Ants

[jerneeon]

I've seen some reference to this before, but how do I get rid of ants? The whole area seems to be infested and it's driving us batty!!!!

[auntieemu]

Need more info here - what kind and are they in the house or what?

[susieM]

Boric acid...sprinkle it where the'll get some on them, and they'll take it home and lick it and die. Works for fleas and cockaroaches and termites, too.

[ChickenTracy]

I mix boric acid, cocoa, & sugar where I see them the most to attract the ants. Usually within 24-48 hours they're gone. Keep away from small children or pets.

[Quint]

I've always had good luck with either Terro or Jones ant killer. They are a syrup and borax solution I believe. Both fairly safe. Place a dab on some cardboard squares and let the ants have at it. A couple of days and they're dead. Works great.

[jerneeon]

Sorry I haven't been able to respond. I tried the borax thing with Equal and honey and (OH MY GOSH!!!) they have almost disappeared. They were coming into the house in four or five different places and just taking over.

Anyway, thanks for the responses, and sorry it took so long to get back here to you all.

[Tracy Rimmer]

I seem to remember my mum putting out bay leaves in the cupboards and under the sink.

[FarmerCop]

i use grits and it works mix in just a tbl spoon of sugar and 1/4 cup of water to 1 cup of grits put a little in every area where they are coming in and in a day or so they will be gone


the grits swell in those tiny abdomens and they explode

for less of an ant problem cut this recipe in half of course

[TexasArtist]

I had some the past couple years that weren't reacting to the normal stuff so one day my mom happened to sprinkle "flea powder" on them. They curled right up and died on the spot. Now I sprinkle flea powder under cabnets and other places.
I also found some on the counter top and sprinkled bay leaves on there and underneath my sheets and in my clothes draws since they were getting so bad.
Good luck and remember fight fight fight

[Wayne02]

We have a big problem with ants right now as well. Specifically, they are congregating under the new deck I built last fall, particularly where the deck meets the side of the house. They are crawling all over the deck and the side of the house.

Can someone expand on the boric acid mixture trick a bit? What specifically is the mixture and how is it applied. In my situation I have a dog and a cat that are in and around the area so that is a concern.

Thanks
Wayne

[wy_white_wolf]

We placed a couple of pots with mint growing in them around the outside of our house. Ants left all the areas these pots are in so we keep moving them around to where they are. Having the mint in pots helps contain it. Mint can be very invasive.

[jerneeon]

Originally Posted by Wayne02

We have a big problem with ants right now as well. Specifically, they are congregating under the new deck I built last fall, particularly where the deck meets the side of the house. They are crawling all over the deck and the side of the house.

Can someone expand on the boric acid mixture trick a bit? What specifically is the mixture and how is it applied. In my situation I have a dog and a cat that are in and around the area so that is a concern.

Thanks
Wayne

1 Tb Borax
1 Tb Equal
1 Tb honey

Mix it well, place in small bottles or bottle lids (I used water bottle lids) and place them in areas where they were entering the house.

[Wayne02]

Originally Posted by jerneeon

1 Tb Borax
1 Tb Equal
1 Tb honey

Mix it well, place in small bottles or bottle lids (I used water bottle lids) and place them in areas where they were entering the house.

Ok, thanks. How does this square with having a dog and cat in the area? Will they likely be tempted to eat this stuff? In this situation, unfortunately, I can't separate the dog from the area that needs to be treated. I need something that will kill the ants and not harm the dog.

Wayne

[BarbG]

My uncle swears by rice.. normal rice not that quick stuff. I haven't tried it yet but it's suppost to do the same as grits would. Make them explode!! Barb

[Wolf mom]

O.K. now that inside ants are gone... what about the outside ant hills??? some are turning into one foot high hills.

They're also attacking my young weeping willow.

[Deb&Al]

we have ants, brown and black, all through our yard, mostly around the edges of the sidewalk. but, in some of my flower beds, there's little holes all over that these big black ants come out of.

can somebody answer these questions for me...

is the boric acid that's mentioned in the above posts the same thing as borax, that comes in a box?

if you mix this stuff with cornmeal or sugar, won't the ants just go for the sugar particles and leave the cornmeal and borax/boric acid alone?

if i mixed the cornmeal and borax that I have, borax in a box, used for the laundry, and sprinkled it alongside the edges of the sidewalk, would that work, or should i put it in something like a soda bottle cap?

thanks.
debbie

[susieM]

The boric acid gets on them, and they lick it off, and then it f
hardens in their bellies.

[Dubai Vol]

I know fire ants are territorial: each hill has its own queen and will fight any invaders. So you dig up a shovel-full of one colony and dump it on the next. A shovel of a third colony onto the first, and so on, until every hill has a shovel full from another hill on it. Then the fire ants do the job for you. Might take a couple of go-rounds, but soon you'll have one almost dead hill, and you pour boiling water on that one.

Might be worth a try with other species if you have multiple hills.

PS, if those big black ants stay outside, I'd leave them alone. They don't sting you and they're doing good things for your garden.

PPS I have a lot of little brown ants on my balcony right now. My gecko friends help keep them down, but otherwise when I'm out there I just squish 'em with my toes. It stings when they bite but nothing like fire ants.