Sugar Ant problems

[clevere]

Hey guys. Just recently moved into a place. We have sugar ants crawling all over the place. The garage, dinning area, kitchen, and living room. I realize they are attracted to food, drinks, etc, and since we've moved in, we've done our damnest to keep the place clean (with 3 kids, it isn't always easy). I've placed RAID Ant Traps II in the kitchen, dining area, and living room, as well as the garage.

When we firsted moved in, we noticed them by the front door, well the kids did, and as soon as I saw it, I went and get to bait traps. With a 1 year old, having these traps all over my place isn't the best, nor the safest idea. Is there anything else I can do that works well for these buggers? It seems they are crawling around under the cement slab this place is built upon. I'd prefer a method that is natural, but I'm game for chemicals as well. What are your thoughts?

[F.H.]

I tried this and it seemed to work incredibly well (assuming there wasn't some other factor that I'm not aware of). Took about a dozen plastic caps (like Gatorade lids) and filled them with a mixture of Boraxo and sugar. Placed them in key places. Not only are the ants gone, they haven't come back (this was a year ago). Good luck.

Frank

[clevere]

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) Hey guys. Just recently moved into a place. We have sugar ants crawling all :) over the place. The garage, dinning area, kitchen, and living room. I :) realize they are attracted to food, drinks, etc, and since we've moved in :) You might try the combat bait stations or terro gel...or both. Soak the discs in warm water for a second to moisten the bait. children will not be able to open the discs to get to the bait and the toxicity will be lower than borate mixtures. The terro would be placed in cracks and crevices and corners where the ants may run inside.

[N42461]

If you have some territory, put a compost/midden pile in the back (close to the neighbor you don't like). Then clean the house well. Ants are as lazy and easily led as us, and will find the easyer softer way to food. Take the garbage out nightly. Compost!

Get the kids to help. Get them some Venus Fly traps and pitcher plants for the house (HD carries them).

If you are in the right climate, western fence lizards (AKA 'blue bellies') are great ant eaters. They also seem to subvert Lyme Disease. Good pets too!

Poison is a poor excuse for bad hygene. (even the past owner's)

ns

[NorMinn]

Getting clean is primary. Wash insides of kitchen cupboards, including containers that may be sticky (syrup, etc). Vacuum floors, scrub kitchen floor. Clean up pet food droppings and keep pet food in sealed container. Peanut butter and jelly were always the culprits when my kids were small :o) Found a yellow jacket once in the jar of jelly the kids had left open. Ants were a springtime nuisance when they did come around. Used to use a liquid bait - forget the name but HD carries the same thing - that is boric acid and sugar. Place it under furniture or appliances where the kiddies and pets can't get to it. One time used to do it for the year. Best to place the bait in the ant's path and keep junior away from it for a day or two.

A one-year old can spread food around in mysterious places :o) Don't worry about what is crawling around under your slab - you don't need or want to kill everything in the yard. Even termites have a purpose. Try some boric acid along the front door entry - it will wash away in the rain, keep junior from eating it although it is relatively non-toxic to people, and put down newspaper when junior is in the high chair doing experiments with food. Mine used to like to squoosh spaghetti and rub it in her hair. Squooshed bananas, when dry, are harder than concrete.

[Melinda Meahan - remove TRASH]

You can dissuade them with cinnamon, black or cayenne pepper, or Tabasco sauce. That's all we use. But my dad used to spray ant poison all around the foundation of his house once a year and that took care of most of the problem.

[Melinda Meahan - remove TRASH]

NOOOOOO, not with a 1-year-old around! Boraxo is toxic!!!!!!

[Pick]

Melinda Meahan - remove TRASH to reply wrote in :

I spray around the outside perimeter of the house. I just did mine on Saturday, and the ants are already reduced dramatically. I also use the baits in the house, but they don't work very well without the perimeter spray.

Pick

[F.H.]

I just eyeballed it to about 50/50. Got the suggestion here if I recall correctly.

[NorMinn]

I've read that it has to be liquid, not granules, but it worked for you, apparently.

[F.H.]

Senior moment. By all means add water to the mix. Sorry.

[JerryMouse]

Nooooo! Boraxo is non-toxic. From their web site:

"20 Mule Team® Borax is non-toxic, but if ingested in large quantities, it has the potential to cause negative effects. If ingested in large quantities, contact a veterinarian immediately."

And: "The Dial Corporation cannot recommend Borax to kill ants or roaches. The EPA has not authorized 20 Mule Team® as a pesticide."

[Richard J Kinch]

Dangerous, stupid advice.

The substance "borax" (lowercase) is sodium tetraborate decahydrate. Lethal dose in children is as little as 1 tsp (see the _Merck Index_), causing severe vomiting, diarrhea, death. Highly effective on ants, if you can get them to eat it (mixing with sugar, etc).

I can't understand where dialcorp.com gets the non-toxic nonsense. Their Web page appears to be quite ignorant or deceptive of the facts. They "cannot recommend" it as a pesticide because it is not "EPA authorized" (although many widely-sold commercial pesticide products incorporate it), yet they can give you instructions on making toy "slime" for your kids out of it!

[nospambob]

[Melinda Meahan - remove TRASH]

I sure would not consult a veterinarian for a 1-year-old child's medical problems.

The cinnamon/pepper/cayenne recommendation I got was from a public school janitor, where they are prohibited from using anything toxic because there are young children there. It works well for inside applications.

[F.H.]

Current household census: Two adults, one 13 year old grandchild, one cat, two dogs. No ants. Apparently only the ants were interested in my mixture. Cautionary suggestion regarding small children noted.

As a chemically sensitive person this offers a much better option than filling the air with perfumed poison.

[NorMinn]

Cayenne isn't on the list of things I'd want to inhale or get in my eyes. Boric acid is much safer, and with a toddler the boric acid bait can be put under/behind furnishings so the child cannot reach it. Heavy furniture can be placed temporarily so the bait is in the right spot but the baby cannot get it. Gotta be crafty to keep the little ones out of trouble.

[Richard J Kinch]

Capsicum is pretty harmless. The pain is without real injury.

Boric acid is poisonous, like sodium borate. 1 to 2 tsp lethal dose in children.

[Dave Mitton]

Excuse me, but Boraxo is not 100% borax. It's got a lot of soap in it.

Dial's 20-Mule Team Borax is a different product.