Ants....How to get rid?

[AFQuaid 18]

Hello Everybody,

About a few weeks ago I started noticing ants on my computer table...just one or two didn't think nothing of it so just er...squished them with paper. Then a few days later about 5 where under my keyboard and I freaked out......My laptop gets moved alot from bed to table so they couldn't of been under there long. Then 3 decided to set up camp under my soda cup a few days after that feasting off what looked like a food stain. Then it was fine after we wiped the top of the desk etc...then 2 weeks later an army of them swamped the table whilst I was using the computer and of course I screamed for assistance from family members. My brother was horrified. They were going in all directions under papers...the computer....on the computer...around the plugs. So he cleared the whole table and sprayed it with insect repelent. He also tried to search where they were coming from. He looked around, under and beside the table (where we have a boiler cupboard)....nothing except for spiders webs in there. He then went outside an noticed there was like an air vent leading into the back room and loads of ants so he sprayed that and lifted up some pavement slabs and sprayed em till there was like....a big pavement slab side full of ant corpuses. Poor guy was outside all evening trying to kill as many as he could see. We also have some wires coming through the back wall so he plugged the gap with bluetac. Now thats 2 days ago....yesterday I squished three more ants on my desk. Where could they be coming from/in from? And how the heck do I get rid of them?

Help...

[Fuzzness 2]

I've had this problem every summer until last summer. Try washing the area with very soapy water, that seemed to help. Also if you have a dehumidifier, run it in the same room.

[Sinergy 3]

We had that prob here at my house, and i kept killing them. Everytime i thought they were gone they came back by 2 or 3 at a time. When i called an exterminator, he was looking, and the plumber came to install my new bathtub at the same time, and when he pulled out my old tub, MILLIONS of ants came falling out of the wall.

I had a wood pile on the side of the house and thats where they came from.( a wood pile in florida, yes im not all there haha wasnt far from the pool, i have my seasons mixed up)

If you cant find the source youd be good to call a bug man because i had NO idea i had this problem, and whats sad, no matter how good you clean your house, you never know whats in your walls.

Hugs, Tara

[almaty 19]

Terror ant poison...ants hate terorists

[Sinergy 3]

[tmma 467]

Hi and sorry about the ant problem.

There is a spray that you can get in Walmart for indoors, plus those "ant houses" from Lowes or Home Depot supposedly work.

Failing that-you could do what I do and call the bug guy to come and spray. I get it done every 4 months and their stuff works!!!! Our ants in TX are tough SOB's so I figured it was time for the professionals!

Best wishes

Michele

[rebeccajo 14]

There's a product here in the US called Terro that works wonders.

We have them every spring. This year they were particularly bad. We used the Terro for a few weeks and once the population seemed much smaller, we used Raid spray.

[Jasman0717 9]

Terror ant poison...ants hate terorists

[Girona40 0]

We use a product called Talstar1 - you can get it from most farm supply shops. You spray it around the perimeter of the house and inside. It will get rid of roaches, ladybugs, flies, wasps, spiders, ants, and a million and one other things. It is totally environmentally friendly and you can spray it on your vegetable gardens and over your entire lawn and it won't harm it. It is fine to use with animals in the house - totally harmless to them and humans. I don't know how it works, but it does! It is a little pricey, but we swear by it and we are surrounded by forest, so have lots of bug problems in the summertime. Not any more!!

Alternatively................See No. 3 - (my friend just sent me this). Don't know whether it works, but I am certainly going to try a sheet attached to my belt when I am out weeding the garden this summer!!

Bounce This Along

(One never knows when this could come in handy)

1. My mail carrier told me that the US Postal service sent out a

message To all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their

uniform pockets To keep yellow-jackets away.

2. Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it

when I am working outside. It really works. The yellow jackets

just veer around you.

3. All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer! It

will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also

repels mice.

4. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars

that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

5. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get

opened too often.

6. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop

when outdoors during mosquito season.

7. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer)

screen.

8. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe

your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust

from resettling.

9. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

10. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of

Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

11. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

12. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a

sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

13. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce

inside empty luggage before storing.

14. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce

under the front seat.

15. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan,

fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The

anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food

and the pan.

16. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at

the bottom of the wastebasket.

17. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will

magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

18. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the

blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

19. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet

of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

20. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of

Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

21. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your

shoes or sneakers overnight.

22. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the

bees away.

23. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before

folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

24. Quick, bounce this on within the next 5 minutes! Nothing will

happen if you don't, but your friends will be glad to hear these

hints

25. I use bounce on my dog when she starts smelling a little doggy.

Just a one sheet rub down makes the difference.

[Mr&Mrs2859 0]

Sounds like what you have is sugar ants. I've had that problem in the past. There is a product probably available in walmart etc. Its a little tiny container blue and red and you drop little droplets in and around the area where your seeing the ants and they will feast on it and bring it back to the nest and die off. It works great.

Something like Ant B Gone or something. It is a liquid drop container

Edited April 28, 2006 by Mr&Mrs2859

[SanDan 0]

Are these ant repellants pet friendly? We've had ants coming inside too and I'm tired of hunting them... We also have a very curious kitty who just has to sniff everything...

[Cristy 4]

We have ants too. Every summer, they come in the crack in my screen door. I hear chalk works, apparently they dont' like crossing chalk so if you surround your entrances they won't get in.

[Welshcookie 17]

I have been thinking about the same thing...just noticed quite a few ants around in my kitchen....It seems a little early for them...

[Jaylen Brit 0]

ooh interesting thread! The info about Bounce - wow! lol I must try that

Ants yeah i see a lot when I'm in NC - down in Bragg they had the bitey ones (tiny but ferocious) - so far havent worked out if the ones in Lenoir are bitey as well but they seem to love comin indoors - prolly thru the screen door. I did spray some ant killer along the door at floor level but I will see how bad they get and maybe try the other ideas.

Im thinking a tactical nuke on their tiny as$es might be overkill (plus am sure the neighbours would moan about it)

[ace13 0]

There is one from Ortho that is pet friendly--it is an orange scent insect killer and says it is safe around food as well--sounds like you could drink it I used it in my kitchen because I have a kitty too and it was fine and it worked!! I didn't drink it though.