topic Re: How To Get Rid of Ants in Home

How To Get Rid of Ants

joann1218 — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:59:39 GMT

I have been in my house for 20 years and this is the first time I am having trouble with tiny black ants. I am finding them in my bathroom and kitchen. I am spraying Raid ant spray and it works at first, but the keep returning. Anyone have a remedy to get rid of these pesty tiny black ants. Any homemade or non-toxic solution/suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

brii — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 15:01:53 GMT

I use ant traps. It's a little plastic disk that you put on the floor. It usually works in a couple of days.

I would get ants at the beginning of winter near my front door.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

Annabellethecat66 — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 15:05:32 GMT

I totally agree with brii. They work amazingly! I love them. I just buy a bunch of them and put them out.

In no time the ants are gone.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

TootyJane — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 15:40:16 GMT

We bought our home 21 years ago. About three months after moving in we woke up and found thousands of ants in the kitchen sink and on the counters. We tried every home remedy, sprays from garden store until we decided yo call a pest control company. Needless the say, we went through two pest control companies before we called Orkin. It took two months but they finally got rid of the ants. Orkin comes once a month to service outside (and inside, if necessary). They will also come out if other problems arise. Monthly service does not include termites (that is done under a separate contract) nor do they cover bees/hives. We discovered a bee hive under some stairs outside. They referred us to a local company who came out promptly and removed the hive. HTH

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

FranandZoe — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:06:18 GMT

I leave 2 of those plastic ant traps out year 'round. I used to get ants in the kitchen every early spring but no more.

If you have tons of ants the best thing is Terro liquid ant bait. The liquid poison is in little plastic containers - it's like the Jonestown Massacre for ants. Once they drink the kool aid and you get rid of them then put the regular plastic traps out to keep them from coming back..

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

ChynnaBlue — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:12:12 GMT

I also recommend the disc or square traps that go on the floor. They're much better than sprays because the ants take the bait to the nest and it kills them there.

Instead of spray, you can also use cinnamon. Ants won't cross cinnamon. If you can find where they're coming inside, you can surround that area with cinnamon, but the ants already inside won't go back out, so you'll have to kill them with a spray.

If they come back after you use a bait trap, I would recommend having an exterminator come and do the outside of your home. You can find exterminators that use plant-based pesticides.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

BeckiWV — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:18:37 GMT

On 4/23/2014 Frannie said:
I leave 2 of those plastic ant traps out year 'round. I used to get ants in the kitchen every early spring but no more.

If you have tons of ants the best thing is Terro liquid ant bait. The liquid poison is in little plastic containers - it's like the Jonestown Massacre for ants. Once they drink the kool aid and you get rid of them then put the regular plastic traps out to keep them from coming back..

The liquid ant bait works amazingly well.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

Meeras — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:21:55 GMT

fully agree with brii.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

luvmypupz — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:22:54 GMT

I am having trouble with them right now around my kitchen sink although there is nothing there for them to get. I have some of the ant traps set out right now that seem to be working but I still see a couple during the day.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

Kkins — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:27:29 GMT

On 4/23/2014 BeckiWV said:
On 4/23/2014 Frannie said:
I leave 2 of those plastic ant traps out year 'round. I used to get ants in the kitchen every early spring but no more.

If you have tons of ants the best thing is Terro liquid ant bait. The liquid poison is in little plastic containers - it's like the Jonestown Massacre for ants. Once they drink the kool aid and you get rid of them then put the regular plastic traps out to keep them from coming back..

The liquid ant bait works amazingly well.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

stilltamn8r — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:30:24 GMT

Another here who loves Terro liquid...

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

joann1218 — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:30:38 GMT

Do you recommend a specific brand of ant traps. Is this sold at grocery stores?

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

Sunnycorle — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:31:02 GMT

Terro liquid ant bait worked for Ants in my bathroom and they haven't been back. Great stuff!

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

joann1218 — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:33:17 GMT

Where do you buy terro?

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

ChynnaBlue — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:19:35 GMT

On 4/23/2014 Joann1218 said:
Do you recommend a specific brand of ant traps. Is this sold at grocery stores?

I like Raid Double Control. I usually get them at my grocery store, but my grocery store is vastly superior to most others in terms of how many things they carry. (Sorry, everyone outside of Texas, HEB grocery stores are the best. They just are.) If you can't find them in your store, you can try Home Depot, Target, or Walmart. My Home Depot carries bug killers near the nursery.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

ROMARY — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:45:09 GMT

Red pepper flakes sprinkled along the entry point and along the ant line. Make sure you don't sprinkle on floors if you have dogs or pets. The red pepper will irritate their nose, and once sniffed, difficult to remove from their nostrils.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

gazelle77 — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:46:03 GMT

On 4/23/2014 ROMARY said:
Red pepper flakes sprinkled along the entry point and along the ant line. Make sure you don't sprinkle on floors if you have dogs or pets. The red pepper will irritate their nose, and once sniffed, difficult to remove from their nostrils.

The ants noses.... or the pet noses????

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

sfnative — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:59:41 GMT

I agree with brii and have two additional suggestions.

When you first find them scurrying around, grab Windex and spray them like heck. This stops them in their tracks and you can immediately clean them up.

Secondly, if you're fortunate enough to find the entry point, try one of two solutions we have used over the years. In our own home, I spackled over the tiny crack next to the window frame where they were coming in. In the second instance, we were in a rental condo, so I chose to use a temporary measure and retrieved one of my new silicone earplugs, broke off a small piece and jammed it into the small opening.

Wah-Lah, no more ants.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

BeckiWV — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 18:00:36 GMT

On 4/23/2014 Joann1218 said:
Where do you buy terro?

I got the liquid ant bait at Lowe's.

Re: How To Get Rid of Ants

oceanbreezy — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 20:10:55 GMT

Terro! Bengal roach spray is powerful, too. No more ants. They are dead at the door, window, or wherever they crawl in.