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Housekeeping

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Original poster

ANTS!

18 replies

SkinnyVanillaLatte · 13/04/2012 21:18

Got ants EVERYWHERE in the kitchen!They're driving me mad!

I can't identify a marching route.And the dear pup has obviously been crossed with an Anteater at some point in his evolution so I don't dare use ant powder for fear of him ingesting some.

Has anyone got any ideas how I can get rid/reduce the problem?

OP posts:
Myheadmyworld · 13/04/2012 23:00

ooooh i was obsessed with this topic ever since i woke up one day when ds was 4 months old and found LOADS of ants in his bed Shock so i researched ants and went as far as watching a 1 hr documentary on them. the only way to get rid of ants permanently is to kill the queen! Ant powder only kills the ants but the queen will continue to send out more and more little guys.

what you need is ant bait, buy some Borax (online) and make ant bait by mixing it with cornsyrup (maple should work too)put a dollop of it in a loo role or a small cardboard box or anything similar and poke holes for ants to get through and place in corner where ants are. They will eat it and take it to the queen and boom she dies they disappear! may take a few days but it is a permanent solution.

interim, spray them with vinegar! it strips off their protective film so they cant retain moisture and they die of dehydration.

SparkyMcSparrow · 13/04/2012 23:03

Can't you just let the dog eat them?

Original poster
SkinnyVanillaLatte · 14/04/2012 10:43

the dog loves them Sparky!They're obviously the hundreds and thousands of the dog world!

He licks them off the wall and everything!

OP posts:
Original poster
SkinnyVanillaLatte · 14/04/2012 11:00

BUT...he can't deal with the ones in the wall cupboards...

Myhead I'm kind of worried about the dog eating boraxed ants though....Perhaps I'm over-thinking this.....

The vinegar sounds a possible,but it seems so cruel!

OP posts:
SparkyMcSparrow · 14/04/2012 11:11

This brand is very good and is safe around kids! Not sure about pets but click on them and they should give you some more info.

I was going mad with ants last year, tried everything else and this is the only thing that worked!

SparkyMcSparrow · 14/04/2012 11:11

Sorry meant to put I used the granules!

Original poster
SkinnyVanillaLatte · 14/04/2012 11:27

Perhaps I am going to have to go for a 'proper' product Sparky.

I have an ant running across the keyboard as I type......

OP posts:
SparkyMcSparrow · 14/04/2012 11:29

I hate ants!!! My neighbour found a whole bloody colony of them in her bed once Shock

Good luck!

Original poster
SkinnyVanillaLatte · 14/04/2012 12:19

Would a jam trap or something work,does anyone know? Or is that just wasps?

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 14/04/2012 13:59

Nippon Gel/liquid (not powder, not spray). Comes in a small tube like toothpaste. It is sugary and the ants take it home to share. You put a drop on a non-absorbent surface such as a coin, and put it (or a few) where the ants will find them. You can put them under kitchen cupboards or inside small things that a pet can't reach, or example at the bottom of a used tin. It really does work.
Nippon

Original poster
SkinnyVanillaLatte · 14/04/2012 14:49

Thanks Piglet!

I was thinking there was some drop on stuff,as such.

I am absolutely sick to death of the little buggers,so I think the Anteater is going to be deprived and a trip to the hardware shop is on the cards.

OP posts:
Myheadmyworld · 14/04/2012 21:18

Death to the ant Queen Grin I honestly don't think ur pup will eat enough ants to harm himself, maybe tackle one room at a time and turn it into a keep out area for him?

emdelafield · 14/04/2012 21:28

Hello. We have an ant problem in our kitchen at present. I can't actually see them (being incredibly short sighted) but DS2 (12) is terrified/disgusted by them.

Two pronged attack (courtesy of DH). He identified poor bin hygiene in the kitchen so a trip into town to Lakeland saw me return with a smart chrome flip top bin and something called Ant Stop (also bought some fudge but that is irrelevant)

According to the leaflet they love the smell and visit the Ant Stop dispenser for the bait and then return to the nest.

So far so good. Ant population declining and DS2 greatly reassured. Bin cost £30 which was a shocker after a lifetime of recycling carrier bags but hey ho.

gemma4d · 14/04/2012 22:10

Isn't it terrible! I've been overrun for over a week despite having put down ant-bait-stations (told dd1 they were ant hotels - she is over-sensitive!)

The majority have been hoovered up (god bless the dyson) so just a couple dozen in the kitchen which I find when I pick anything up :(

Going on holiday soon, what timing. I dread to think what I am going to return to

Makingchanges · 14/04/2012 22:27

We have them every year without fail. We use the ant stop gun to spray areas where we see them and then spread ant powder around the outside of the house to stop them getting in. This works every time. To be honest we've never had much luck with the bait stations.

DressDownFriday · 14/04/2012 22:33

We had them in the kitchen and only proper ant powder got rid of them. We put in inside and all around the perimeter of our house.

On a more pup friendly note - ants avoid ground coffee. Sprinkle used ground coffee around any likely spots.

ElBandito · 14/04/2012 23:12

This only really works if you spot the initial hunting parties ragter than a major influx.... If you can stand it kill them and leave the bodies for their little friends to find. It does scare them off when they find their mates are dead.

Februarycat · 16/04/2012 14:52

I use the Ant Bait traps and keep them down all the time and replace them every couple of months, it got rid of the ones we had in the kitchen.

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