March of the Ants
All due respect to those observing St. Paddy’s Day, but on this day in March, what I’m observing seems to be the start of the annual parade of the ants! Can’t believe it — I just looked at the cat’s bowls and spied those pesky critters! Mind you, it’s not even officially spring yet! (Yeah,…
All due respect to those observing St. Paddy’s Day, but on this day in March, what I’m observing seems to be the start of the annual parade of the ants! Can’t believe it — I just looked at the cat’s bowls and spied those pesky critters! Mind you, it’s not even officially spring yet! (Yeah, I know, what do the ants care? It’s warm today. Woo hoo!)
At any rate, I’m reminded that last year’s ant invasion was particularly outrageous. Lasted a long, long time and the invaders were not deterred by anything we tried, i.e., constant cleaning, ant traps and sprays.
POR: Does anyone have a really effective ant repellent/destroyer to recommend that won’t also make house pets sick?
TIA
w/ toddlers and cats in the house we used talcum powder. sprinkled across the door jambs and any other entry points we found to basically block their path in. you have to be ok with having the mess of powder on your floors but it did seem to work, was cheap and easy.
Well we’re in Lefferts Manor but the ant traps did nothing for us last year either. Last year ants were BAD. Not just the ants but the mosquitoes, which were worse than ever before. They were in our backyard all day and night. I think it’s due to some surrounding neglected, weedy yards and another neighbor with a garage roof without adequate drainage that becomes a swimming pool every time it rains. Oh and slugs were bad last year too. Bugageddon! Thanks for the links on natural ant killers. We’ll be waging war on all these critters over here this Summer.
I few years back I bought a sprayer and a few gallons of whatever at Home Depot. I walk around the outside of the house and spray every week or so from spring to fall. No more ants.
yeah, teeny tiny mofos who BITE!! and then it itches like mad. i freaked out thinking i had bedbugs last year, and after consulting with a bedbug pro who said it definitely wasn’t bedbugs, i dealt with the ant problem more fiercely (using that boric acid canteloupe stuff) and sure enough, problem solved. for real, though, i had tried everything else under the sun before using that stuff, and nothing really got rid of them completely. don’t waste your time, just get the stuff!
i put out ant stakes on the back of the house close to where the back wall of the brownstone meets the bluestone patio. i am praying that this will work. boric acid is so messy. i have also used, the ant gel which seems to attract them and kill them, but i plan on trying the bay leaves too. certainly a sure sign of spring!
Is everyone dealing with the same kind of ants? The teeny tiny little mofos?
I can’t find any sign of them outside. THey are probably living in my walls by the millions. Sumnuvabishes! Last year was a battle royale. I jab left, they weave right. I slam low, they crawl high.
We have a deck along the whole back side, so I unscrew the plank closest to the wall, and use the toxic gel, then rescrew. It’s very effective. Borax, indoor traps, cinnamon spray, bay leaves, paprika/pepper, vinegar wipes control the problem somewhat, but the outdoor gel kills the colony and gives you at least four months of peace and quiet.
I doubt the diatomaceous earth would work w/ ants who have chiton shells – it works w/ slugs.
I spread used coffee grounds along the foundation line & it seems to work. This year I got an infestation in my kitchen that tracked to a box of cat grass I’d brought in so I’ve had to put down ant traps indoors. I believe boric acid is dangerous for pets & kids.
Have you ever tried bay leaves? I had a serious ant problem in my city home several years back. None of the commercial products I used were effective. Someone suggested placing bay leaves (from the spice section of the grocery store) all over the room(s) that I had the problem. I was skeptical at first but a few days later the ants were gone. Whether it was truly because of the bay leaves or because of the chemicals I used prior I will never know, but it’s worth a try.