I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
much more frequent.

I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.

Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.

Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

Mark Thorson wrote:

> I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.

<snipped for nb>
>
> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

Have had some success with spraying their 'trails' with plain ole' white
vinegar. The Ranger tipped me off about it a while back - seems to work
pretty well.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Google is my Friend (GIMF)

In article >,
Mark Thorson > wrote:

> I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.
>
> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>
> Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
> down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
> of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
> again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>
> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

5% sevin around the foundation... and a bit of Windex on the trails in
the kitchen. ;-)

Works for me... That and trying to make sure there is nothing to attract
them.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
>I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.
>
> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>
> Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
> down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
> of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
> again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>
> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

Boric Acid.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html

Dimitri

In article >,
Mark Thorson > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> >
> > Works for me... That and trying to make sure there is nothing to attract
> > them.
>
> That would require cleaning the kitchen. Let's try
> to be realistic here.

<snicker>
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

ChattyCathy wrote:
>
> Have had some success with spraying their 'trails' with plain ole' white
> vinegar. The Ranger tipped me off about it a while back - seems to work
> pretty well.

Hmmm . . . I have a big jar of vinegar I used for
marinating mushrooms that I was about to throw out.

Omelet wrote:
>
> Works for me... That and trying to make sure there is nothing to attract
> them.

That would require cleaning the kitchen. Let's try
to be realistic here.

Mark Thorson wrote:

> ChattyCathy wrote:
>>
>> Have had some success with spraying their 'trails' with plain ole'
>> white vinegar. The Ranger tipped me off about it a while back - seems
>> to work pretty well.
>
> Hmmm . . . I have a big jar of vinegar I used for
> marinating mushrooms that I was about to throw out.

Try it, you got nothing to lose...
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Google is my Friend (GIMF)

Dimitri wrote:
>
> Boric Acid.
>
> http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html

Boric acid is the active ingrediant in Antrol II,
which itself is a reformulation of the original
Antrol. The original contained a sugar syrup with
arsenic in it, in a little green bottle, flat on
one side. You lay the bottle flat side down on
a trail, and the ants would drink the syrup and
take it back to the colony. Very effective.

Antrol II is a similar principle, but almost
completely ineffective. I haven't seen Antrol II
in years, maybe they stopped making it.
Ah, yes! A Google search shows the product
is no longer made.

http://pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Prod..._N R%3D079529

I wonder what would happen if I mixed Tilex
with sugar syrup?

In article >,
"Dimitri" > wrote:

> "Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
> ...
> >I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> > a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> > much more frequent.
> >
> > I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> > use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> > were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> > I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> > Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> > and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> > I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
> >
> > Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
> > down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
> > of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
> > again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
> >
> > Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.
>
> Boric Acid.
>
> http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html
>
> Dimitri

Heh! I've used that for years to control roaches! Never thought of it
for ants.

Good idea!
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

In article >,
Mark Thorson > wrote:

> Dimitri wrote:
> >
> > Boric Acid.
> >
> > http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html
>
> Boric acid is the active ingrediant in Antrol II,
> which itself is a reformulation of the original
> Antrol. The original contained a sugar syrup with
> arsenic in it, in a little green bottle, flat on
> one side. You lay the bottle flat side down on
> a trail, and the ants would drink the syrup and
> take it back to the colony. Very effective.
>
> Antrol II is a similar principle, but almost
> completely ineffective. I haven't seen Antrol II
> in years, maybe they stopped making it.
> Ah, yes! A Google search shows the product
> is no longer made.
>
> http://pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Prod...%26DIST_N R%3
> D079529
>
> I wonder what would happen if I mixed Tilex
> with sugar syrup?

Mix Borax with it. It'd probably work as well...

21 years ago when I lived in an apartment in my senior year in college,
I used a very effective bait for the Palmetto bugs that infest the South.

Echols Roach Tablets. The poison was boric acid mixed into a bait
tablet.

I scattered them in hidden places in my apt.

Never did see another LIVE roach. <eg>
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Dimitri wrote:
>
> "Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
>> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
>> much more frequent.
>>
>> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
>> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
>> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
>> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
>> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
>> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
>> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>>
>> Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
>> down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
>> of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
>> again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>>
>> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.
>
> Boric Acid.
>
> http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html
>
> Dimitri

I've combined 20 Muleteam Borax (in the laundry aisle) with water and a
bit of sugar. Soak some cotton balls and tuck them around the kitchen.
They get sticky so putting the cotton ball in a soda bottle cap helps.

-Tracy

In article >,
Tracy > wrote:

> >> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.
> >
> > Boric Acid.
> >
> > http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html
> >
> > Dimitri
>
> I've combined 20 Muleteam Borax (in the laundry aisle) with water and a
> bit of sugar. Soak some cotton balls and tuck them around the kitchen.
> They get sticky so putting the cotton ball in a soda bottle cap helps.
>
> -Tracy

I like that.

There have been a lot of baby german roaches in the break room at work
lately, including in the employee lockers! I've been debating putting
some kind of roach poison in mine...

Glue traps are a thought too.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Tracy wrote on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:43:26 -0400:

> Dimitri wrote:
>>
>> "Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
>>> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
>>> much more frequent.
>>>
>>> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
>>> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
>>> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
>>> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
>>> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
>>> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
>>> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>>>
>>> Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
>>> down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
>>> of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
>>> again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>>>
>>> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.
>>
>> Boric Acid.
>>
>> http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html
>>
>> Dimitri

> I've combined 20 Muleteam Borax (in the laundry aisle) with
> water and a bit of sugar. Soak some cotton balls and tuck them
> around the kitchen. They get sticky so putting the cotton ball
> in a soda bottle cap helps.

Unless you are opposed to pesticides, there are things you can spray on
a trail if you know where it is. The ants don't die immediately and
their relatives eat them thus making the stuff more effective.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

In article >,
Mark Thorson > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> >
> > Heh! I've used that for years to control roaches! Never thought of it
> > for ants.
>
> In theory, it should work for anything with an exoskeleton.
> If I recall correctly (actually, I do recall correctly, but
> I don't vouch for the reliability of my original source),
> the boric acid crystals are picked up by animals walking
> across it and they penetrate the gaps between the plates
> of their exoskeleton, which screws it up and causes the
> animals to lose their protection against dehydration.
>
> Maybe that's why Antrol II was such a dog. The boric acid
> was in a gel, which the ants would eat because it also
> had sugar in it. It did kill ants, but not very effectively.
> In your parlance, it was a .22 short when a .45 was needed.

;-)

So, would simply scattering trails of boric acid (available at the
pharmacy) along ant trails solve the problem?

Seems to me then, if that's the theory, Diatomaceous Earth would work?
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Omelet wrote:
>
> Heh! I've used that for years to control roaches! Never thought of it
> for ants.

In theory, it should work for anything with an exoskeleton.
If I recall correctly (actually, I do recall correctly, but
I don't vouch for the reliability of my original source),
the boric acid crystals are picked up by animals walking
across it and they penetrate the gaps between the plates
of their exoskeleton, which screws it up and causes the
animals to lose their protection against dehydration.

Maybe that's why Antrol II was such a dog. The boric acid
was in a gel, which the ants would eat because it also
had sugar in it. It did kill ants, but not very effectively.
In your parlance, it was a .22 short when a .45 was needed.

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> Mark Thorson > wrote:
>
>> Dimitri wrote:
>>>
>>> Boric Acid.
>>>
>>> http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html
>>
>> Boric acid is the active ingrediant in Antrol II,
>> which itself is a reformulation of the original
>> Antrol. The original contained a sugar syrup with
>> arsenic in it, in a little green bottle, flat on
>> one side. You lay the bottle flat side down on
>> a trail, and the ants would drink the syrup and
>> take it back to the colony. Very effective.
>>
>> Antrol II is a similar principle, but almost
>> completely ineffective. I haven't seen Antrol II
>> in years, maybe they stopped making it.
>> Ah, yes! A Google search shows the product
>> is no longer made.
>>
>> http://pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Prod...%26DIST_N R%3
>> D079529
>>
>> I wonder what would happen if I mixed Tilex
>> with sugar syrup?
>
> Mix Borax with it. It'd probably work as well...
>
> 21 years ago when I lived in an apartment in my senior year in
> college, I used a very effective bait for the Palmetto bugs that
> infest the South.
>
> Echols Roach Tablets. The poison was boric acid mixed into a bait
> tablet.
>
> I scattered them in hidden places in my apt.
>
> Never did see another LIVE roach. <eg>

But those (ugh, huge!) roach corpses are just as gross. I hate those bugs.
I shudder just thinking about them. Is borax safe to use around pets?

Jill

jmcquown said...

> Omelet wrote:
>> In article >,
>> Mark Thorson > wrote:
>>
>>> Dimitri wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Boric Acid.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bo...c-114_122.html
>>>
>>> Boric acid is the active ingrediant in Antrol II,
>>> which itself is a reformulation of the original
>>> Antrol. The original contained a sugar syrup with
>>> arsenic in it, in a little green bottle, flat on
>>> one side. You lay the bottle flat side down on
>>> a trail, and the ants would drink the syrup and
>>> take it back to the colony. Very effective.
>>>
>>> Antrol II is a similar principle, but almost
>>> completely ineffective. I haven't seen Antrol II
>>> in years, maybe they stopped making it.
>>> Ah, yes! A Google search shows the product
>>> is no longer made.
>>>
>>> http://pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Prod...952900007%26DI
>>> ST_NR%3 D079529
>>>
>>> I wonder what would happen if I mixed Tilex
>>> with sugar syrup?
>>
>> Mix Borax with it. It'd probably work as well...
>>
>> 21 years ago when I lived in an apartment in my senior year in
>> college, I used a very effective bait for the Palmetto bugs that
>> infest the South.
>>
>> Echols Roach Tablets. The poison was boric acid mixed into a bait
>> tablet.
>>
>> I scattered them in hidden places in my apt.
>>
>> Never did see another LIVE roach. <eg>
>
> But those (ugh, huge!) roach corpses are just as gross. I hate those
> bugs. I shudder just thinking about them. Is borax safe to use around
> pets?
>
> Jill


4:1 sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)atmeal. Safest for pets and kids and
stuff, death to ants and roaches.

Sucks what little moisture there is right out of them!!!!!! Might make
your pet burp!

Andy

In article >,
"jmcquown" > wrote:

> > Echols Roach Tablets. The poison was boric acid mixed into a bait
> > tablet.
> >
> > I scattered them in hidden places in my apt.
> >
> > Never did see another LIVE roach. <eg>
>
> But those (ugh, huge!) roach corpses are just as gross. I hate those bugs.
> I shudder just thinking about them. Is borax safe to use around pets?
>
> Jill

I never took the risk. The tablets were behind the stove, under the
sinks, in the backs of dish cabinets and in the flatware drawers.
Anywhere those slimy little beasties might crawl! <shudder>

As nasty as they are, I'd rather find dead than live ones!

I find maybe 1/2 dozen per year here in this house, mostly in the summer
when it's dry. They come in after water so are most often seen in the
kitchen and bathroom.

The cats think they are great toys so I generally only find bits of
them. <eg>
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Mark Thorson wrote:

> I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.

> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

Grant's Ant Stakes. The BEST.

Last year was particularly bad with the little sugar ants -- they were
everywhere. We had a pest service spraying outside once a month and part
of the service was that they could come inside and spray. I didn't want
the pesticides in the house because of the pets and having all the food
stuff to consider. After consulting with friends, found that they were
absolutely right about the Grant's Ant Stakes. Sometimes you have to use
a pin-head worth of honey to attract them into the stake, but after that
they are gone. I used two packs of stakes since our house has a lot of
square footage and wanted to put them outside as well. We have been ant
free now for six months or so. Oh, and we gave up the pest service. I
haven't had to replace the stakes, though they do recommend replacing
them after two to three months.

--Lin (I hate, loathe, despise ants)

Omelet wrote:

> 5% sevin around the foundation... and a bit of Windex on the trails in
> the kitchen. ;-)
>
> Works for me... That and trying to make sure there is nothing to attract
> them.

I did that (well if you consider the pest service that came once a month
and sprayed outside) and used my fair share of Windex. As well as
vinegar and other spray type poisons. I kept the counters and floor
spotless, and still they were coming in. Found them under my coffee
maker once as if it were a sauna! That squicked me right out. My
frustration over the ants was huge.

Then I found Grant's Ant Stakes. See my following post to Mark about them.

--Lin

In article >,
Lin > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
>
> > 5% sevin around the foundation... and a bit of Windex on the trails in
> > the kitchen. ;-)
> >
> > Works for me... That and trying to make sure there is nothing to attract
> > them.
>
> I did that (well if you consider the pest service that came once a month
> and sprayed outside) and used my fair share of Windex. As well as
> vinegar and other spray type poisons. I kept the counters and floor
> spotless, and still they were coming in. Found them under my coffee
> maker once as if it were a sauna! That squicked me right out. My
> frustration over the ants was huge.
>
> Then I found Grant's Ant Stakes. See my following post to Mark about them.
>
> --Lin

I saw that post and saved it. :-) I've not seen ant stakes since I was
a kid. Not around here anyway! I plan to look for them on line.

I'm glad you posted that. They are supposed to be most effective.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

"Lin" > wrote in message
est...

> Grant's Ant Stakes. The BEST.
>
> Last year was particularly bad with the little sugar ants -- they were
> everywhere. We had a pest service spraying outside once a month and part
> of the service was that they could come inside and spray. I didn't want
> the pesticides in the house because of the pets and having all the food
> stuff to consider. After consulting with friends, found that they were
> absolutely right about the Grant's Ant Stakes. Sometimes you have to use a
> pin-head worth of honey to attract them into the stake, but after that
> they are gone. I used two packs of stakes since our house has a lot of
> square footage and wanted to put them outside as well. We have been ant
> free now for six months or so. Oh, and we gave up the pest service. I
> haven't had to replace the stakes, though they do recommend replacing them
> after two to three months.

I use some sort of ant stakes outside and I haven't had to use anything
inside in a couple of years. Outside, though, my house seems to be built on
top of an anthill. This summer especially. They were under everything and
if I left anything outside like even the lawnmower, they made themselves at
home pretty quickly. The garden out front seems to attract them the most
and I was out there every other day with ant spray spraying the trails of
them. They are so gross. Trails thick with ants all carrying eggs. I
finally put out DE all over their trails and they stopped taking over my
garden. Garden looked like hell for a while, but they never came inside the
house. Well, maybe a couple made their way in through the kitchen window,
but when I found and killed them there were never followers.

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
>I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.
>
> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>
> Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
> down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
> of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
> again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>
> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.
I had that same problem in the kitchen and the bathroom, until about a year
ago. Then I found a couple of Black and Decker "Sonic" plug in contraptions
at a discount store, plugged one in the bath, the other in the kitchen and
"zap" no more problem. I don't know how they work, but from what I
understand they emit a ultrasound. I can't hear it but the ants sure do.
Just be sure that the device is out in the open, as much as possible. If
it's blocked that's where the critters will come in. Oh, no effect on dogs
and cats, but keep pet mice, rats, guinea pigs, crickets, etc. away.A lot
more info, pro and con just Google "sonic insect repellent".

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:58:47 -0700, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
>a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
>much more frequent.
>
>I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
>use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
>were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
>I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
>Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
>and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
>I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>
>Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
>down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
>of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
>again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>
>Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.


I use Terro. It seems to get rid of them. Or the mixture of fat,
flour and boric acid that June Oshiro posted many years ago on RFC.
Last time I bought Boric Acid I had to sign for it.

Gene wrote:
>
> I had that same problem in the kitchen and the bathroom, until about a year
> ago. Then I found a couple of Black and Decker "Sonic" plug in contraptions
> at a discount store, plugged one in the bath, the other in the kitchen and
> "zap" no more problem. I don't know how they work, but from what I
> understand they emit a ultrasound. I can't hear it but the ants sure do.
> Just be sure that the device is out in the open, as much as possible. If
> it's blocked that's where the critters will come in. Oh, no effect on dogs
> and cats, but keep pet mice, rats, guinea pigs, crickets, etc. away.A lot
> more info, pro and con just Google "sonic insect repellent".

That just screams quackery or fraud.

Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not
so great) words of knowledge:
> I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.
>
> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>
> Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
> down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
> of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
> again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>
> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

Sprinkle cornmeal over the ant trails. They take it back to the nest,
but can not digest it. Usually with 7 - 10 days there is no more ant
colony.

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:58:47 -0700, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
>a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
>much more frequent.
>
>I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
>use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
>were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
>I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
>Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
>and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
>I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>
>Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
>down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
>of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
>again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>
>Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

Here's what I posted here in october of last year:



Ants aren't really that hard to take care of if you understand just a
little bit about what their motive in life is. I had a big ant
problem years ago. At the time I had a cat so spraying wasn't an
option so I tried every ant trap I could find. The problem got worse.

During my initial attack I was googling and decided boric acid was
going to be my weapon. Everything else just moves them around. If
you don't kill the queen you're never going to win. I took a small
box and cut a few holes on the sides at ground level. I mixed a big
glob of cheap peanut butter with about a big glob of boric acid. That
was smeared in the box and it was sealed up with shipping tape. The
cat bowl was a blur because there was so many ants in it so I replaced
the bowl with my box. Seemed like a good spot. This problem went
from a minor annoyance to a nightmare in about 48 hours so I was
willing to try anything.

Ants purpose is to bring food back to the queen. Once she's dead the
colony dies in a week or so as they have a short lifespan. Her
offspring produces very few like her.

Ants are carnivorous and eat their own dead, or bring the dead back to
the queen. The beautiful thing about boric acid is it still works
when they eat each other. So if it's a morsel of peanut butter or a
dead soldier she's still being poisoned. Once she dies you'll see a
few young stragglers but they die off soon. They were gone, so I
thought.

After a week or so I saw one. I stepped on it thinking I was in
control. 3 days later I identified several points of entrance for
1000's of the little shits that had re-invaded my home. I made poison
stations for each location they were coming in. It took some time but
one by one each colony died off. I left the stations out for about 2
weeks then put them under the sink. I got all the queens and I've not
seen an ant in years. I've made the little poison stations for
several friends since then and the results have been 100% elimination
every time. One instance I had a dog to worry about. I used an old
plastic milk crate upside down with lots of weight on it. The dog was
fine.

My story may be long winded but the process involves little time or
effort. But it does involve self control. Move the box as close to
where you see them coming in, but DON'T kill them. They must be
allowed to bring the food to the queen.

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:58:47 -0700, Mark Thorson >
fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

>I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
>a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
>much more frequent.

<snip>

In SoCal, we experience an "ant season" every time it's particularly
dry. Fortunately, we usually are only bothered with the little buggers
in the pantry. We've had excellent results with <pulling on asbestos
britches here for the "unbelievers"> garlic. We get one of those huge
bags of garlic and crack open a few buds, distribute them liberally
throughout the pantry and *voila!* no ants. We've actually left the
dried and desiccated buds in the corners of the pantry for a couple of
*years* before they seem to lose their, ah, charm.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"

In article >,
Mark Thorson > wrote:

> Gene wrote:
> >
> > I had that same problem in the kitchen and the bathroom, until about a year
> > ago. Then I found a couple of Black and Decker "Sonic" plug in contraptions
> > at a discount store, plugged one in the bath, the other in the kitchen and
> > "zap" no more problem. I don't know how they work, but from what I
> > understand they emit a ultrasound. I can't hear it but the ants sure do.
> > Just be sure that the device is out in the open, as much as possible. If
> > it's blocked that's where the critters will come in. Oh, no effect on dogs
> > and cats, but keep pet mice, rats, guinea pigs, crickets, etc. away.A lot
> > more info, pro and con just Google "sonic insect repellent".
>
> That just screams quackery or fraud.

No, it actually works.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Mark Thorson wrote:
> I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.
>
> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>


I would recommend using ant baits outside only. Unless you have a major
inside infestation then put them along any ant trails or other areas
inside that are inaccessible to pets or children - just avoid using Raid
plus ant baits as they did not work at all in my experience when I had
an ant infestation several years back. I used a 50% mixture of isopropyl
alcohol and water spray both inside and outside to kill them. Outside I
put out a well mixed concoction of 50% boric acid powder and sugar about
once or twice a month. This would kill off the colony within a month at
the most.

In article >, rb >
wrote:

> Mark Thorson wrote:
> > I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> > a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> > much more frequent.
> >
> > I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> > use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> > were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> > I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> > Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> > and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> > I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
> >
>
>
> I would recommend using ant baits outside only. Unless you have a major
> inside infestation then put them along any ant trails or other areas
> inside that are inaccessible to pets or children - just avoid using Raid
> plus ant baits as they did not work at all in my experience when I had
> an ant infestation several years back. I used a 50% mixture of isopropyl
> alcohol and water spray both inside and outside to kill them. Outside I
> put out a well mixed concoction of 50% boric acid powder and sugar about
> once or twice a month. This would kill off the colony within a month at
> the most.

To keep them out of the outdoor dogs kibble dishes, I put a bit of 5%
sevin dust around the base on the ground... Kills ants (and any other
bugs) on contact. I've also dusted the dogs and yard with it annually to
wipe out fleas.

I prefer not to use that stuff in the house, but the 5% is considered to
be reasonably safe.

It never killed any birds when I used it to control spider mites and
poultry lice. You can actually dust the hens with it when necessary.

I go easy with it on the yard as I like my yard spiders and just use it
once in the spring when the fleas first get started. It rapidly
bio-degrades. Usually within a week but that is long enough.


I wonder if Ivomec will kill ants?
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
>I suppose I should consider myself lucky that it's been
> a couple years since the last invasion. They used to be
> much more frequent.
>
> I've never used insecticide. The last time I saw someone
> use Raid, it seemed spectacularly ineffective. The ants
> were swimming around in the stuff. On the other hand,
> I once stopped an ant trail in the bathroom by spraying
> Tilex tile cleaner on it. It killed the ants instantly
> and the residue kept them from rebuilding the trail.
> I might try that again, if I decide to go nuclear.
>
> Right now, I'm trying to knock down the invasion by hosing
> down the ant trail on the outside of the house every couple
> of hours. That works during the day, but they build it up
> again at night. Ants don't appear to sleep.
>
> Any other tactical suggestions cheerfully accepted.

There is but one single thing that has ever worked for us....and traps. It
takes 1-2 weeks to work, and it plays hell on you in the meantime, because
you're not supposed to kill the ants going between their home and the trap,
otherwise they can't get the trap bait to their homes. But once they work,
we don't have a problem again for at least a couple of years. Knock wood.

kimberly
--
http://eating-sandiego.blogspot.com

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:07:14 -0700, Mark Thorson wrote:

> ChattyCathy wrote:
>>
>> Have had some success with spraying their 'trails' with plain ole' white
>> vinegar. The Ranger tipped me off about it a while back - seems to work
>> pretty well.
>
> Hmmm . . . I have a big jar of vinegar I used for
> marinating mushrooms that I was about to throw out.

send 'em off to ant hereafter with a gourmet treat!

your pal,
blake

Nexis wrote:

>>
> There is but one single thing that has ever worked for us....and
> traps. It takes 1-2 weeks to work, and it plays hell on you in the
> meantime, because you're not supposed to kill the ants going between
> their home and the trap, otherwise they can't get the trap bait to
> their homes. But once they work, we don't have a problem again for at
> least a couple of years. Knock wood.

Heh. We tried ant traps. Seemed to work for a bit then things just went
back to normal. We replaced them every couple of weeks like it says on
the instructions, but the ants seemed to get 'immune' or something
after about 5 weeks. In fact, I forgot I had put a trap behind a
cupboard on one of their trails - when I finally remembered it was
there, and thought I better chuck it away, guess what I found? The ants
had actually made a nest inside the damn trap! Enterprising little
shits...
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Google is my Friend (GIMF)

In article >,
ChattyCathy > wrote:

> Nexis wrote:
>
> >>
> > There is but one single thing that has ever worked for us....and
> > traps. It takes 1-2 weeks to work, and it plays hell on you in the
> > meantime, because you're not supposed to kill the ants going between
> > their home and the trap, otherwise they can't get the trap bait to
> > their homes. But once they work, we don't have a problem again for at
> > least a couple of years. Knock wood.
>
> Heh. We tried ant traps. Seemed to work for a bit then things just went
> back to normal. We replaced them every couple of weeks like it says on
> the instructions, but the ants seemed to get 'immune' or something
> after about 5 weeks. In fact, I forgot I had put a trap behind a
> cupboard on one of their trails - when I finally remembered it was
> there, and thought I better chuck it away, guess what I found? The ants
> had actually made a nest inside the damn trap! Enterprising little
> shits...

Sorry, but that was funny. ;-)

Ever try glue traps for ants?

I tried them briefly for rats, but kept catching geckos. :-( Not good.
I got rid of them pronto and went back to snap traps. Those big rat
traps are hard and dangerous to set tho'.

Roach hotels (box glue traps) work well for roaches. I need to pick up
some of those for the break room at work. :-P

People at work are such slobs...
The microwaves are a disgrace as idiots refuse to cover food when they
are warming it. I ALWAYS do! I refuse to clean them anymore. Nobody
seems to give a flying damn.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Omelet > fnord newsmpomelet-904CA3.10331314092008
@news.giganews.com:

>
> People at work are such slobs...
> The microwaves are a disgrace as idiots refuse to cover food when they
> are warming it. I ALWAYS do! I refuse to clean them anymore. Nobody
> seems to give a flying damn.

Ugh. I have the same problem at work. And the refrigerator! Why save
leftovers from a take-out meal if you're gonna let it get gross in the
fridge?

--
Saerah

"Welcome to Usenet, Biatch! Adapt or haul ass!"
- some hillbilly from FL

In article > ,
Saerah Gray > wrote:

> Omelet > fnord newsmpomelet-904CA3.10331314092008
> @news.giganews.com:
>
> >
> > People at work are such slobs...
> > The microwaves are a disgrace as idiots refuse to cover food when they
> > are warming it. I ALWAYS do! I refuse to clean them anymore. Nobody
> > seems to give a flying damn.
>
> Ugh. I have the same problem at work. And the refrigerator! Why save
> leftovers from a take-out meal if you're gonna let it get gross in the
> fridge?

Heh! I actually do keep up with that. If people don't date stuff in
there, I tend to do it for them at night.

After one week, it goes bye bye... There are two other 'frige fanatics
at work too that help keep up with it but sometimes they toss stuff they
should not. (like my dated salad dressings! <grrr>)

As for the m-waves tho'... <sigh>

I'm considering talking to the boss about it so it can get brought up at
the monthly meetings. I don't attend those as I work night shift and
I'm not going to go at 2pm when I'm normally sleeping.

There is NO excuse to not at least lay a damned paper towel over the top
of your food to keep it from splattering! I have an actual cover we use
here at home that is made for the m-wave. Dad and I are fortunately both
fanatical about keeping it and the microwave clean.

Dad says a dirty microwave wears out the transmitter faster.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:57:12 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

>In article >,
> Mark Thorson > wrote:
>
>> Gene wrote:
>> >
>> > Iants.

Let me begin by saying that I am not the tidiest housekeeper. We have
dogs, a cat,quite messy mulch bucket, and usually a so-so clean sink.
My friend recently asked me about my ant problem. I said "What Ant
Problem?". I think my secret is, I use those Clorox wipes over
every surface at least once every 3 or 4 days. I think it wipes up
their trails or whatever scent things ants use. I think the little
bit of antiseptic stuff, it is not Clorox, gets rid of minute pieces
of whatever. I have no ants. I am really sold on the those Clorox
Wipes.

Don't flame, they are not "green" but they sure make my life easier
and my time is too valuable! FWIW, our 5 acres of coffee trees put
back a ton of oxygen so it's a green trade-off.

aloha,
beans

roast beans to kona to email
farmers of Pure Kona

In article >,
wrote:

> On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:57:12 -0500, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
> >In article >,
> > Mark Thorson > wrote:
> >
> >> Gene wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Iants.
>
> Let me begin by saying that I am not the tidiest housekeeper. We have
> dogs, a cat,quite messy mulch bucket, and usually a so-so clean sink.
> My friend recently asked me about my ant problem. I said "What Ant
> Problem?". I think my secret is, I use those Clorox wipes over
> every surface at least once every 3 or 4 days. I think it wipes up
> their trails or whatever scent things ants use. I think the little
> bit of antiseptic stuff, it is not Clorox, gets rid of minute pieces
> of whatever. I have no ants. I am really sold on the those Clorox
> Wipes.
>
> Don't flame, they are not "green" but they sure make my life easier
> and my time is too valuable! FWIW, our 5 acres of coffee trees put
> back a ton of oxygen so it's a green trade-off.
>
> aloha,
> beans
>
> roast beans to kona to email
> farmers of Pure Kona

Hey, if it works for y'all... :-)

I use a lot of windex for counter cleaning. I get maybe one ant
invasion every couple of years or so. I just "clean them up" and follow
the trail back to the source, and plant some Amdro.

Amdro works fast to wipe out troublesome ant mounds.
We have fire ants here. I need to protect my pets.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain