On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:37:41 +0000, brooklyn1 wrote:

>
> "Andy" > wrote in message ...
>> (Be sure to read both. )
>>
>> OLD VERSION:

> I'll betcha it wasn't a black ant.

And I'll betcha it wasn't the Andy we know who posted this...

Having said that - kitchen ants are a royal PITA. Every spring we spray
some gawd-awful insecticide around the house to keep the ant population
down. Helps a bit, but not as much as I'd like.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

ChattyCathy wrote:
> On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:37:41 +0000, brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>> "Andy" > wrote in message ...
>>> (Be sure to read both. )
>>>
>>> OLD VERSION:
>
>> I'll betcha it wasn't a black ant.
>
> And I'll betcha it wasn't the Andy we know who posted this...
>
> Having said that - kitchen ants are a royal PITA. Every spring we spray
> some gawd-awful insecticide around the house to keep the ant population
> down. Helps a bit, but not as much as I'd like.
>

The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
be the same but the treatment is the same. Use boric acid mixed with
peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
news
> On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:37:41 +0000, brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>>
>> "Andy" > wrote in message ...
>>> (Be sure to read both. )
>>>
>>> OLD VERSION:
>
>> I'll betcha it wasn't a black ant.
>
> And I'll betcha it wasn't the Andy we know who posted this...
>
> Having said that - kitchen ants are a royal PITA. Every spring we spray
> some gawd-awful insecticide around the house to keep the ant population
> down. Helps a bit, but not as much as I'd like.
>
>
Place some cornstarch along the ant trails... they'll carry it back to their
nest, all will feast and die... ants can't digest cornstarch. Of course
cornstarch can attract other pests (rodents) so remember to remove it after
a couple weeks. If you place the cornstarch in shallow jar lids it will be
easy to place and remove. I can't promise this will work with African ants
but it works with the NY ants that like to congregate near my grill... they
climb up and feast on grease (I'm not about to spray insecticide in my
grill). The only reason folks have ants in their homes is because somewhere
there is a food supply... of course with carpenter ants your house is their
food supply.

"George Shirley" > wrote in message
...
> ChattyCathy wrote:
>> On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:37:41 +0000, brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>>> "Andy" > wrote in message ...
>>>> (Be sure to read both. )
>>>>
>>>> OLD VERSION:
>>
>>> I'll betcha it wasn't a black ant.
>>
>> And I'll betcha it wasn't the Andy we know who posted this...
>>
>> Having said that - kitchen ants are a royal PITA. Every spring we spray
>> some gawd-awful insecticide around the house to keep the ant population
>> down. Helps a bit, but not as much as I'd like.
>>
>
> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might be
> the same but the treatment is the same. Use boric acid mixed with peanut
> butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path of the
> ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was interesting to
> watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.

I doubt you saw them actually eat, ants carry food back to their nest where
it is 'processed' before it is eaten.

George Shirley wrote:
>
> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
> be the same but the treatment is the same.

I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
extremely annoying...

> Use boric acid mixed with
> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
> of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.

I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
acid; PB I have.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

ChattyCathy wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
>> be the same but the treatment is the same.
>
> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
> extremely annoying...
>
>> Use boric acid mixed with
>> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
>> of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
>> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
>
> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
> acid; PB I have.

I don't know if you have it where you live but here in the US we can get
it in supermarkets in the "kill a roach" section. Comes in a large,
plastic squeeze bottle. It does do a number on roaches but it also, when
mixed with peanut butter kills ants. They eat it and then go belly up.

brooklyn1 wrote:

> Place some cornstarch along the ant trails... they'll carry it back to
> their
> nest, all will feast and die... ants can't digest cornstarch. Of
> course cornstarch can attract other pests (rodents) so remember to
> remove it after
> a couple weeks. If you place the cornstarch in shallow jar lids it
> will be
> easy to place and remove. I can't promise this will work with African
> ants but it works with the NY ants that like to congregate near my
> grill... they climb up and feast on grease (I'm not about to spray
> insecticide in my
> grill). The only reason folks have ants in their homes is because
> somewhere there is a food supply... of course with carpenter ants your
> house is their food supply.

I'll give the cornstarch a try, thanks.

Thing is, the little b@stids love the dry food we leave out for our cats
because they (the cats) like to nibble on it throughout the day. Even
though we have rigged up a 'platform' for the cat food bowls (that has
its legs standing in containers of water) it doesn't always help. Their
Royal Majesties sometimes still manage to spill some of their food onto
the floor... Sox in particular like to take the dry cat food out of his
bowl and *onto* the floor before eating it and sometimes he leaves one
or two bits behind. Of course, whenever that happens there's a million
ants all over it in no time at all. Consequently, I spend far too much
of my day being annoyed and killing ants. Grrr.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

George Shirley wrote:

> ChattyCathy wrote:

>>
>> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned
>> boric acid; PB I have.
>
> I don't know if you have it where you live but here in the US we can
> get it in supermarkets in the "kill a roach" section. Comes in a
> large, plastic squeeze bottle. It does do a number on roaches but it
> also, when mixed with peanut butter kills ants. They eat it and then
> go belly up.

There is an animal feed store not too far from us - and they also stock
quite a selection of stuff like that... I'll swing by there soon and
see if they have it. Thanks.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Sep 10, 10:21*am, ChattyCathy > wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>
> > The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
> > be the same but the treatment is the same.
>
> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
> extremely annoying...
>
> > Use boric acid mixed with
> > peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
> > of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
> > interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
>
> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
> acid; PB I have.
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy

I bought something you put in drops on slick cardboard and they
supposedly take it back to the next where all the ants die. It worked
this spring - I'll let you know if they come back. This is the first
time in decades that I've had ants in the kitchen - they never went
very far, just stayed by the sink (which was clean). I don't think
they were very bright.

N.

On Sep 10, 10:15*am, "brooklyn1" > wrote:
> "ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
>
> news >
>
>
> > On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:37:41 +0000, brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> >> "Andy" > wrote in ...
> >>> *(Be sure to read both. )
>
> >>> * * * *OLD VERSION:
>
> >> I'll betcha it wasn't a black ant.
>
> > And I'll betcha it wasn't the Andy we know who posted this...
>
> > Having said that - kitchen ants are a royal PITA. Every spring we spray
> > some gawd-awful insecticide around the house to keep the ant population
> > down. Helps a bit, but not as much as I'd like.
>
> Place some cornstarch along the ant trails... they'll carry it back to their
> nest, all will feast and die... ants can't digest cornstarch. *Of course
> cornstarch can attract other pests (rodents) so remember to remove it after
> a couple weeks. *If you place the cornstarch in shallow jar lids it will be
> easy to place and remove. *I can't promise this will work with African ants
> but it works with the NY ants that like to congregate near my grill... they
> climb up and feast on grease (I'm not about to spray insecticide in my
> grill). *The only reason folks have ants in their homes is because somewhere
> there is a food supply... of course with carpenter ants your house is their
> food supply.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

But thankfully, there are now some really good insecticides for
carpenter ants for home use.

N.

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
> George Shirley wrote:
>
>> ChattyCathy wrote:
>
>>>
>>> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned
>>> boric acid; PB I have.
>>
>> I don't know if you have it where you live but here in the US we can
>> get it in supermarkets in the "kill a roach" section. Comes in a
>> large, plastic squeeze bottle. It does do a number on roaches but it
>> also, when mixed with peanut butter kills ants. They eat it and then
>> go belly up.
>
> There is an animal feed store not too far from us - and they also stock
> quite a selection of stuff like that... I'll swing by there soon and
> see if they have it. Thanks.
>
Any drug store carries boric acid, probably on the shelf near the epsom
salts... probably near the douche bags too:
http://www.amazon.com/Boric-Acid-Pow...2599465&sr=8-1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid#Medicinal

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
> brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>> Place some cornstarch along the ant trails... they'll carry it back to
>> their
>> nest, all will feast and die... ants can't digest cornstarch. Of
>> course cornstarch can attract other pests (rodents) so remember to
>> remove it after
>> a couple weeks. If you place the cornstarch in shallow jar lids it
>> will be
>> easy to place and remove. I can't promise this will work with African
>> ants but it works with the NY ants that like to congregate near my
>> grill... they climb up and feast on grease (I'm not about to spray
>> insecticide in my
>> grill). The only reason folks have ants in their homes is because
>> somewhere there is a food supply... of course with carpenter ants your
>> house is their food supply.
>
> I'll give the cornstarch a try, thanks.
>
> Thing is, the little b@stids love the dry food we leave out for our cats
> because they (the cats) like to nibble on it throughout the day. Even
> though we have rigged up a 'platform' for the cat food bowls (that has
> its legs standing in containers of water) it doesn't always help. Their
> Royal Majesties sometimes still manage to spill some of their food onto
> the floor... Sox in particular like to take the dry cat food out of his
> bowl and *onto* the floor before eating it and sometimes he leaves one
> or two bits behind. Of course, whenever that happens there's a million
> ants all over it in no time at all. Consequently, I spend far too much
> of my day being annoyed and killing ants. Grrr.
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy

Cornstarch is worth a shot, it's cheap and safe for pets. I always have dry
cat food around, I hate stepping on it. So far I haven't seen ants indoors.

brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> Cornstarch is worth a shot, it's cheap and safe for pets. I always
> have dry
> cat food around, I hate stepping on it. So far I haven't seen ants
> indoors.

You're lucky. Anyway, some jar lids with cornstarch in them have already
been placed at strategic points around the cat food platform...
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Nancy2 wrote:
> On Sep 10, 10:21 am, ChattyCathy > wrote:
>> George Shirley wrote:
>>
>>> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
>>> be the same but the treatment is the same.
>> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
>> extremely annoying...
>>
>>> Use boric acid mixed with
>>> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
>>> of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
>>> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
>> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
>> acid; PB I have.
>> --
>> Cheers
>> Chatty Cathy
>
> I bought something you put in drops on slick cardboard and they
> supposedly take it back to the next where all the ants die. It worked
> this spring - I'll let you know if they come back. This is the first
> time in decades that I've had ants in the kitchen - they never went
> very far, just stayed by the sink (which was clean). I don't think
> they were very bright.
>
> N.

When it is very dry out or during a drought, ants and other insects,
including the big woods roaches, will come into your house looking for
water. Insects, like most living things on earth, need water to survive.

George Shirley wrote:
> ChattyCathy wrote:
>> George Shirley wrote:
>>> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours
>>> might be the same but the treatment is the same.
>>
>> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny
>> and extremely annoying...
>>
>>> Use boric acid mixed with
>>> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the
>>> path of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
>>> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then
>>> disappear.
>>
>> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned
>> boric acid; PB I have.
>
> I don't know if you have it where you live but here in the US we can
> get it in supermarkets in the "kill a roach" section. Comes in a
> large, plastic squeeze bottle. It does do a number on roaches but it
> also, when mixed with peanut butter kills ants. They eat it and then
> go belly up.

We have been plagued with marauding ants every year and have tried
everything. The foolproof one for us? A product which we buy at the
hardware store called "Terro". A small drop on a piece of thin
cardboard brings the ants out in hordes (scary to watch). With fresh
bait each day the
tigers get fewer and fewer until they vanish. In other words, they
carry the bait back to the nest and snafu.

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
> brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>> Cornstarch is worth a shot, it's cheap and safe for pets. I always
>> have dry
>> cat food around, I hate stepping on it. So far I haven't seen ants
>> indoors.
>
> You're lucky. Anyway, some jar lids with cornstarch in them have already
> been placed at strategic points around the cat food platform...
>
>

Report back. Good luck!

ChattyCathy > wrote in news:Id9qm.156618$8B7.131910
@newsfe20.iad:

> George Shirley wrote:
>
>> ChattyCathy wrote:
>
>>>
>>> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned
>>> boric acid; PB I have.
>>
>> I don't know if you have it where you live but here in the US we can
>> get it in supermarkets in the "kill a roach" section. Comes in a
>> large, plastic squeeze bottle. It does do a number on roaches but it
>> also, when mixed with peanut butter kills ants. They eat it and then
>> go belly up.
>
> There is an animal feed store not too far from us - and they also stock
> quite a selection of stuff like that... I'll swing by there soon and
> see if they have it. Thanks.



http://www.greenlivingtips.com/artic...rent-tips.html




--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia


If we are not meant to eat animals,
why are they made of meat?

On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:35:03 -0500, George Shirley >
wrote:

-->ChattyCathy wrote:
-->> George Shirley wrote:
-->>> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
-->>> be the same but the treatment is the same.
-->>
-->> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
-->> extremely annoying...
-->>
-->>> Use boric acid mixed with
-->>> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
-->>> of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
-->>> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
-->>
-->> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
-->> acid; PB I have.
-->
-->I don't know if you have it where you live but here in the US we can get
-->it in supermarkets in the "kill a roach" section. Comes in a large,
-->plastic squeeze bottle. It does do a number on roaches but it also, when
-->mixed with peanut butter kills ants. They eat it and then go belly up.


Plain red river cereal will do it, sprinkle it in the corners, they eat it, and
it expands and they explode literally. Cheap but effective, we had an
exterminator tell us about this.

In article >,
George Shirley > wrote:

> When it is very dry out or during a drought, ants and other insects,
> including the big woods roaches, will come into your house looking for
> water. Insects, like most living things on earth, need water to survive.

Very true... The only time I ever have ants (or Palmetto bugs) is when
it's been very dry for awhile. Watering the cactus plants outside helps.

The cats love the Palmetto bugs (they think they are cat toys) so I
seldom ever see an intact one. Ants have only recently been a problem.

Pyrethrine along the floor boards takes care of that issue for the most
part and no insecticide on the food surfaces...

I've not had much luck with boric acid baits for ants, but it does work
for roaches. Keeping a clean area free of dirty dishes and food scraps
helps too. The last ant issue I had was them getting into the recycling
bucket due to the cans not being rinsed out well enough.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

In article >,
ffu > wrote:

>
> Plain red river cereal will do it, sprinkle it in the corners, they eat it,
> and
> it expands and they explode literally. Cheap but effective, we had an
> exterminator tell us about this.

Grits are supposed to work the same way. It is marginally effective.

Amdro along the base of the foundation works better.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

"ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
...
> George Shirley wrote:
>>
>> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
>> be the same but the treatment is the same.
>
> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
> extremely annoying...
>
>> Use boric acid mixed with
>> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
>> of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
>> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
>
> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
> acid; PB I have.
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy



For some reason those tiny ants are attracted to vinegar. Plain white
vinegar. They'll drown themselves in it if you leave a few shallow dishes
with vinegar around where the ants are.

Jill

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> George Shirley > wrote:
>
>> When it is very dry out or during a drought, ants and other insects,
>> including the big woods roaches, will come into your house looking for
>> water. Insects, like most living things on earth, need water to survive.
>
> Very true... The only time I ever have ants (or Palmetto bugs) is when
> it's been very dry for awhile. Watering the cactus plants outside helps.
>
> The cats love the Palmetto bugs (they think they are cat toys) so I
> seldom ever see an intact one. Ants have only recently been a problem.
>
> Pyrethrine along the floor boards takes care of that issue for the most
> part and no insecticide on the food surfaces...
>
> I've not had much luck with boric acid baits for ants, but it does work
> for roaches. Keeping a clean area free of dirty dishes and food scraps
> helps too. The last ant issue I had was them getting into the recycling
> bucket due to the cans not being rinsed out well enough.

The palmetto bugs I've seen were all in Florida and were much bigger
than the big woods roaches we get when it is dry.

When we did some extensive remodeling a few years ago I bought a lot of
boric acid and put it inside all the walls and in the attic. Haven't
seen a lot of roaches since then. A friend, who bought an old house down
the street, had to tear out all the interior walls (rain and mold after
Rita). We went in and put boric acid literally every where. In addition
he used the insulation made from old newspapers and it is soaked in
boric acid to make it fireproof and it keeps roaches and ants down due
to that factor.

George Shirley said...

> Omelet wrote:
>> In article >,
>> George Shirley > wrote:
>>
>>> When it is very dry out or during a drought, ants and other insects,
>>> including the big woods roaches, will come into your house looking for
>>> water. Insects, like most living things on earth, need water to
survive.
>>
>> Very true... The only time I ever have ants (or Palmetto bugs) is when
>> it's been very dry for awhile. Watering the cactus plants outside helps.
>>
>> The cats love the Palmetto bugs (they think they are cat toys) so I
>> seldom ever see an intact one. Ants have only recently been a problem.
>>
>> Pyrethrine along the floor boards takes care of that issue for the most
>> part and no insecticide on the food surfaces...
>>
>> I've not had much luck with boric acid baits for ants, but it does work
>> for roaches. Keeping a clean area free of dirty dishes and food scraps
>> helps too. The last ant issue I had was them getting into the recycling
>> bucket due to the cans not being rinsed out well enough.
>
> The palmetto bugs I've seen were all in Florida and were much bigger
> than the big woods roaches we get when it is dry.
>
> When we did some extensive remodeling a few years ago I bought a lot of
> boric acid and put it inside all the walls and in the attic. Haven't
> seen a lot of roaches since then. A friend, who bought an old house down
> the street, had to tear out all the interior walls (rain and mold after
> Rita). We went in and put boric acid literally every where. In addition
> he used the insulation made from old newspapers and it is soaked in
> boric acid to make it fireproof and it keeps roaches and ants down due
> to that factor.


OH! OH! [raising hand]

I got a tip from my co-worker, from his Pop's bug biz.

Take 3 parts baking soda, sodium bicarbonate (death) and 1 part oatmeal
(attraction), mix it all up and line it along the wall flooring.

Crawlies will be attracted to it and it will have a nasty habit of
instantly dehydrating them. Cool thing about that is, it's safe to pets and
kids. Maybe a burp or two.

Try and see!

Andy

"Nancy2" > wrote in message
...
On Sep 10, 10:21 am, ChattyCathy > wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>
> > The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
> > be the same but the treatment is the same.
>
> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
> extremely annoying...
>
> > Use boric acid mixed with
> > peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
> > of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
> > interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
>
> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
> acid; PB I have.
> --
> Cheers
> Chatty Cathy

I bought something you put in drops on slick cardboard and they
supposedly take it back to the next where all the ants die. It worked
this spring - I'll let you know if they come back. This is the first
time in decades that I've had ants in the kitchen - they never went
very far, just stayed by the sink (which was clean). I don't think
they were very bright.

N.



I once found teeny tiny black ants inside the resevoir of my steam iron. I
didn't know they were there until I heated up the iron to press a blouse and
they came running out! Ants are attracted to water. That's why you find
them around the sink

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
>
> "ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
> ...
> > George Shirley wrote:
> >>
> >> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
> >> be the same but the treatment is the same.
> >
> > I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
> > extremely annoying...
> >
> >> Use boric acid mixed with
> >> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
> >> of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
> >> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
> >
> > I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
> > acid; PB I have.
> > --
> > Cheers
> > Chatty Cathy
>
> For some reason those tiny ants are attracted to vinegar. Plain white
> vinegar. They'll drown themselves in it if you leave a few shallow dishes
> with vinegar around where the ants are.
>
> Jill

Try putting of few drops of liquid dish soap into that white vinegar,
and it'll work even better I bet. With those flying fruit flies &
gnats, I use a little bit of apple cider vinegar with the liquid soap in
a small bowl and it works great! I gave up on the 'funnel' idea for the
flies since it wasn't as successful.

Would Borax (found in the laundry soap aisles at most grocery stores)
make a good substitute for the boric acid? Are the two the same thing?

I vaguely remember that if a boric acid solution is sprayed onto
Christmas trees before their brought into the house, this application
greatly helps as a fire retardant. Whether or not this is accurate, I
don't know.

Sky

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

Sky wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>> "ChattyCathy" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> George Shirley wrote:
>>>> The little ants that come in our kitchen are pharaoh ants, yours might
>>>> be the same but the treatment is the same.
>>> I have no idea what type of ants they are, except that they're tiny and
>>> extremely annoying...
>>>
>>>> Use boric acid mixed with
>>>> peanut butter, put in small bottle caps and then put those in the path
>>>> of the ants. I had the damned things in my computer once. Was
>>>> interesting to watch them eat the peanut butter and then disappear.
>>> I'll try this, if I can get my hands on some of the aforementioned boric
>>> acid; PB I have.
>>> --
>>> Cheers
>>> Chatty Cathy
>> For some reason those tiny ants are attracted to vinegar. Plain white
>> vinegar. They'll drown themselves in it if you leave a few shallow dishes
>> with vinegar around where the ants are.
>>
>> Jill
>
> Try putting of few drops of liquid dish soap into that white vinegar,
> and it'll work even better I bet. With those flying fruit flies &
> gnats, I use a little bit of apple cider vinegar with the liquid soap in
> a small bowl and it works great! I gave up on the 'funnel' idea for the
> flies since it wasn't as successful.
>
> Would Borax (found in the laundry soap aisles at most grocery stores)
> make a good substitute for the boric acid? Are the two the same thing?

Boraxo is treated borax, a naturally occurring mineral (remember Ronald
Reagan in the fifties announcing "Death Valley Days" with the 20-mule
team in the background. It is not a good substitute for boric acid.

>
> I vaguely remember that if a boric acid solution is sprayed onto
> Christmas trees before their brought into the house, this application
> greatly helps as a fire retardant. Whether or not this is accurate, I
> don't know.
>
> Sky
>

It's accurate, still done in some venues.

On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:47:44 -0400, "Dora" > wrote:
>
>We have been plagued with marauding ants every year and have tried
>everything. The foolproof one for us? A product which we buy at the
>hardware store called "Terro". A small drop on a piece of thin
>cardboard brings the ants out in hordes (scary to watch). With fresh
>bait each day the
>tigers get fewer and fewer until they vanish. In other words, they
>carry the bait back to the nest and snafu.

Hi Dora, we've used Terro Ant Killer a number of times. If memory
serves it's nothing more than sugar water or corn syrup with boric
acid added. It's funny to see the ants crowded around a drop of the
stuff, their abdomens swelling as the consume it and take it back to
the nest.

The ants seem to be taken care of for a few months but eventually they
return. Possibly from a different nest. It was a recurring problem
at the old house, doesn't seem to be a serious issue at the new one.

Best -- Terry

In article >,
George Shirley > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article >,
> > George Shirley > wrote:
> >
> >> When it is very dry out or during a drought, ants and other insects,
> >> including the big woods roaches, will come into your house looking for
> >> water. Insects, like most living things on earth, need water to survive.
> >
> > Very true... The only time I ever have ants (or Palmetto bugs) is when
> > it's been very dry for awhile. Watering the cactus plants outside helps.
> >
> > The cats love the Palmetto bugs (they think they are cat toys) so I
> > seldom ever see an intact one. Ants have only recently been a problem.
> >
> > Pyrethrine along the floor boards takes care of that issue for the most
> > part and no insecticide on the food surfaces...
> >
> > I've not had much luck with boric acid baits for ants, but it does work
> > for roaches. Keeping a clean area free of dirty dishes and food scraps
> > helps too. The last ant issue I had was them getting into the recycling
> > bucket due to the cans not being rinsed out well enough.
>
> The palmetto bugs I've seen were all in Florida and were much bigger
> than the big woods roaches we get when it is dry.

You can put saddles on the damned things! I HATE them. They give me the
creepty crawlies. I generally grab them with toilet paper and flush
them as they are way too messy to squash. <shudder>

>
> When we did some extensive remodeling a few years ago I bought a lot of
> boric acid and put it inside all the walls and in the attic. Haven't
> seen a lot of roaches since then.

Not a bad idea.

> A friend, who bought an old house down
> the street, had to tear out all the interior walls (rain and mold after
> Rita). We went in and put boric acid literally every where. In addition
> he used the insulation made from old newspapers and it is soaked in
> boric acid to make it fireproof and it keeps roaches and ants down due
> to that factor.

I have Geckos nesting in my attic. I've found many an egg mass remnant.
;-) I love my scaly little predators which is one very good reason to
keep pesticide use to a minimum...
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> George Shirley > wrote:
>
>> Omelet wrote:
>>> In article >,
>>> George Shirley > wrote:
>>>
>>>> When it is very dry out or during a drought, ants and other insects,
>>>> including the big woods roaches, will come into your house looking for
>>>> water. Insects, like most living things on earth, need water to survive.
>>> Very true... The only time I ever have ants (or Palmetto bugs) is when
>>> it's been very dry for awhile. Watering the cactus plants outside helps.
>>>
>>> The cats love the Palmetto bugs (they think they are cat toys) so I
>>> seldom ever see an intact one. Ants have only recently been a problem.
>>>
>>> Pyrethrine along the floor boards takes care of that issue for the most
>>> part and no insecticide on the food surfaces...
>>>
>>> I've not had much luck with boric acid baits for ants, but it does work
>>> for roaches. Keeping a clean area free of dirty dishes and food scraps
>>> helps too. The last ant issue I had was them getting into the recycling
>>> bucket due to the cans not being rinsed out well enough.
>> The palmetto bugs I've seen were all in Florida and were much bigger
>> than the big woods roaches we get when it is dry.
>
> You can put saddles on the damned things! I HATE them. They give me the
> creepty crawlies. I generally grab them with toilet paper and flush
> them as they are way too messy to squash. <shudder>
>
>> When we did some extensive remodeling a few years ago I bought a lot of
>> boric acid and put it inside all the walls and in the attic. Haven't
>> seen a lot of roaches since then.
>
> Not a bad idea.
>
>> A friend, who bought an old house down
>> the street, had to tear out all the interior walls (rain and mold after
>> Rita). We went in and put boric acid literally every where. In addition
>> he used the insulation made from old newspapers and it is soaked in
>> boric acid to make it fireproof and it keeps roaches and ants down due
>> to that factor.
>
> I have Geckos nesting in my attic. I've found many an egg mass remnant.
> ;-) I love my scaly little predators which is one very good reason to
> keep pesticide use to a minimum...

I agree, but boric acid doesn't bother the geckos. We have several
lizard varieties here, the Texas anole is at the top, two different
kinds of Asian geckos, one sings, the other doesn't; the common skink
the one with the purple tail and the orange head on the big males, the
common fence lizard, big grey, gnarly looking thing, used to see them
when I was a kid in East Texas and we have them here. We also have a
number of toads that we foster in the gardens, see them gathered around
the walk lights in front gathering up insects drawn to the lights. Put a
garbage can lid or two in the ground every spring, keep it filled with
water, they mate in water and lay their eggs there. We protect the eggs
and tadpoles until the little toads are big enough to hop off on their own.

I can't remember the last time I sprayed anything other than SAFER soap.

In article >,
George Shirley > wrote:

> > I have Geckos nesting in my attic. I've found many an egg mass remnant.
> > ;-) I love my scaly little predators which is one very good reason to
> > keep pesticide use to a minimum...
>
> I agree, but boric acid doesn't bother the geckos.

I know.

> We have several
> lizard varieties here, the Texas anole is at the top, two different
> kinds of Asian geckos, one sings, the other doesn't; the common skink
> the one with the purple tail and the orange head on the big males, the
> common fence lizard, big grey, gnarly looking thing, used to see them
> when I was a kid in East Texas and we have them here.

I have the Med' geckos, western fence lizards (blue bellies) and lots of
anoles. Only ever seen one skink. I also get the rare legless lizards.
The small shiny ones (glass snakes) not the big ones that look like
Alligator lizards. There are Ally' lizards out in the boondocks, but
I've not seen them in the yard.

> We also have a
> number of toads that we foster in the gardens, see them gathered around
> the walk lights in front gathering up insects drawn to the lights. Put a
> garbage can lid or two in the ground every spring, keep it filled with
> water, they mate in water and lay their eggs there. We protect the eggs
> and tadpoles until the little toads are big enough to hop off on their own.

Hm. Might have to try that. I have a nice number of toads as long as
there are any wet spots in the yard. They are death on the Palmetto bugs
since both are nocturnal. <g>

>
> I can't remember the last time I sprayed anything other than SAFER soap.

I do use Sevin on rare occasions, but not frequently. I last used
Pyrethrine on an ant invasion in my recycle bucket. I use a little
Sevin around the dogs food dishes outdoors to keep the ants out. I've
not broadcast it even for fleas in years. The beneficial nematodes
really do work for flea control if you seed them at the right time of
year...

And Front Line ON the dogs and cats.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:56:34 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

>I have Geckos nesting in my attic. I've found many an egg mass remnant.
>;-) I love my scaly little predators which is one very good reason to
>keep pesticide use to a minimum...

Have only seen one gecko in our house. D*mn thing keeps trying to
sell us insurance.

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
..
>
> Hm. Might have to try that. I have a nice number of toads as long as
> there are any wet spots in the yard. They are death on the Palmetto bugs
> since both are nocturnal. <g>
>
We wouldn't be able to have water standing in Houston because of the
mosquitos. Are Palmetto bugs those big roaches? I hate those.
>> I can't remember the last time I sprayed anything other than SAFER soap.
>
> I do use Sevin on rare occasions, but not frequently. I last used
> Pyrethrine on an ant invasion in my recycle bucket. I use a little
> Sevin around the dogs food dishes outdoors to keep the ants out. I've
> not broadcast it even for fleas in years. The beneficial nematodes
> really do work for flea control if you seed them at the right time of
> year...
>
> And Front Line ON the dogs and cats.
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their
> foot down."
> --Steve Rothstein
>
>
> Subscribe:

Terry wrote:
>
> Have only seen one gecko in our house. D*mn thing keeps trying to
> sell us insurance.
>

:-)

One morning I found a tiny gecko in the kitchen sink, it was about 2
inches long, at the most. Never figured out where it came from.


Becca

"Becca" > wrote in message >
> One morning I found a tiny gecko in the kitchen sink, it was about 2
> inches long, at the most. Never figured out where it came from.
>
> Becca

Did you save 15% on your car insurance?

In article >,
Terry > wrote:

> On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:56:34 -0500, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
> >I have Geckos nesting in my attic. I've found many an egg mass remnant.
> >;-) I love my scaly little predators which is one very good reason to
> >keep pesticide use to a minimum...
>
> Have only seen one gecko in our house. D*mn thing keeps trying to
> sell us insurance.

<lol> If they end up indoors, they become cat toys!
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

In article >,
"Phyllis Stone" > wrote:

> >
> > Hm. Might have to try that. I have a nice number of toads as long as
> > there are any wet spots in the yard. They are death on the Palmetto bugs
> > since both are nocturnal. <g>
> >
> We wouldn't be able to have water standing in Houston because of the
> mosquitos.

Same here, but I'd use BT dunks. That takes care of mosquito larvae,

> Are Palmetto bugs those big roaches? I hate those.

Yes, Nasty creatures!
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

"Becca" > wrote:
>
> One morning I found a tiny gecko in the kitchen sink, it was about 2
> inches long, at the most. Never figured out where it came from.

Geckos and chameleons are tropical, most likely you found a newt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt

In article >,
brooklyn1 > wrote:

> "Becca" > wrote:
> >
> > One morning I found a tiny gecko in the kitchen sink, it was about 2
> > inches long, at the most. Never figured out where it came from.
>
> Geckos and chameleons are tropical, most likely you found a newt.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt

We have Med' geckos here and we are hardly tropical. They are very
adaptable and have invaded a good part of the south:

http://www.geckoweb.org/profile/hemidactylus-turcicus
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

On Sep 12, 12:05*pm, Omelet > wrote:
> In article >,
>
> *brooklyn1 > wrote:
> > "Becca" > wrote:
>
> > > One morning I found a tiny gecko in the kitchen sink, it was about 2
> > > inches long, at the most. Never figured out where it came from.
>
> > Geckos and chameleons are tropical, most likely you found a newt.
>
> >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt
>
> We have Med' geckos here and we are hardly tropical. They are very
> adaptable and have invaded a good part of the south:
>
> http://www.geckoweb.org/profile/hemidactylus-turcicus
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
> --Steve Rothstein
>
>
> Subscribe:

My Mom's remedy/preventative for those teeny tiny red "sugar" ants was
mont from the garden. A 6" (+/- ) branch on the counters and in the
cupboards. When it dries up, toss it. Makes your kitchen smell good
and improves your pets" breath! My friend with no garden uses sticks
of Doublemint gum. Just use the sticks in their foil - you don't have
to unwrap 'em. This will not work if you have children. <G>
Lynn in Fargo

On Sep 12, 1:30*pm, Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig >
wrote:
> On Sep 12, 12:05*pm, Omelet > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > In article >,
>
> > *brooklyn1 > wrote:
> > > "Becca" > wrote:
>
> > > > One morning I found a tiny gecko in the kitchen sink, it was about 2
> > > > inches long, at the most. Never figured out where it came from.
>
> > > Geckos and chameleons are tropical, most likely you found a newt.
>
> > >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt
>
> > We have Med' geckos here and we are hardly tropical. They are very
> > adaptable and have invaded a good part of the south:
>
> >http://www.geckoweb.org/profile/hemidactylus-turcicus
> > --
> > Peace! Om
>
> > "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
> > --Steve Rothstein
>
> >
> > Subscribe:
>
> My Mom's remedy/preventative for those teeny tiny red "sugar" ants was
> mont from the garden. *A *6" (+/- ) branch on the counters and in the
> cupboards. *When it dries up, toss it. *Makes your kitchen smell good
> and improves your pets" breath! *My friend with no garden uses sticks
> of Doublemint gum. *Just use the sticks in their foil - you don't have
> to unwrap 'em. *This will not work if you have children. <G>
> Lynn in Fargo

Um, er, that would be "mint from the garden" So sorry!
LiF