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NFT: Ants

Matt M. : 5/17/2018 7:05 am
I have the exterminator coming, but I'd love to hear about any successful methods of getting rid of ants indoors. We are on the 2nd floor and the trees outside were trimmed, so they aren't getting in like that. But, it does look like the entry point is either the window or the radiator beneath.
Borax, honey, sugar  
Sec 103 : 5/17/2018 7:12 am : link
mix equal parts with hot water, let cool leave some dished around the exterior of the home protected form the rain, viola ants die by the millions... May be bad for pets however
Bug guy will get them.  
section125 : 5/17/2018 7:16 am : link
Our guy figures where they get in and seals it. They'll follow pipes, get in thru soffits, cracks in the masonry, any place with the tiniest of openings.
It may take a couple weeks and visits...
they dont need trees to climb  
Dankbeerman : 5/17/2018 7:21 am : link
have the bug guy spray the exterior walls as well.
Ant nests  
bob_in_ec : 5/17/2018 7:24 am : link
In the past, our Orkin guy found several ant nests in our lawn and exterminated them. He got to the source of the problem not just the entrance.Good luck.
We had carpenter ants  
Bubba : 5/17/2018 7:32 am : link
several years ago. It was funny to watch. 3 exterminators come to the house. They put baits around the house and waited until they spotted an ant pick some up. They had guys posted around the house with walkie talkies. They followed the ant until it lead them to the nest inside a wall.

You would think in the 21st century there would be a more scientific way of handling this.

We now have the exterior of the house treated each summer with no more issues.
The borax trick works well.  
Andy in Halifax : 5/17/2018 7:36 am : link
Or just borax and powdered sugar and sprinkle it around. Quicker and works, but not quite as well as the honey recipe.
But some Advion Gel  
UConn4523 : 5/17/2018 7:49 am : link
and they will be gone within a week. That’s what the exterminator will use along your baseboards and such. They will also spray outside, which will work for some time, but it will kill other stuff too and ants can still come back.

When putting the gel down leave the dead ants for the entire week. Ants eat their dead and you want them to bring food back to the nest to poison the colony, hopefully the queen.
Agree: Borax  
Jim in Fairfax : 5/17/2018 8:01 am : link
You need to identify where they are coming in, and place liquid sugar/borax mix there to bait them. They will take it back to the nest and kill the whole brood.

Terro makes convenient bait stations with sugar/borax:

I've used Terro Baits and they do help.  
Ira : 5/17/2018 8:13 am : link
I've also had good results with peppermint oil. Again, find out where they are coming in and sprinkle a few drops there. Or mix some peppermint oil with water and spray those areas.
+1 for the Terro baits  
jcn56 : 5/17/2018 8:18 am : link
Also - see if you can find any crevices where they might be accumulating and seal them up. Start by baiting them, and see which traps pick up the most ants. Then, grab either some caulk or expanding foam (depending on the size of the crevice) and go for broke.

I installed a new security system last year, and accidentally forgot to properly seal one of the entry points for a cat 6 run. Could have just built an ant farm instead.
Boric Acid along their typical travel areas  
Chef : 5/17/2018 8:37 am : link
and bait. I just bought 100% Boric Acid, which is not Borax although it is said to work. BA is cheap, and lasts for months.. I plan do treat the house regularly...
Terro.  
Britt in VA : 5/17/2018 8:40 am : link
Our exterminator recommended it and we've never looked back.
the tried and true method put on a  
gtt350 : 5/17/2018 8:51 am : link
Dave Mathews CD and open the door
actually vinegar and water in a spray bottle is all you need  
gtt350 : 5/17/2018 8:53 am : link
.
and powder with Boric acid. Or diatamateous (sp) earth.  
Dinger : 5/17/2018 8:54 am : link
A exterminator friend of the family recommended the former and it worked like a charm on black carpenter ants. I thought they were coming from outside as well. Turns out there were in the wall in my bedroom under the window. Someone on this site recommended the later and I found it worked great outside. I've had a lot more success with powders than liquids. But still need help with small sugar ants. Those suckers were relentless earlier this spring. nothing worked on them....
RE: the tried and true method put on a  
Ira : 5/17/2018 8:55 am : link
In comment 13966298 gtt350 said:
Quote:
Dave Mathews CD and open the door


Good one!
Terro +1  
Koffman : 5/17/2018 8:58 am : link
I have used these in the past and initially you will see a butt-load of ants come to the trap, however after a day or two they will be dead and gone.
vinegar...  
BronxBombers : 5/17/2018 9:10 am : link
all gone.
Once I had a nest inside of a closet door  
if_i_knew : 5/17/2018 10:03 am : link
Had a hole in the door about 1/8 inch diameter at the bottom. The house had a crawl space so they came up through the (wood) floor and into the door. Heard them munching away at it one day. Removed the door and trashed it. No more ants.

I used to spray them with ammonia when I was a kid. Probably only killed the ones on the outside of the nest, rather than the nest itself
I large and black, likely Carpenter Ants  
VTDAD : 5/17/2018 10:20 am : link
if so, you need an exterminator. They feed on wet and rotting wood.

Small and brown are likely "sweet ants" and Terro will do the trick. We see them every year.... mostly in the kitchen & bathrooms. They take the bait back to the nest(s) and kill the colony. Takes a week or so.
...  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 5/17/2018 10:28 am : link
another +1 for Terro traps  
jcp56 : 5/17/2018 5:11 pm : link
cheap and work well
RE: Agree: Borax  
Joey in VA : 5/17/2018 5:47 pm : link
In comment 13966265 Jim in Fairfax said:
Quote:
You need to identify where they are coming in, and place liquid sugar/borax mix there to bait them. They will take it back to the nest and kill the whole brood.

Terro makes convenient bait stations with sugar/borax:

Absolutely agree with this. Terro was the only thing that worked for us.
You get the terro  
Matt M. : 5/17/2018 6:52 pm : link
at a hardware store, home depot, etc.?
And, any specific brand  
Matt M. : 5/17/2018 7:04 pm : link
of the spray foam?
We have had great success using Protexall  
tony stg : 5/17/2018 7:24 pm : link
Ant-Kill for sugar ants.
Protexall Ant Kill - ( New Window )
RE: You get the terro  
Jim in Fairfax : 5/17/2018 7:26 pm : link
In comment 13966965 Matt M. said:
Quote:
at a hardware store, home depot, etc.?

Yep. Can get it online too.

As for spray foam, I think they all work pretty well. Great Stuff is the biggest brand. Keep in mind it’s for larger gaps. For 1/4 inch and less, use caulk.

Also, test with it a bit before you use it for real. It expands a lot, and it can be a sticky mess.
The terro is an okay short term fix, but you'll need to do more  
eclipz928 : 5/17/2018 7:26 pm : link
if it's a yearly issue. Don't waste your time with anything at the big box store - everything there is diluted for consumer safety. The exterminators use stronger stuff that you can get online.

Search for Dupont Advion ant gel bait (30grams) - use this for ants already in your house. They'll eat it for a couple days then it will kill off the colony. Use a small dab as close as possible to their entry points.

Then try to get Temprid SC (made by Bayer), and a garden sprayer to dilute it in water. Spray your foundation outside and your baseboards inside where you've seen ants appear. When it dries it crystallizes and continues to provide protection for about 45-60 days, and becomes safe to touch.

If you have mulch or sandy areas around your house buy a pellet ant bait and spread it in those areas. You can also use the gel bait in a busy ant area outside - as long as you place it in a discreet spot where an animal won't eat it.

The insecticides are little expensive but they do work. Spray early spring and reapply every 60 days until the weather turns cold and it should control your ant issues.
Terro works very well for  
Rick5 : 5/17/2018 9:28 pm : link
me. Someone suggested to me to put the terro outside in the yard near the kitchen to draw the ants out (we only get them in the kitchen). That works like a charm every time. I don't put any of it inside the house anymore.
RE: Terro works very well for  
Jim in Fairfax : 5/17/2018 10:52 pm : link
In comment 13967051 Rick5 said:
Quote:
me. Someone suggested to me to put the terro outside in the yard near the kitchen to draw the ants out (we only get them in the kitchen). That works like a charm every time. I don't put any of it inside the house anymore.

Terro also makes outdoor bait stations that are designed to stand up to outdoor conditions.
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