Anyone having problem with big black ants?
08-03-2010, 04:41 PM
#31
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 4,188
Last year I had a lot of ants come in the house, but
with boric acid I killed them, except for some that kept
on eating the cat food. So on the advice of a friend, I
put down some mint breath fresheners, and the ants
left and didn't return. Since that was so successful, I
tried it outdoors and the ants LOVED them and swarmed
all over them. Had to revert to boric acid and sugar again
there. Possibly a different kind of ant outdoors.
As for the cats, they thought the mints were play things
and I had a hard time keeping track of the mints.
with boric acid I killed them, except for some that kept
on eating the cat food. So on the advice of a friend, I
put down some mint breath fresheners, and the ants
left and didn't return. Since that was so successful, I
tried it outdoors and the ants LOVED them and swarmed
all over them. Had to revert to boric acid and sugar again
there. Possibly a different kind of ant outdoors.
As for the cats, they thought the mints were play things
and I had a hard time keeping track of the mints.
08-03-2010, 04:57 PM
#32
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 238
When we bought our house, the inspector said we needed to have our house and yard professionally sprayed as these ants work similar to termites on the wood. We used Ortho Defense all over (without a professional) and it worked wonderfully. We bought our house in 2004 and havent seen any more since.
I hope this helps! :)
I hope this helps! :)
08-03-2010, 06:43 PM
#33
Power Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: West Roxbury, Ma
Posts: 10,353
An equal amount of granulated sugar and powdered borax hand soap. Place about a teaspoon on small cut up squaes of paper towels and leave on the floor etc in diffrent (many) places around the house. ALso spread the combination all around the outside of the house close to the foundation. They will eat and be gone. It really does work. I did it for two years in a row and have only seen 3-4 so far this year in the house.
08-03-2010, 07:25 PM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Reno, Nevada
Posts: 794
We moved into our hundred-year-old (somewhat neglected) house about 8 years ago. The first two years, during the hot humid days of summer, here came the black ants. They were huge! Curious that they were in no other room of the house than the second-floor bathroom and seemed to be coming from a storage area we hadn't yet got to for remodel, etc.
Because we had dogs, we wanted to poisons, etc., so did the cornmeal thing. Within a couple days, we saw no more. Next year, there they were again, but not quite as many as the year before. Repeated the process. Had nothing for the next several years after that. Then, I saw one or two this year and went right at it. NO MORE ANTS!
Hope this clean, safe way works for you.
I don't know if baking soda would work. A friend of mine moved into a new apartment with roaches (yuck!), and quickly got them under control with lines of baking soda around all walls, counters, etc., and her youngsters were safe as well. Might be worth a try for the ants if the cornmeal doesn't turn them off. I think they won't crawl through the baking soda.
Because we had dogs, we wanted to poisons, etc., so did the cornmeal thing. Within a couple days, we saw no more. Next year, there they were again, but not quite as many as the year before. Repeated the process. Had nothing for the next several years after that. Then, I saw one or two this year and went right at it. NO MORE ANTS!
Hope this clean, safe way works for you.
I don't know if baking soda would work. A friend of mine moved into a new apartment with roaches (yuck!), and quickly got them under control with lines of baking soda around all walls, counters, etc., and her youngsters were safe as well. Might be worth a try for the ants if the cornmeal doesn't turn them off. I think they won't crawl through the baking soda.
08-03-2010, 08:15 PM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: High Entropy Zone
Posts: 1,247
We must have super ants down here. They walk through baking soda, borax, boric acid, vinegar (I've used up to a 30% solution, very stinky)... Cornmeal might work if they actually eat the stuff but not all ants do. Some actually eat molds that live in soil and wood, leaves, ... And sugar ants really don't seem to be after our sugar at all. Go figure. I really hate when the fire ants get into the electrical wiring, chew the insulation and cause a short. Finding their new mischief is always fun. It never fails to be behind the hardest to remove electrical conduit in the house. Last time it was the central A/C compressor wiring. Fortunately, a neighbor works on them and bailed me out.
08-03-2010, 08:24 PM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: WA
Posts: 1,372
Originally Posted by texas granny
Originally Posted by craftybear
what is the best spray to use as we have a dog inside house
Originally Posted by donnajean
I think the big black aunts are carpenter aunts??? Make sure you spray around the outside foundation & doorsteps, & garage entrance of your house. I see lots of aunts outside, but none inside yet.
This worked when nothing else would.
08-04-2010, 05:43 AM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Halls Cross Roads, TN
Posts: 987
Originally Posted by donnajean
I don't spray anything "inside" the house. You can buy the spray at HomeDepot, Lowes, etc. & just spray around foundation & door sills "outside".
Originally Posted by craftybear
what is the best spray to use as we have a dog inside house
Originally Posted by donnajean
I think the big black aunts are carpenter aunts??? Make sure you spray around the outside foundation & doorsteps, & garage entrance of your house. I see lots of aunts outside, but none inside yet.
08-04-2010, 06:01 AM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northwest Georgia
Posts: 3,272
We've got tons of the little black sugar ants. I don't know why in the world they're coming in the house, unless it's to escape the heat. I keep the kitchen counters spotless, and no dishes in the sink, but they're still crawling everywhere. We can't use sprays inside the house (we have birds), but Hubby has sprayed around the outside several times. Nothing seems to work long-term, not even boric acid. :(
It probably doesn't help matters that we live literally 10' from the woods. I guess they're strolling out of the woods and right into the house.
Too bad they're too small to be on our cats' "radars". They'll catch larger bugs in a heartbeat, but they just don't seem to notice the ants! :lol:
It probably doesn't help matters that we live literally 10' from the woods. I guess they're strolling out of the woods and right into the house.
Too bad they're too small to be on our cats' "radars". They'll catch larger bugs in a heartbeat, but they just don't seem to notice the ants! :lol:
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
MaggieLou
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
8
03-11-2013 11:51 AM
luce321
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
3
12-23-2012 10:12 AM
crafty gal
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
8
08-06-2011 05:52 PM
hospicenurse
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
10
03-17-2011 08:31 AM
