Ants

[BarTopDancer]

It seems I'm having a random ant invasion. I believe there are two sources, one which was sealed up today. I can't find the other one yet.

What's so random about it is there are only or two ants out at a time - they are probably scouts. The second ant area is in my living room.I've sprayed my coffee table down with vinegar and water (vinegar removes the scented trail they left). Vacuumed under the couch, pulled up the cushions and vacuumed. I can't find anything to bring them in, or from where they are coming in.

I don't want to spray vinegar on my carpet or couch. Anyone have any fabric/carpet friendly suggestions?

My complex did offer to have the pest control company come in and spray, but I'd like to avoid that if possible.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

We just had an attack the other night. Not too bad, got it handle relatively quickly.

I'd spray the door frames on the exterior side - it worked for us.

[BarTopDancer]

Cool, thanks. I sprayed the sliding glass door on the outside and vacuumed the track. Hope that works.

[Tom]

When we had a pretty serious ant infestation a couple of years ago, this is what finally worked for us:

Take something like a yogurt container lid and put inside it a mix of equal parts sugar and borax (doesn't have to be a lot). Add just enough water to mix it into a paste-like consistency and place it in the tracks of where the ants go. Once they find it, they bring bits of it back to the nest and within a couple of days or so, no more ants.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Originally Posted by Tom

When we had a pretty serious ant infestation a couple of years ago, this is what finally worked for us:

Take something like a yogurt container lid and put inside it a mix of equal parts sugar and borax (doesn't have to be a lot). Add just enough water to mix it into a paste-like consistency and place it in the tracks of where the ants go. Once they find it, they bring bits of it back to the nest and within a couple of days or so, no more ants.

I've tried to do that, but I'm too impatient to wait for them to bring the borax mixture back to their nest. I find it too unnerving to let them wander about while I'm around. I end up windexing them, then caulking every entry point I can find.

[cirquelover]

I use bleach water to erase the trails, hadn't heard of vinegar.

If you decide to go the trap route use Terro, they are amazing! It's a liquid bait inside a neat little trap and it seems to work very well. Of course my infestation is so big they never truly go away but I've dwindled their ranks severely!

[madmonkeygirl]

We ususally spray outside the house and thus no ants this year. Thankfully. Also i put traps around just the basic buy at the store kind and that seemed to get the few that did get inside. For once no ant trouble and i'm glad.

[Kevy Baby]

[Ghoulish Delight]

This was our first invasion in our two years here. Glad we caught them quick, it was a pretty big army outside, and I'm betting these weren't like those polite Irvine ants that always carefully avoided our food.

[Betty]

We get ants every year. Corona must be built on top of a giant ant hill or something.

I came home yesterday to find them randomly milling around our bath tub. Just several hundred all over it. What's up with that?

We've had them in the sink and toilet as well. I thought it was for the water or something - but the tub was dry.

They also like the kitchen floor. Just a huge amount - not even in a trail - just all over. It's rather creepy. I end up spraying them all with windex so they stop moving and sweep or wipe them up.

I'm going to try that borax/sugar idea though.

Many years ago when we lived in apartments in Anaheim and the owners wouldn't do a thing about the icky icky cockroaches, we were able to get rid of them by sprinkling borax all over the floors every night. I'd sweep it all up in the morning and after a few days, no more of them. Nothing else seemed to work.

Why yes. I am very glad I don't live there anymore.