Home › Forums › Open Discussion › and the ants came marching in .. need help encouraging them to march out
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February 2, 2015 at 7:47 pm #816667
JoBParticipantif only they would come two by two :(
i have baited.. again..
and am cleaning like crazy
ok.. the house needed it :(
might as well set the mouse and rat traps too:(
has anyone else noticed the problem explodes with the rain?
February 2, 2015 at 8:20 pm #821418
JoBParticipantthe found the dog food. i emptied the container and have thoroughly cleaned it and have baited on the way to the shelf it sat on.. but i need to do a better job of disrupting the trail. leaning alone.. even with disinfectant.. doesn’t do it.
has anyone tried orange oil to disrupt trails?
February 2, 2015 at 8:41 pm #821419
anonymeParticipantI scrub the trails with Borax, but it’s far more important to track them and find the entry point.
The rain is certainly a factor. Could be that an established nest got flooded, so they had to move. I had a similar experience a few months ago when the temps plummeted below freezing. The ants moved up through the wall, found a miniscule opening around a nice south-facing window, and set up house inside a cellular shade. It took several days and lots of sealing to figure out what those clever buggers had done. Had to throw away the shade, of course.
One of the best pest pros around told me to sprinkle cinnamon across the entry points. Seemed to work, but sealing those spots is still key; caulk everything.
February 2, 2015 at 8:43 pm #821420
JulieMemberYou could use Richard Feynman’s solution: https://biocontrolbeat.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/richard-feynmans-nontoxic-ant-ferry/ …but you need a lot of patience!
: )
February 2, 2015 at 8:52 pm #821421
jissyParticipantHad this problem when I lived in California… I have no idea what kind of ants they were but they were coming in my bedroom in a place where I rented a room. I am VERY sensitive to chemicals so I was looking for a “natural” solution and read online to put down fresh squeezed lemon juice along their trail. I diluted it into a spray bottle with water b/c I didn’t want to put it directly on my carpet and it worked within a day or 2 and they never came back. I also put it all around the window sill and casing b/c that was the entry point.
February 2, 2015 at 9:02 pm #821422
sumlovParticipantDiatomaceous earth or something that has aluminum silicate like talcum powder will send them on their way.
February 3, 2015 at 3:52 am #821423
guidosmomMemberWe had a problem with sugar ants last year. We kept them at bay with a vinegar solution. I am terrified of spiders. We purchased a product you plug into the wall and it emits a sound that keeps spiders, ants, pests, rodents, etc.. away. Since we got it almost 9 months ago we have hardly seen spiders indoors, and have not seen a single ant! We have a toddler who definitely leaves crumbs all over so they should have plenty of temptation. It was under $20 on Amazon I believe. Not sure if it is relat d or a coincidence. Good luck!
February 3, 2015 at 6:05 am #821424
tttParticipantThey are not sugar ants.
Get fresh mint and put it in their path/at their entrance. Mint oil might work too.
February 3, 2015 at 2:05 pm #821425
anonymeParticipantttt – why are they not “sugar ants”? “Sugar ants” is a common name just like “odorous house ants”. If you really want to be accurate, they are species Tapenoma sessile. If you’re saying that they are a different species, there are few that would come into a house in that way.
February 3, 2015 at 6:03 pm #821426
sbreParticipantOne ‘clean’ way of doing them in at their source once you’ve found where they’re coming out of the ground:
Bring a large pot of water to a heavy boil and add a couple cups of salt to it, slowly pour the mixture on their exit point AND around that area.
The boiling-hot water will immediately scold the live ants to death, the salt will attach itself to any eggs in the nest and the new-hatches will eat it and subsequently die.
You may need to repeat this procedure again in a few days, but believe me it works!!!
After which, if you choose to wring your hands together and make some sort of evil chuckling sound, that adds to the satisfaction!!
February 4, 2015 at 6:06 am #821427
tttParticipantAnonyme: i think it is the wrong time of year for sugar ants. Pavement ants are more common to invade homes this time of year and especially basements. We get them trying to come in every couple of years and the mint always turns them back outside. In the summer they nest under the pavement in our backyard. I suppose you could be right in saying sugar ants, but i think they are:
Pavement ant
The pavement ant, Tetramorium caespitum is an ant native to Europe, but also occurs as an introduced pest in North America. Its common name comes from the fact that colonies in North America usually make their homes in pavement.
During early spring, colonies attempt to conquer new areas and often attack nearby enemy colonies. In summer, the ants dig out the sand in between the pavements to vent the nests.
Another common ant is the “little black ant”
February 4, 2015 at 2:34 pm #821428
anonymeParticipantI’m very familiar with Tetramorium ants, and they rarely invade homes. Both species are here all year; there is no “right time” for them. They are equally effected by weather conditions. Pest control workers can’t tell the difference between the two, so they may be spreading misinformation. My best friend is a myrmecologist, and has helped me identify no less than 9 ant species in my back yard. Fascinating creatures – but in the kitchen, not so much.
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