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Original poster

ARGH! Ants!

132 replies

GeorginaA · 21/02/2004 10:04

Well, it's about time for my weekly hormonal panic...

Dh has just informed me that he found four ants by the sofa this morning. He duly removed them, but I'm now rather worried. How likely are we to suddenly get a horde of them running through?

It's really bizarre - the sofa is nowhere near the door and I didn't really think it was ant season - still quite cold outside. Thought this was really a summer problem.

If we do get a load, what's the safest way to remove them? I have a 2 year old and I'm 26 weeks pregnant so I'm reluctant to have any chemicals in the house. Previously when we've had ants we've only had them outside so we could pour kettles of hot water down... not really as easy inside on the carpet!

OP posts:
popsycal · 15/03/2004 19:32

oh this was nearly my post last week
we bought a lamp from b and q and out scurried ants when we opened the box.
we found them still til the day after.....
hope they have gone - complained to them and awaiting their response

Original poster
GeorginaA · 15/03/2004 19:37

EW popsy - how horrible

You complained to the ants, or to B&Q? ...

The numbers of ants have died (hopefully literally) down a bit for now... but dh is about to refill the traps... just hoping the smell of syrupy goodness doesn't entice ants from miles around! As soon as they're all gone I'm scrubbing the kitchen from top to bottom ... shudder

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Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/03/2004 08:16

Update: well there was a feeding frenzy last night after dh topped up the traps ... ugh. This morning there's no sign of ants anywhere... trying not to get my hopes up too much and are going to keep the traps going for a week. Perhaps they're all just sleeping off a hangover?

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marthamoo · 16/03/2004 09:17

Ugh, georgina, much sympathy. We have lived here for 3 years now and have had an infestation every summer. I think we've tried everything prople have suggested (except the baking powder - LOVE the idea of the little buggers exploding!) One summer I was sweeping up in the kitchen and I knocked the skirting board with the brush and HUNDREDS of them came scurrying out - I vacuumed them up and we have a Dyson so I could see them all running round in the drum. Ugh ugh ugh.

What we do now is take off the skirting board in the kitchen (probably wouldn't be able to do that in a modern house!) and squirt copious amounts of raid down behind it, also in the cupboard under the stairs which is where they seem to be. Also put Nippon ant powder round all the boundaries of our house, paying special attention to air bricks. And I use the little "igloo" traps - I put them in cupboards and under the fridge so no danger of the kids touching them.

Have already seen a few this year in the living room - so battle commences....

Worst ant story: got up in the early hours for a drink and came downstairs, didn't turn the lights on, and was suddenly aware that ds2's highchair seemed to be moving. Turned on light and it was swarming with ants. Felt physically sick Dragged it into the garden at 3 am and left it there!

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/03/2004 11:30

EW EW EW EW EW ... that worst ant story made me all squirmy - that's HORRIBLE!

How many weeks of the year do you find it's an issue? Is it just a week or two of hell while the raid takes effect or is it the whole summer that is blighted?

getting rather worried that it's only March and we're infested

OP posts:
marthamoo · 16/03/2004 11:43

Sorry, Georgina...it's the whole summer And did I mention that at one point they become flying ants? And....just to pile on the doom and gloom...I think this is the earliest I've seen them in the house

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/03/2004 13:05

cry

I want to move

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nutcracker · 16/03/2004 13:10

My dp is a pest controller, when he gets home tonight i will ask him what you should do.
They can be hard to get rid of though.

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/03/2004 13:22

Thank you nutcracker - the thought of having swarms inside the house while at home with a toddler and young baby isn't particularly appealling

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lou33 · 16/03/2004 13:29

My ants arrived today.

marthamoo · 16/03/2004 13:29

Sorry Georgina - they get me down too

Nutty, will be really interested to know what your dp says, too.

marthamoo · 16/03/2004 13:31

Congrats Lou - perhaps we should form a club? MNAA ? MNers Against Ants? WHADD? We Hate Ants Die Die!

lou33 · 16/03/2004 13:38

I do take great pleasure in putting the powder down and watching them die, it's true.

marz · 16/03/2004 13:46

Have not read the whole thread so apologise if this has already been said....use talc to scatter around skirting boards or whereever you think they are coming from, (if it is outside!)we live in a flat and they were in the whole building, so we had non toxic poison but I did put the talc and it did seem to make a difference, they seem to not like talcy feet so they will not cross over it....! Also, I put elastic bands over the bottom of cot legs, high chair etc, again, they do not like rubber and so will not crawl up, it really did work!

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/03/2004 13:56

I like it Marthamoo, how about a variation? MNAADDD - MumsNetters Against Ants Die Die Die!

Oh well, I suppose it's an improvement on the mice in the last house. I'm not a slovenly housekeeper, honest

A friend of mine mentioned that it's likely to be a history in the house of ants - a boiled sweet dropped behind a counter ages ago, long since deteriorated or something like that will keep them coming back year after year. I don't know if there's any truth in that, but it sounds convincing...

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Tinker · 16/03/2004 14:37

Mine arrived about 2 weeks ago. Have been watching them in their death throes after feasting on Nippon - felt wrong somehow but was drawn to watching them. Still here though, it's not very good is it? Best thing was squirting powder in kitchen and bathroom - climb up through the brickwork.

Tried the toothpaste one - only removed last summer's from my floor a few weeks ago - covered in greasy dusty food

Couple of years ago left my daughter's birthday cake out - completely black when saw it the next day.

loofers · 16/03/2004 18:27

can i join the club have just found 6 ants!!

nutcracker · 16/03/2004 18:32

O.k, don't know if this will help but this is dp's suggestion (he's a pest controller).
Other than using Empire 20, Crackdown e.t.c which only a pest controller can use, then check around the outside for displaced soil/earth and then pour boiling hot water with bleach in it around that area.

I have know idea if it works, we live in a 1st floor flat so...........

lou33 · 16/03/2004 18:45

Boiling water does, have never tried the bleach tho.

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/03/2004 19:05

Yup, boiling water does work very well - have used it before with an infested patio. Our main problem at the moment is that we are unsure of the location of the nest. I haven't used bleach before either so will remember that one!

Numbers seem to be less today, so we're going to keep up the Nippon for the week and if we start getting large quantities again we'll phone a pest controller for the professional stuff. Please thank your dh for me, nutcracker

OP posts:
nutcracker · 16/03/2004 19:07

Oh thats alright GA. If we lived close enough to any of you with ants, i'd get him to come round and have a look. He's always spraying for family and friends.

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/03/2004 19:13

Wow, he controls family and friends too? Can he control mothers

giggle

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Original poster
GeorginaA · 17/03/2004 14:12

Number of ants spotted today: 3 (not bad... considering)

Number of carpet beetles discovered on bedroom windowsill this morning: 7 (loud piercing scream)

What am I?! An insect zoo or something?!

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lou33 · 17/03/2004 14:26

We should all buy magnifying glasses and fry the little buggers.

Coddy · 17/03/2004 14:45

I have finally coem on to this thread to see whay it has been running for so long!