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October 8, 2009 at 3:48 am #592601
westsideyMemberHas this been a big year for ants or what? Anybody out there have a solution for an infestation of odorous house ants?
October 8, 2009 at 4:12 am #679262
C-HawksParticipantI am no means an expert, but earlier this year we had quite the infestation of ants all over the kitchen. My husband bought the Terro liquid ant baits and that took care of them. They take the bait back to the nest and it kills off the colony, not just the ants eating the poison. It takes about a week or so for it to work fully, so be ready to kill off the pesky ones wandering around.
October 8, 2009 at 4:32 am #679263
datamuseParticipantI had some living in an electrical socket! WTF. I vacuumed it out, then put some liquid bait nearby. Haven’t seen any since.
(McLendon’s, btw, sells more varieties of ant-killing bait than I had any idea existed. Wow.)
October 8, 2009 at 4:39 am #679264
mpentoParticipantyes the terro bait did the trick for me. Raid bait did not work. If they like the bait you should see the ant trail. But you need to deny them other food sources too.
October 8, 2009 at 4:51 am #679265
pigeonmomParticipantI had to Google this Odorous House Ant. I found this interesting tidbit..
“Odorous house ants emit what’s been described as a rotten coconut or pine scent when crushed with a finger and sniffed.”
I never knew about these creatures.
I want to smell one now.
October 8, 2009 at 5:09 am #679266
ellenaterMemberI could gag just reading this. We have had the worst ant problem EVER this year. We have tried all kinds of baiting including the ones mentioned above and several others. None have even touched the problem. I would like to add, for the record, that I am not a total slob. I clean the counters, don’t leave food out, sweep regularly, etc. The ants invaded so heavily at one point, they were trying to get into the fridge. Several times a day, I clean off a new round of them from the counter. I cannot keep food in the cupboards. It is all sealed in plastic bins. It’s awful. I have lived in several places over the years, mostly older homes, where the ants come for a period of time. Usually the Terra does the trick. This is a whole different ball game. It has been really rough. I used to find those kids’ ant habitats charming. Now they make me gag!
$@##%^@$#^@ ants!
October 8, 2009 at 6:58 am #679267
WSBKeymasterEllenater, what happened to us this year sounds like your story. They are gone now because the weather’s cold. But till a couple weeks ago, they were EVERYWHERE. They even made their way into a box of dry cat food that we hadn’t opened yet – they marched into a crevice in the boxtop. And yes, we had to do the same thing, seal up EVERYTHING – including buying a big sealed plastic container for aforementioned dry food, and transferring it immediately into said container upon arrival home.
On one hand we were disquieted and annoyed, tired of cleaning like mad … on the other hand, we made jokes out of what they decided to swarm. (“Oh look, they really love yogurt!” “Oh look, they found a tiny bit of potato chip!” etc.)
Oh, and eternal thanks to the person who tipped us here LAST year (when they were bad but not as bad as this year) about how to keep cat dishes clear – floating them in a bowl with soapy water in the bottom so there’s a “moat” to keep the ants from getting in. Seriously. Best advice EVER.
I had heard all the advice about bait etc. but I am just way too freaked about possible collateral damage – birds, especially, since they eat ants – to ever use anything poisonous.
October 8, 2009 at 1:33 pm #679268
datamuseParticipantI’ll have to remember the tip about the dish of soapy water. The ants didn’t discover the food bowl this time, but that’s happened before.
I don’t know WHAT they were eating, as a matter of fact. The nest was on the lower floor of the house, in a room where there were no food sources. Since they disappeared so quickly after I went after them with a vacuum cleaner, it might’ve just been a scouting expedition.
October 8, 2009 at 4:46 pm #679269
JoBParticipantI don’t know if it’s a coincidence.. but i haven’t had an ant problem though we did in the last house we lived in on California… i have mint and other aromatic herbs (basil, majoram, sage, rosmary, etc) planted around the back of the house.. where the kitchen is.
October 8, 2009 at 5:20 pm #679270
ellenaterMemberThanks, TR. I wish I had know about that pet food tip. They were all over both the cat’s and the dog’s food. :( It was a nightmare. That is a really good idea!
Ours have lessoned but they are not gone. I had some marshmallows… It took one day for them to find them IN the sealed box.
I hear they are different depending on your neighborhood. I am in Gatewood I think just 7 or so blocks down from you. My neighbors do not have them as bad, though. Go figure…
We have a very sandy soil around the house. There are lots of basil, mint, etc. plants around. But the ants were everywhere here, also. I even woke up one night with some in my hair.
Agreed about the poison. My ‘final solution’ is to move into a third floor apartment. But I half expect them to come along anyway.
October 8, 2009 at 5:59 pm #679271
WSBKeymasterWe have a lot of herb plants too – I haven’t tended them for years but they carry on. Oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage … Re: Gatewood. I know of at least one other Gatewood resident who said it’s been a horrific year too – he is in the Orchard Street area down the hill. I think they have a secret headquarters in the Qwest vault that is forever bringing utility crews to disappear into the manhole outside our house, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Re: hair … yes, those relentless little critters would even turn up crawling on us. EWWW!!!!! And across my laptop screen. Now Torin is wondering if we can find some way in the offseason to discourage them from returning next year.
October 8, 2009 at 6:38 pm #679272
hollyplaceParticipantWe have had a terrible problem here too. I paid for someone to come out last year, but it seemed to be a waste of money. I have tried a few different things, but what seems to work best at this time of the year is using a margine or a nut container and poking holes in the lid. I filled them 2/3 with apple juice and set them around the yard. The swarm it, go inside and drown. i have also used boraxo and bacon grease earlier in the summer when they seem to be protein hungry.
October 9, 2009 at 12:12 am #679273
ellenaterMemberhee hee re: Qwest guys disappearing down the man holes. I know what’s going on down there but have been sworn to secrecy. ;)
I think the H-bomb is really the best solution for ants. It will destroy everything and they will have nothing left to feed on. :)
October 9, 2009 at 2:18 am #679274
inactiveMemberWhat about diatomaceous earth? Completely nontoxic. At least it used to be considered so by some.
It is a powder of fossilized diatoms and because it is mostly silica it slices up soft bug bellies. Oh ish! But it worked for me – in garage, baseboards, foundation walls – nonexposed areas. It’s a very fine dust and I did not want it to get blown around. Also, a little bit goes a long, long way: it’s cost effective.
October 9, 2009 at 10:04 pm #679275
suzettesezsewMemberDear Westsidey,
We had this problem in a rental house during our remodel and then when we moved back to our house we saw those pesky ants. There some things you need to know first off.
They have multiple queens. If you spray poison they will just move to another location. The won’t cause damage to your house. They are just annoying and invasive. We bit the bullet and just called Redi National. The guy who is assigned to West Seattle live in West Seattle. His name in Tony. Great guy. Very helpful. Well worth the price. Of course that price depends on the size of your house. We have three levels that needed to be dealt with. But it worked. We didn’t wait until they were everywhere. Get it done as soon as you can. I highly recommend doing it that way.
Suzette
October 25, 2009 at 8:18 pm #679276
GaleMemberOctober 25, 2009 at 8:52 pm #679277
luckymom30ParticipantWe too had a problem with odorous house ants and used Borax soap, just afew sprikles of it did the job and then we vaccumed the soap up. We have 2 cats and neihter was at all intereted in the soap we left behind the couches and doorways along the wall board. Beofre we had ants we had a squirrel and bird problem both getting under our gutters and into the attic, I think they were mad we removed the large tree out front so they moved into our attic. Some peanut butter and crackers got them safely into the cage we left in the attic and we released them in a park.
October 25, 2009 at 9:29 pm #679278
acemotelParticipantI had this problem too in an empty clean house. It wasn’t the oderous type, though. thank god. Apparently the ants can live forever on a drop of something that’s fallen behind the floorboards, under the cabitnets, etc. We had two infestations, about a month apart. Terro worked the first time, and currently doing the second round. The most interesting thing I saw was an ant carrying a dead tiny ant somewhere, away from the poison…. I actually had a moment of sympathy for the little critters.
October 27, 2009 at 12:58 am #679279
JeffSavoieMemberMost ants, that aren’t susceptible to common household remedies, can be dealt with using a Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) spray, relatively safely (to humans and pets)… a small number of people have shown allergic reactions to it, though, so safe handling practices, generally used with pesticides, should be adopted.
Pyrethrum based “organic” pesticides have also proven effective, and haven’t shown to have the same allergic risks associated with BT.
But somebody, somewhere, is probably allergic…
Diatomaceous earth, borax (by itself), baking soda, and citrus oils, are more often used as barriers, and not insecticide as such (though borax is the active ingredient in Terro, Terro has other constituents that cause it to be “harvested”).
Oh yeah, I don’t “do” bugs, only wild critters… I’ve just had my own share of dealing with ants. Which yes, are, or were, very bad this year.
Jeff Savoie
All City Animal Control
November 6, 2009 at 4:08 pm #679280
NW Home DesignersMemberI have had ant issues at my house and used Progressive Pest Solutions: 835 South 136th Burien, #(206)444-6240. He was great and we have no more ants! Those other pest places I feel do not treat it at the source and the ants wind up coming back. Atleast that has been my experience. Good Luck!
Roshele Allison
May 17, 2010 at 6:49 am #679281
service dog academyMemberi just got bit on the ear by one of these suckers. its about 1/4 bigger than it used to be and is ringing. i also got bit on the lip last year and it swelled to about 1/3 bigger than its normal size as well. these little suckers pack a punch.
June 11, 2010 at 5:25 am #679282
cyndikaydidMemberI have pets so I didn’t want to place poison anywhere,after some research on the internet I created my own solution of water,soap and vinegar.
It worked great for me,I may need to do it again this year,but I haven’t seen any ants so far.
It costs just pennies,I use a spray bottle to apply it.
It’s safe for most furniture and carpets.
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