Ants

[daffodillolly]

I get ants coming into my flat every year starting in the Spring. I have already spotted two.

I am going to try the Ant Stop box things where the ants take the poison back to the nests.

Has anyone tried them and what's the best way to dispose of them? Thanks

I sprinkle talc on the floor. They hate it

Bonus is I don't have to worry about the kids touching it

Yes we have the ant bait stations I have tried everything pre these they are brilliant. Pop one down give it a few days and no more. You may find they come in another route (we do) so we just put another station down. Definitely the best thing by far we have found for getting rid of them.

@mommybear1 - do you just put the used ant stations in a couple of plastic bags and put them in the usual rubbish bin?

@daffodillolly yes I pop them in a bag then into the rubbish. Good luck!

@mommybear1 - thank you. I got tired of spraying every week during the warmer weather last year. I need to try something else.

Talcum!! Always in March we get some trying to break in, out with old talcum powder and it works a treat. Sprinkle along the route you see them.

@Comedycook - I might try this thanks. I haven't seen any more ants. Someone told me that they don't like the smell of bleach and I have just had mould removed in the property. I wonder if the smell of cleaning products has deterred them?

Nippon liquid. Put a few drops on a non-absorbent object such as a washed coin, and put it near where they walk.

It is syrupy and so delicious they will carry it back to the nest to share with their friends.

replenish the drops when eaten or dried up. Wipe up any spillage

you can put it underneath kitchen cabinets or appliances, or at the point of entry.

@embolass and @Comedycook Thanks for the suggestion. I bought some talcum and have put it by the doors where I think the ants are coming in. Also someone told me they don't like bleach and I put some flash bleach spray down as well. I haven't seen any more ants so far.

I'm really hoping it will work. Last summer I was spraying with insecticide every week and it was awful stuff that went on my hands.

Is talcum pet safe as well? I might put some down outside. Thanks

I am ill with Covid at the moment and watched some of This Morning yesterday and they were talking about ants.
Apparently they don’t like mint or cinnamon. She also mention talc. If they are coming in the door then put some mint plants next to the door or put cinnamon sticks in the plant pots. I am going to try the mint plants as we usually get some ants between the cracks in the flags. I usually have a plant pot either side of the door so I’m going to put some mint in as foliage and hope it works.
She said they won’t cross chalk either and suggested crushing some chalk and placing that down. Good luck!

Thanks. I might get a mint plant. I hope you feel better very soon

I put some talcum powder down near the doors a few days ago and haven't seen any more ants.

Do any of you have pets and use talcum to keep ants away? I'm wondering if it is dangerous for pets. I don't have any - yet.

Since putting talcum powder down I have seen 6 or 7 ants. I have ordered some of the ant raid things from Amazon. I am going to have to spray tonight as the thought of creepy crawlers will keep me awake.

Indorex spray. It's primarily a flea spray, but it kills all insects (including ants). I use it because we live in a house with loads of beams and when we moved in we were overrun with spiders. Sprayed Indorex when our cat developed fleas then realised that it was killing the spiders, flies, moths, wasps and any other bugs that ventured in. Having read reviews of it, turns out this is a side effect that lots of people use it for.

The effects last for months and months. I spray around the edges of a room and on the beams about every six months.

@CutesyUserName - thanks for the recommendation.

I sprayed a few areas with Dethlac and put down two ant raid things. I found it difficult to break off all the plastic tabs with the ant raid things. So far I haven't seen any more ants.

Aaaaaah! Just seen an ant on my thermostat switch of all places. They seem indestructible!

I guess it's back to spraying with Dethlac

Nippon does actually work.

Because they carry it back to the nest to share, it will kill the nest. Not just the dozen ants who walk into your kitchen.

IME less than a week.

Mrs Hinch recommends icing sugar mixed with baking soda.
Put in a shallow container, such as the lids of gravy granules, and leave them next to the affected areas.
Make sure to top it up everyday.
The ants are attracted to the icing sugar and take it with them to the nest then the baking soda kills them all.

But why do you all want to kill ants? Why must everything which was here long before Homo sapiens appeared (and will still be here long after we have all thankfully disappeared) be killed - if it's not ants it is spiders, wasps, mice..the list goes on. All harmless, inoffensive creatures, minding their own business and, in many cases, useful to us, but, no, they have to be destroyed because we think we are superior to them and they might, just might, cause us a minor irritation.
I have woodlice, violet ground beetles, spiders a plenty, fieldmice and a shrew living in my house, bats roosting in the loft, sparrows nesting in the thatch, a garden full of fascinating insects, miner bees in the lawn - all are welcome, it is their home too. Can't we all make space for other living things?

@Hedgesfullofbirds - It would get to the point where I wouldn't be able to have a meal without ants crawling on my food.

@PigletJohn - Thanks for the recommendation. I thought the ant raids did a similar thing. I left them in my property for a couple of weeks.

I came on here to post about ants and saw that this was the first post.

I just moved to an old house, saw loads the other week and put some powder I found in there down. But I don't know how they are getting into the kitchen, I keep finding them on the surfaces but never on the floor. Obviously I can't put anything toxic on the kitchen units.

Any ideas?

If you put one drop of the liquid on a coin, and put it at the back of your work surface, the ants will find it. You will not lick the coin or rub it on your food.

They are looking for spillages of marmalade, sugary drinks etc.