Oh My, the ANTS have arrived...HELP Please

[Veronica]

Hello all,
I know that we talked about this previously, but the search box doesn't bring anything up. Ants are attempting to take over the kitchen and I am not sure what to do. Suggestions appreciated.
Blessings,
V

["Mad" Miles]

Veronica,

Clean up any food, especially sugars and carbohydrates but also any fats, that they are after.

Then, if you're willing to kill them which I believe is the only truly effective and viable option, put out Grant Ant Stakes in some out of the way place in their path. They'll collect the bait and take it back to the hive. The arsenic or cyanide, (depending on which kind of Grant's you buy) will wipe out the entire hive in four days to a week or two. Leave it there and future incursions will also be eliminated.

Grants Stakes can be bought at most grocery stores and all hardware stores. Be sure to keep the stakes out of the reach of pets and children. It is pretty hard to get at the poisoned bait, but it's best to be safe. As for the toxicity of it, the amount the ants take is microscopic and unlikely to effect the environment. It's certainly ecologically safer than sprays and powders that contain synthetic neurotoxins like Raid, etc.

And for those who have just read what I wrote above and think that I've advised unethical and / or immoral behavior, I have two things to say.

One, ants would eat you or me if they could, that is what makes them the enemy. When they come into my house they are not welcome. I don't go into theirs and I expect them to stay out of mine. When they do invade, I kill them. Sue me.

Two, if you think you can talk to, or communicate in some other manner, and convince the ants to leave you alone, good luck. I think you're kidding yourself. And save me the sermons, I've already heard them many times and I've reached the conclusions I've stated above. You're not going to change my mind and you'll just be wasting your own time and energy, as well as the time and energy of others reading your replies. Save it for the converted. I'm an apostate.

For an excellent illustration of the way things work in nature, and why when we try to romanticize it and join it we're just cruising to become a meal, I seriously recommend, "Grizzly Man," now playing at the Rialto. It's directed by Werner Herzog and it is a great film! The Native Americans comment in the film is the best summary of what it means to respect the wild and the others who live in it.

"Mad" Miles

:duel:

[alanora]

I have tried magic insecticide chalk available at local asian market-on piner-it works very well- i recently redrew the line around the kitchen window. I believe the active ingredient is boric acid but not sure. It is very inexpensive and very effective- does not seem to trouble the hummingbirds or the kitties or anyone else. Of course making a deal with some of them couldnt hurt.....

[pl4kuc]

Pennyroyal oil
Persistence
Patience

DON'T use Grant Stakes or any pesticides, please.

[SJM]

The insecticidal chalk (made in China) gets my vote too. It absolutely gets rid of the little critters.

Unfortunately, however, if you google "Miraculous Insecticide Chalk", the information that comes up is quite damning.

It seems reasonable to expect that anything that works so unbelievably well couldn't REALLY be as "harmless and safe" as it says. But depending on your own personal level of willingness to use products of questionable toxicity, you migh want to research the stuff a bit more.

By the way, it has also been available at about two for $1.00 at the Sebastopol flea market.


You might want to catch 'em individually, train 'em to go to the neighbor's house, then sell the neighbor grant stakes from your own surplus stash for a discount...it's the corporate way...

The magic insecticide chalk works really well, too, but does not make any profit.

Ingo;)

["Mad" Miles]

Sell the House to the Ants, Move out.

:banghead:

:wtf:

[wildflower]

Absolute and fanatical cleanliness is the key! If they can't find anything, they will desist to enter.

The other thing that works for me is to keep the kitchen orderly and clean...so that when you see the first scouts, you can pick them up and escort them outside! Then wipe the counters really well with organic soap and water. If you are diligent and observant, it works, but if you slack and miss even one, it can lead to invasion. They always send a scout first and you can get good a spotting them.

So at this point, gather them up and put them outside if you can. Keep wiping all the counters with soapy water. Find the entry hole and caulk it. Don't keep your compost or garbage containers in the house....keep in the garage.
If you put some sugar or whatever they are attracted to outside behind a rose bush, they may get distracted and forget about your kitchen.

Also if your neighbor is poisoning them, they may be attracted to your house. I tried to get my neighbor to stop, but they wouldn't.

Barry used to have a complete archive of ant ridding info on the old wacco....ask him where it is...

Good Luck

["Mad" Miles]

OK, In the spirit of community democracy, let's do a poll.

Here are my proposed options.

1. Meditate and commune with the ant spirits and convince them to leave you alone.

2. Torch the house and then rebuild.

3. Clean obsessively, use sprinkled little levees of various powders (Borax, cayenne, cinnamon, diatomacious earth, etc,) to block their paths.

4. Use Grants Stakes and make big bucks for the chemical industry.

5. Use insecticide chalk (smearing toxins on exposed surfaces, some of which may be near food preparation areas) and make some "profit" for the flea marketeers and whoever manufactures it in Asia.

6. Wipe up each individual ant with a sponge from here to eternity. (Seasonably of course, I refer this as the "Retail Ant Holocaust" option.)

7. Your choice here. Let diversity and creativity prevail!

8. Ignore them, cohabitate, they'll go away some day.


Feel free to add other choices. As a mass murdering, thuggish dictator with incomprehensible persistant mass appeal once wrote, "Let a thousand flowers bloom."

(He also said, "Who cares if a million die, there're always more fish in the sea."

Weigh in on the attached poll!

************************************************
Oops, the poll function seems to have disappeared!? (Barry?) I'll look for it and get it going if I can. But I'm sure you've gotten the idea.

"Mad" Miles

[Karen]

You can kill them with a relatively benign substance called boric acid. They prefer it mixed into mint jelly I read, but I used just sugar and water boiled together until it was a little bit thick, then I cooled it and mixed in a little boric acid. I put blobs of it in their path. I refreshed the blobs when they seemed too hard for an ant to break apart. Maybe the jelly idea is best.

It took two or three days, but they eventually were gone and havent come back for many months. I read they take it back to the nest and it kills them there.

You can find lots of advice on how to use it online. Search "boric acid and ants" You can get it at most places, in the insecticide section.

An alternative is to feed them outside so they won't come in. Sometimes that has seemed to work for me and sometimes not.

Oh, for the boric acid to work, you need to put it in the right food. Some ants want meat, some want sugar. Try to figure out what your ants want.

Karen

[helenscott08]

I too use the Grant's Ant Stakes and they REALLY, REALLY do work. I put some out about 2 years ago and have not been bothered since then. And it seemed to me they work almost instantly. helen s

[alphagrl]

In late spring through mid-summer, I had ants coming in really bad. A friend suggested peppermint oil. I put a few drops along the incoming trails and entry points and a few drops where I saw them outside. Problem solved in just a day. I also really love the HomeSoap from MomsHead Gardens ("Boy Do I Wanna Clean") and use it in a spray bottle diluted with water 4:1. I added pepperment oil to my mix. No ants forever.

I've sprayed this around in my garden too where I had a huge colony of red ants that would attack me when I worked around them and they're somehow in abatement as well.

good luck.

Alana

[t3dingman]

I use boric acid mixed with a little honey....then we put it in bottle
caps in their path.....I also second the use of peppermint. I mix some witch hazel and peppermint oil in a small bottle, and keep it on hand. When I find some I spray......and it seems to work very well.

Terri

[Suzanne]

Here's a list of less toxic than pesticide suggestions to deal with ants:
This is from one of my favorite sites: alternative products
https://www.ci.round-rock.tx.us/public-works/lestoxic.html#Pesticides [this link is no longer available - Barry 11/2007]



Pesticides

Ants

Trace a line of ants to find out where they are entering the house and then seal it off. You can also try pouring a barrier of any of the following at the place where ants enter the house: cinnamon, cream of tartar, red chili pepper, salt, dried mint or sage, or cucumber peelings. Also try that old gift perfume you don’t like. Some perfumes may kill or repel ants.
For heavy ant infestations, mix a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of borax with 2 tablespoons of water to make a thick syrup. Soak cotton balls in mixture and place the cotton balls on something flat so that ants can get to it. Place it in the middle of the ant infestation. Ants will eat it and take it back to the nest. Slowly but surely, the numbers will diminish. Have patience. Keep well out of reach of children and pets.
Attach bands of sticky, adhesive materials around base of plants and trees to deter ants, which can carry and colonize aphids. Ants like the sweet secretion of aphids and protect them from natural enemies.
Border gardens with bone meal.
Mix 2 tablespoons boric acid, 2 tablespoons sugar and a cup of water. Soak paper towels, place on dishes, and set out for ants. Keep away from children and pets.
Mix 4 ounces of mint jelly with 2 level tablespoons of powdered boric acid. Cut small squares of masking tape and dab mixture on tape. Stick on floors behind cabinets and appliances. Take precautions for children and pets.Good luck!
Suzanne

[oceana813]

This is foolproof and works in 10 seconds - a few drops from a lemon. that's it! gone forever!
0ceana

[Tinque]

This is foolproof and works in 10 seconds - a few drops from a lemon. that's it! gone forever!
0ceana

Amazing enough, a fabric sheet works. Just slide one in or around the area.. Gone!

[Dan Craig-Morse]

Here is an unfailing, proven, 100% effective (non-vegan)
Two-Step method.

1) Wipe the ant's completely clean with a wet cleaning sponge and clean their trails. Keep wiping periodically over the the next hour or two as they continue to stream in through the hole in the wall. Soon there will only be confused stragglers. Wipe them up. There are antiillions of others, so don't worry about species endangerment. China had a program years ago, "Away with all pests."

:sweep:


2) Clean all surfaces/cupboards/cutting boards/tile cracks/etc. completely free of food residue. Period. If there is nothing for them to eat or get excited about, they will not continue to invade. If they have feasted on something for awhile, it may take a couple of days of wiping them clean to stop them.

As for any other method, it is my humble opinion that nothing else really works and that poison traps, lemons, white powder, sheets... all are gimmicks.

Again, it's simple. Wipe and Clean.

Good luck.
Dan

[Kunnskaping]

As for any other method, it is my humble opinion that nothing else really works and that poison traps, lemons, white powder, sheets... all are gimmicks.

Again, it's simple. Wipe and Clean.
Dan

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but a light syrup with 5% to 10% borax or boric acid cooked into it absolutely knocks out the ant population over the course of a couple of weeks. They take it back to their nest and feed it to their queens, then they die a few days later.

Wiping up, especially with a citrus oil cleaner (which dissolves their exoskeleton on contact) is a great and important immediate response. The problem is, as soon as you miss a little crumb or droplet of something the ants like, you've got an ant festival being hosted in your home before you know it--unless you knock out the population of ants living near you.

If the home is very well sealed, you can do a lot of good by just plugging up the few holes and cracks the ants are getting through. Some caulk, toothpaste, or Vaseline will do the trick.

[liberty]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but a light syrup with 5% to 10% borax or boric acid cooked into it absolutely knocks out the ant population over the course of a couple of weeks. They take it back to their nest and feed it to their queens, then they die a few days later.

Wiping up, especially with a citrus oil cleaner (which dissolves their exoskeleton on contact) is a great and important immediate response. The problem is, as soon as you miss a little crumb or droplet of something the ants like, you've got an ant festival being hosted in your home before you know it--unless you knock out the population of ants living near you.

If the home is very well sealed, you can do a lot of good by just plugging up the few holes and cracks the ants are getting through. Some caulk, toothpaste, or Vaseline will do the trick.
Chalk, ants will not cross a chalk line. this is true. A few years ago i had an ant invasion in my kitchen, I took chalk and outlined the walls cupboard ect.. brown chalk on cabniets white on walls (so it would not stand out tooo much.) and wonder of wonder it works!!!! good luck!!!!

[shellebelle]

Don't use anything with Orange Oil in it - they like it and come in droves to it!!! I found out the hard way!


Here is an unfailing, proven, 100% effective (non-vegan)
Two-Step method.

1) Wipe the ant's completely clean with a wet cleaning sponge and clean their trails. Keep wiping periodically over the the next hour or two as they continue to stream in through the hole in the wall. Soon there will only be confused stragglers. Wipe them up. There are antiillions of others, so don't worry about species endangerment. China had a program years ago, "Away with all pests."

:sweep:


2) Clean all surfaces/cupboards/cutting boards/tile cracks/etc. completely free of food residue. Period. If there is nothing for them to eat or get excited about, they will not continue to invade. If they have feasted on something for awhile, it may take a couple of days of wiping them clean to stop them.

As for any other method, it is my humble opinion that nothing else really works and that poison traps, lemons, white powder, sheets... all are gimmicks.

Again, it's simple. Wipe and Clean.

Good luck.
Dan

[Lorrie]

Yes this is true!!! They won't cross a chalk line. I was watching a KQED show called Haley's Hints... He had all kinds of cool tips and tricks. He covered ants... He said that ants don't like SAGE. And mention the chalk line.

Shoot! There was another repelant too but I forget now.

He also said that insects don't like MINT (that would be for spiders and such)
:2cents:



Chalk, ants will not cross a chalk line. this is true. A few years ago i had an ant invasion in my kitchen, I took chalk and outlined the walls cupboard ect.. brown chalk on cabniets white on walls (so it would not stand out tooo much.) and wonder of wonder it works!!!! good luck!!!!

[Willie Lumplump]

Hello all,
I know that we talked about this previously, but the search box doesn't bring anything up. Ants are attempting to take over the kitchen and I am not sure what to do. Suggestions appreciated.Blessings,V
Dear Veronica: The most important thing to remember is to show no fear. The ants will sense it, and once that happens they will become increasingly aggressive to the point where they may present a danger to your personal safety.

[Willie Lumplump]

I have tried magic insecticide chalk available at local asian market-on piner-it works very well- i recently redrew the line around the kitchen window. I believe the active ingredient is boric acid but not sure. It is very inexpensive and very effective- does not seem to trouble the hummingbirds or the kitties or anyone else. Of course making a deal with some of them couldnt hurt.....
In case you're interested, boric acid particles bear a strong electric charge that plasters the particles onto the waxy surface of the insect skeleton. When the particles fall off, they take away the spot of wax directly underneath creating an effective hole through which body moisture escapes, thereby dessicating the insect and killing it. The insect also tries to clean the boric acid particles off of itself, accidentally swallowing some in the process. Boric acid is a mild stomach poison.

Powders in general seem to repel a lot of insects. When I was in Africa, columns of legionary ants sometimes would come through the house, cleaning out all of the pests such as cockroaches. That part was good, but it wouldn't do to fall asleep while the ants were present. Sometimes we'd lay down lines of ashes around areas we wanted to protect, and the ants seemed very reluctant to cross the lines. I suspect that powders may absorb the odor trails that ants need to keep their columns organized.

[Willie Lumplump]

so that when you see the first scouts, you can pick them up and escort them outside!
Better to dispatch the unfortunate creature immediately so that you may conduct a brief Christian burial. An ant separated from its brethren is doomed.

[Sara S]

If you mean Asia Mart, it's moved (about a year ago) to the old Organic Grocery building on Guerneville Rd., near Fulton.


I have tried magic insecticide chalk available at local asian market-on piner-it works very well- i recently redrew the line around the kitchen window. I believe the active ingredient is boric acid but not sure. It is very inexpensive and very effective- does not seem to trouble the hummingbirds or the kitties or anyone else. Of course making a deal with some of them couldnt hurt.....

[alanora]

Thank you for the update as I had sent several folks over to the piner asian market for my favorite burn ointment, liniment for muscles that heats, and the oft required yinchiao, and told they could not find it..this explains. thnx Mindy Great to have met you again.


If you mean Asia Mart, it's moved (about a year ago) to the old Organic Grocery building on Guerneville Rd., near Fulton.

[psaltz]

Hello all,
I know that we talked about this previously, but the search box doesn't bring anything up. Ants are attempting to take over the kitchen and I am not sure what to do. Suggestions appreciated.
Blessings,
V

I had a trail of ants coming in the back porch, traveling the length of it, the laundry room and utility room into the kitchen. I ordered this ant spray

#M631 Victor Poison-Free® Ant & Roach Killer Soft Cedar Scent 17.5 oz. Aerosols

from this company online:

SaferBrand.com
100% Poison Free Pest Control
https://www.saferbrand.com

It's about $8.50 a can. I still have more than half a can left.

I have used it in two houses, with excellent results. At my present house, the ants have not come back in 2 years. The cat and dog are healthy. The cedar smell is nice. They also have mint-based spray, but after one bottle I didn't like the smell any more. And the cedar seems to work better.

[lynn]

Hey, noboby mentioned purchasing an anteater!!...

I've done the 'wipe and clean' thing....and it works...just gotta' keep up on it for a couple days if it's bad...

I've used the chalk and it works good too...I've never heard that lemon works...hmmm....

And if you know where their nest is...you can alway feed 'em outside....keep 'em busy with that...

----

funny posts Miles...haha...

[Lorrie]

I remember the other thing, now, that keeps em away...
Cucumber peelings and salt...!:2cents::wink:


Hey, noboby mentioned purchasing an anteater!!...

I've done the 'wipe and clean' thing....and it works...just gotta' keep up on it for a couple days if it's bad...

I've used the chalk and it works good too...I've never heard that lemon works...hmmm....

And if you know where their nest is...you can alway feed 'em outside....keep 'em busy with that...

----

funny posts Miles...haha...

[Lorrie]

Willie... Did you really have to describe this, this...death of ants so specifically? You could have just said, it kills them...Don't want to know what it does to kill them...

EWWWWW




In case you're interested, boric acid particles bear a strong electric charge that plasters the particles onto the waxy surface of the insect skeleton. When the particles fall off, they take away the spot of wax directly underneath creating an effective hole through which body moisture escapes, thereby dessicating the insect and killing it. The insect also tries to clean the boric acid particles off of itself, accidentally swallowing some in the process. Boric acid is a mild stomach poison.

Powders in general seem to repel a lot of insects. When I was in Africa, columns of legionary ants sometimes would come through the house, cleaning out all of the pests such as cockroaches. That part was good, but it wouldn't do to fall asleep while the ants were present. Sometimes we'd lay down lines of ashes around areas we wanted to protect, and the ants seemed very reluctant to cross the lines. I suspect that powders may absorb the odor trails that ants need to keep their columns organized.

[lynn]

Willie... Did you really have to describe this, this...death of ants so specifically? You could have just said, it kills them...Don't want to know what it does to kill them...

-----

I'm thinking a more appropriate response would be...Gee, why did I read through all that...when I didn't 'want to know'?....

It didn't take me long into reading Willie's post to realize if I didn't want to keep reading the gory details, I'd better just skip over it....

And I think it's fine he wrote it...

[Willie Lumplump]

It didn't take me long into reading Willie's post to realize if I didn't want to keep reading the gory details, I'd better just skip over it....

Well, all you really need to know is that after using boric acid you should wash yourself thoroughly so that you don't get holes in your exoskeleton and die of dehydration.

[alanora]

Was that an insult? Were you comparing her anatomy to that of a bug? I found the info on exo skeleton porosity somewhat enjoyable. Somewhere in the deep, possibly inaccessible, recesses of my memories of high school biology that fact lives along with the fact that rat poison can be coumadin, a blood thinner that prolongs the clotting time, and is used "medically" for humans. It requires constant monitoring of clotting times to balance the risk of clot formation with those of bleeding out, and it causes rodentia to bleed internally and die, hence rapidly reducing the population, effective rat poison! Titration,its a good thing.


Well, all you really need to know is that after using boric acid you should wash yourself thoroughly so that you don't get holes in your exoskeleton and die of dehydration.

[Lorrie]

Yeah, but I hang on Willie's every word and don't want to miss a one... Then I ask questions.... hee hee:heart:



Willie... Did you really have to describe this, this...death of ants so specifically? You could have just said, it kills them...Don't want to know what it does to kill them...

-----

I'm thinking a more appropriate response would be...Gee, why did I read through all that...when I didn't 'want to know'?....

It didn't take me long into reading Willie's post to realize if I didn't want to keep reading the gory details, I'd better just skip over it....

And I think it's fine he wrote it...

[Bonnie Z]

Hello all,
I know that we talked about this previously, but the search box doesn't bring anything up. Ants are attempting to take over the kitchen and I am not sure what to do. Suggestions appreciated.
Blessings,
V

Trader Joes Green Spray Cleaner will get rid of them.

[ladybug5]

sing the "Ants Go Marching On" song while you whack them with a spatula?



Hello all,
I know that we talked about this previously, but the search box doesn't bring anything up. Ants are attempting to take over the kitchen and I am not sure what to do. Suggestions appreciated.
Blessings,
V

[sallye2254]

Vernoica:

If you don't want to kill them (or harm anything else) do these things:

Notice their trajectories and mark the exits and entries they use in your house, or remember them.

Talk aloud or mentally to the group-mind of the ant colony (they're like the BORK in Star Trek!) and tell them you have another place you'd like them to eat.

Put honey or sugarwater out where you're telling them to gather (outside, far away from your house), or lead them to your compost heap, if you have one. Picture the eating spot firmly in your mind and picture them rerouting themselves to get to it, not walking through your house at all, to get there. Do this as you do the next part, constantly picturing the new route and the new food.

Gently lift all the ants off your floor, counters, sink, and other surfaces by inserting paper toweling under them and bringing them outside. Leave the toweling outside and get more until you're finished (shaking them off doesn't really work and can hurt them). If any get crushed or die, apologize and keep going, and remind them that you'll have to be harsher if they don't listen to this important message and re-route.

Ants hate the smells of oranges and rubbing alcohol.

When the surfaces are clear, clean them thoroughly with a ORANGE CITRUS-based cleaner or dish soap on a sponge or from a spray bottle. DO NOT DILUTE.

THEN, in another spray bottle, DILUTE rubbing alcohol (white/clear kind) about 1/2-1/2 water and spray that all over the surfaces.

THEN, soak paper towels in some UNDILUTED alcohol and plug the entrances and exits they were using with these soaked towels. Replenish these twice each day.

ONGOINGLY: Spray your surfaces with orange stuff every day when you do the dishes, or anyway, even if you don't, and DO NOT LEAVE any dirty dishes or utensils, or food out, anywhere.

If any scouts/strays appear, remind them of their other routes and food source (and replenish it occasionally) and lift them outside and respray.

Good luck! This has worked for me and continues to work for me!


Hello all,
I know that we talked about this previously, but the search box doesn't bring anything up. Ants are attempting to take over the kitchen and I am not sure what to do. Suggestions appreciated.
Blessings,
V