what I use: http://www.amazon.com/Terro-PreFilled-Liquid-Killer-Baits/dp/B000HJBKMQ
  • Buddhasmiracle
    Buddhasmiracle Posts: 925 Member
    If you have any other pets, be careful of what you put out to zap the ants be it a man made product or "natural."
  • maisid
    maisid Posts: 69 Member
    Thanks guys for the great advice. As 5ftnFun already noticed, I live in Denmark and we don't have access to all those great spray-poison-bomb-traps that you guys have in the US. I am having my friend send me something from Germany, let's up it will help. The poison trap I am having right now should be working, it always did in the past. But for some reason it won't right now. I guess the Queen of ants wasn't hungry yet.

    I have tried posting the pics again, if they show the links then just look at those. They do work, not sure why they won't show..

    http://i41.tinypic.com/2zi1pc5.jpg
    http://i41.tinypic.com/dms2gj.jpg
    http://i42.tinypic.com/ip1enl.jpg
  • labeachgirl
    labeachgirl Posts: 158 Member
    White vinegar was the key to my getting rid of little sugar ants. I found some glass cleaner with vinegar and used that, but if it's not available where you are, you can try 50% water/50% vinegar solution
  • JessicaRobin67
    JessicaRobin67 Posts: 275 Member
    I just had this problem... ants everywhere. I went and bought the most expensive ant traps.. black Raid. It has 2 sided food... eat and take back to nest and kills them. If this doesn't work, I would be calling a pest control man.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    Ant traps. They'll take the poison back to the nest, kills the entire colony.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    Make a mixture that's 50% baking soda and 50% powdered/confectioner's sugar. Mix it well, then place small amounts of it out in different places where they're a problem, in something like a shallow plastic lid. Keep it away from pets if you have any, though. The ants will collect both the soda and sugar, and take it back to their nest and eat it (and share it with all their sisters). They can't digest the baking soda - it'll kill them. This has worked well for me in the past. And yeah, it's that time of year for sure...I see them in our house every early summer too.
  • mrdexter1
    mrdexter1 Posts: 356 Member
    This should get them moving !!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35n4QaXfyXY
  • lintino
    lintino Posts: 456 Member
    I have problems every year with ants both large and small. I also have cats so I want to use something that is non toxic. I put out small amounts of cornmeal where the ants can get it. (Cats aren't interested) The ants take it back to their nests. They are unable to digest it and it kills them. Usually takes about a week for them to go away.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    Boric Acid Solution - Combine a small amount of boric acid, sugar and hot water in a spray bottle and swirl mixing thoroughly. Boric Acid can be purchased at any discount retailer like Walmart under the name Borax. Make sure to keep this away from pets or children as it is hazardous. This is a good option for long term control.

    2


    Bleach Solution - Combine a small amount of bleach with hot water in a spray bottle and swirl mixing thoroughly. Make sure to keep this away from pets or children as it is hazardous. This is a good option for long term control. Using the name brands, like Clorox, does not add any additional killing power.





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    3


    Ammonia - Spray Window cleaner liberally and watch them stop in their tracks, dead. This is a good option for short term control. It will have to be reapplied to be effective as the ants appear.

    4


    Oatmeal or Grits - Leave a few pieces of instant oatmeal or grits (some sort of water absorbing food) out where the ants are appearing. Get it as close to the nest as possible. The ant will take it back to the nest and eat it. Once eaten the food expands essentially popping the bug. Nice visual huh? Cruel but effective and non toxic. This option has to be applied frequently.

    5


    Now, if you don't want to kill the ants, but just want to keep them away from a particular area like a garden etc place a few drops of peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle and fill with water. Spray this generously around the area but try to avoid the plants themselves.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    Clorox Solution

    Clorox, a common household chemical for cleaning, is a good indoor remedy against any pest. Just make sure to keep it out of children’s reach. Keep it away from food and drinks, too. To economize on clorox use, mix one part of it with three parts of water (1:3). For a stronger solution of this homemade ant killer, use a 1:1 proportion. Place the solution in a tin or plastic spray. Spray on corners or paths where ants travel. Spray on opening where they come in and out. Better yet, use a small funnel to pour the solution into such openings. Do this on a regular basis.

    Salt and Vinegar Solution

    Vinegar is a natural acid. Ants are naturally repulsed by salt. Thus, aside from killing most ants in a colony, this solution makes the rest that survive leave the habitat. Mix one part of water with two parts vinegar. Then add liberal amounts of salt. Taste the solution if it is too sour and salty enough. Then use this to spray over the ants or pour over their colonies.
  • trixiemou
    trixiemou Posts: 554 Member
    Eucalyptus oil diluted in water. Spray the ants and along their walk way in. They do not like it at all. It kills those within immediate contact and others sort of go a bit loopy which then I think sends the message out to the others. It may take a few times as they can change their route but I have certainly found it helps.
  • marsellient
    marsellient Posts: 591 Member
    Borax (a lot of commercial ant killers have boric acid in them), look up how to use on google, keep the crumbs cleaned up and patience!
  • lkenn67
    lkenn67 Posts: 215 Member
    Trying to fix pics

    dms2gj.jpg

    2zi1pc5.jpg

    ip1enl.jpg
  • dittmarml
    dittmarml Posts: 351 Member
    diacemateous earth, food-grade (not the type made for swimming pools as a filter). It's completely non-toxic to animals and people, but kills ants, fleas, earwigs, etc etc. It's made of fossilized diatoms and gets into the joints of the ant once they pick it up on their legs, eventually cutting the exoskeleton to shreds. I've been using it on a flea issue and it's been great.
  • RTheHutt
    RTheHutt Posts: 46 Member
    5ftnFun wrote:
    I used to have this problem every single Spring, so awful. I see you are in Denmark, so I don't know if you can find it there or not, but I found Terro Liquid Ant Baits works great.

    ETA: this is what I use: http://www.amazon.com/Terro-PreFilled-Liquid-Killer-Baits/dp/B000HJBKMQ

    Yeah, this is the stuff to use!! It is a sweet syrup loaded with a boron compound, so it's not particularly toxic to anything but the ants. The downside is that you have to wait for them to eat it and bring it back to their nest, which takes a few days, and you'll see them swarming all over this sticky stuff in the meantime. But then - they're gone! And when you pick up the trap, no poisons are left in your house. If you don't have Terro, try to look for something that works on the same principle - boron in a sweet syrup. Good luck!
  • maisid
    maisid Posts: 69 Member
    Thank you all for the great advice. I will try everything that doesn't involve buying american products from Amazon.com. By the time the product will finally arrive in Denmark the ants will either have taken over or I will already be gone for the summer on vacation.

    But thanks again for the great help..

    :D
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    get to steppin'

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