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Started 1 year ago by Lakee911
Latest reply from HeySquare

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Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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Has anyone had trouble with ants this year? I have been battling some since mid-May. A few co-workers have reported problems too.

They are the little ones...maybe less than one eighth of an inch long. I know they are coming from out in the yard but I do not know where the nest is. It is in the grass somewhere.

Every three to seven days or so they find kitty's food and into the trash it goes. I keep moving it. Last night they were on that and they found my latte flavor syrup on the counter too so out that went. I keep a very clean house too!

I have been using a roach and any killer by Raid inside and I have been using a Ortho Home Defense (or something like that...I forget the name) product that I keep mixing up in strengths many many times stronger than on the label.

Everytime I spray they just find a new way in after a few days. I have sprayed the deck, house, foundation, windows, doors, cracks, ground, etc. I have done everthing but drill small holes and spray into the walls.

Help!

Posted 1 year ago #
0Angle
A brewery or my kitchen or my bicycle.
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I've had the same problem. This year seems worse than ever. I've had pretty good results with Ant Baits. You might want to invest in a couple/few boxes. Put all of them out (I make a barricade between where they get in and where they are headed) They take the poison back to the nest where it kills the queen. I haven't seen any in a while, but I'm always ready for battle.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cookie
Flyntonville
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I'm not having any problems, but when I had a roommate that left candy wrappers around the house, I had good results with Terro ant baits.

Posted 1 year ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Got those once a year in Chicago and Philly. We called them sugar ants. Easy to get rid of.

1) sprinkle a little Borax between where you think they are coming in a kitty's bowl.

2) Drop a few of these around.

Doesn't have to be this brand though.

They will be gone in a week and not return for a year.

Posted 1 year ago #
jillg
Westgate
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+1 to Cookie's suggestion. The Terro liquid ant bait works really well.

Posted 1 year ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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Just make sure you get the little 'pucks' so kitty can't eat it

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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Thanks, all! I'll look into the bait.

Posted 1 year ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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Also - they make ant proof cat/dog dishes... I had one when I lived in the sticks in NC... the one I got looked the most like "The Mote"... http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=662

ETA - Ants/bugs hate peppermint oil (and cinnamon) - I've sprayed peppermint oil on my thresholds and where I've thought I was getting ants. It's not toxic to pets and it smells nice. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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http://www.amazon.com/Ortho-0195310-3-Gallon-Defense-Perimeter/dp/B000A0LFLS

Posted 1 year ago #
dru
IV
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Mercurius wrote >>
http://www.amazon.com/Ortho-0195310-3-Gallon-Defense-Perimeter/dp/B000A0LFLS

^shameless corporate plug!

Posted 1 year ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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dru wrote >>

Mercurius wrote >>
http://www.amazon.com/Ortho-0195310-3-Gallon-Defense-Perimeter/dp/B000A0LFLS

^shameless corporate plug!

;) I bet you won't have ants again for a year.

Posted 1 year ago #
thats neat
gahanna
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I had the exact same problem! Tiny ants creeping all over the cat food- scary! I felt like such a bad cat parent! It didn't seem to matter where I put the dish.
I've had success with the any bait puck/stations. I believe I bought them at Target and they came in packs of 4. I put a few along the baseboards in the room with the cat food bowl. The area has been ant free for the past few months!

Posted 1 year ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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@lakee - make sure you're bleaching, or otherwise, removing the trail of pheromones the ants are following. Just moving a food source and laying down poison won't stop them if the pheromones trails that the scout ants lay down are still there.

Posted 1 year ago #
0Angle
A brewery or my kitchen or my bicycle.
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I heard an author on "Fresh Air" say that every ant that you see is a female! Males never leave the nest-they are for breeding purposes only. I guess this belongs on the useless fact page, not here...

Posted 1 year ago #
patient_zero
Falafel District
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The Terro clear plastic gel traps seem to work best for these little "sweet ants", or "sugar ants" as Tenzo refers to. They come in a six pack. Before you buy them, look inside the box to make sure the chemical is in a liquid form, not in a gel state as it can be sometimes.

If you need to put it on carpet, use a flat surface, like a piece of cardboard.

Posted 1 year ago #
thegenerallee

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If you're looking for a DIY solution, one of my friends said he had the same problem and found a mix you can make that will help kill the ants. His recipe is different but the concept is essentially the same as what's outlined at http://www.ehow.com/how_4881566_make-borax-ant-bait.html

Basically just make the mix discussed in the article, spoon it into a bottle cap, then set it out and hope they take it back to the hive and kill the rest of them.

Posted 1 year ago #
Talcott
Clintonville
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On a related note, does anyone have some suggestions for dealing with little flying bugs?
Living a couple of blocks from the river, and with screens that don't seal perfectly (no AC for me), my apartment has been overrun by tiny (and some not-so-tiny) flying insects at night. A friendly spider has set up shop by one of the windows, but that hasn't done as much good as I'd hoped it would.

On the plus side, they do seem to entertain my cats.

Posted 1 year ago #
patient_zero
Falafel District
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Pic Fly Ribbons will attract winged insects.

Edit- You should get one of those window air conditioners with the accordion sides, at least for the bedroom. :]

Posted 1 year ago #
Talcott
Clintonville
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patient_zero wrote >>

Pic Fly Ribbons will attract winged insects.
Edit- You should get one of those window air conditioners with the accordion sides, at least for the bedroom. :]

Wow. I didn't know they still made flypaper.

The bedroom actually isn't much of an issue for bugs or heat. I have a box fan aimed at my bed and it's surprisingly effective. The big problem seems to be that they're drawn to the lamp in my living room.

I know it makes no sense, but as much as I hate heat, I really don't like AC much. I can't shake the feeling that it's summer, so my windows have to be open. I'm just holding out [completely unrealistic] hope that this is the year we get snow on my mid-August birthday. ;-)

Posted 1 year ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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thegenerallee wrote >>
If you're looking for a DIY solution, one of my friends said he had the same problem and found a mix you can make that will help kill the ants. His recipe is different but the concept is essentially the same as what's outlined at http://www.ehow.com/how_4881566_make-borax-ant-bait.html
Basically just make the mix discussed in the article, spoon it into a bottle cap, then set it out and hope they take it back to the hive and kill the rest of them.

One thing to remember here is that he has a cat. Cats will lick just about anything. Any poisons need to be in a container the cat cant get into or pour out, or is not harmful to cats.

Borax wont kill cats though, as far as I know

Posted 1 year ago #