Ant problem- what is safe to use?

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

There could be a book and an epic mini series to follow - "Game of Drones....."   

[Lyn (Slugsta)]

Am gonna get mine to knock me up some flat pack furniture.   

 

 I reckon there is even more mileage to be had yet from the carpenter ants 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Am gonna get mine to knock me up some flat pack furniture.   

[Hippykitty]

At my last house I had a very short lived invasion of ants. I like spiders, and was always rescuing them from the bath. They repaid me by eating the ants! I found that the ants had turned into empty shells (like rice crispies) and the spiders had sucked out the inside. I just cleaned up the dead remains.

So my advice would be to encourage spiders to the area where the ants are. Maybe go round your garden and catch a few spiders then offer them a meal of ants. 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

 

[lau200]

Mind you, I dont think ours will be carpenter ants - for one thing, I didnt see any of them with a little pencil stuck behind their ear.   

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

We used to have a big ant problem where I used to work, even worse for those few weeks in the summer when the dratted wings sprouted wings*! Nothing worse than arriving in the morning and finding your consulting room carpetted with ants  !

* Yes, I know it didn't happen exactly like that, but that was how it seemed.

     No, I can imagine.......

[Lyn (Slugsta)]

We used to have a big ant problem where I used to work, even worse for those few weeks in the summer when the dratted wings sprouted wings*! Nothing worse than arriving in the morning and finding your consulting room carpetted with ants  !

* Yes, I know it didn't happen exactly like that, but that was how it seemed.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I like ants in theory but not when my kitchen floor is black with them!  I have had major problems with ants over the years but thankfully they seem to have packed their bags and moved on as I've not had much of the problem for the past few years.  I used to buy those little ant traps (bait stations I think they are called) - you can get ones that you put your own bait in or ones that come ready baited.  They have tiny holes for the ants to crawl in but a pet or child couldn't get a finger in or anything like that.

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Hmmmmm........  Extract from Sam's link:

"....And if you're really unlucky, you might have the carpenter ant, an ant insistent on destroying the wood that holds up your house, so get professional help fast in that case!"

Thanks Sam!      Mind you, I dont think ours will be carpenter ants - for one thing, I didnt see any of them with a little pencil stuck behind their ear.   

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

My hubby has been talking about pouring boiling water down the nest outside but i said i felt cruel i have read that they dont like talc so i have poured some johnsons around where i suspect they are coming in.... We will just have to see! Its the time of year i guess

I know what you mean Lau.  Our "pest control" measures consisted of sweeping them off with a soft brush.      I quite like ants.  They're very industrious.   

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

good tips here:  http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Ants-Naturally

[lau200]

Will try that, thanks Gill

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

They wont cross a chalk line! so draw one between the nest and your place so they will go back

[lau200]

My hubby has been talking about pouring boiling water down the nest outside but i said i felt cruel i have read that they dont like talc so i have poured some johnsons around where i suspect they are coming in.... We will just have to see! Its the time of year i guess

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Cant believe you've just posted this Lau - we've just been raking out some rotten wood on a post upright that we needed to fill, and to our amazement it was home to a nest of tiny ants.     We've had to turf them out.  Thankfully though, we havent had an ant problem in the house.  I've heard that the traditional method for killing off ant nests safely was to pour boiling water into the exit holes.   

You can also buy sticky strips which you can put on threshholds and carpet edges, but I'd be less happy using those where children and pets play, just to be on the safe side. 

[lau200]

There is an ant nest in the pavement outside our terrace house and now they have started to come indoors. We are trying to minimise anything that would attract them but with two babies, two cats and a rabbit running loose in the house there is only so much we can do. We need something that is safe for kids and pets as we cannot keep either away from the area where i have seen the ants. Any ideas?