Hi Folks,

They're back, and they keep coming. Into our kitchen. We've been
waging war on them for eleven years and counting. This year the ants
are winning big.

We've eliminated every food source but our dishwasher, which they get
into regardless how closed it is. So we either need to wash every dish
the moment we're done using it, or watch a small parade of critters
going by every day. Even if there's nothing in the dishwasher, they're
always scouting around for overlooked crumbs or drips.

The last thing that worked was a liquid Ant Bait called Terro. It
seemed great because you just put a drop of it where they can find it,
and they hungrily slurp it up.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop them from coming anymore. So either it's
killing them and there's an endless supply of ants, or it's only making
them stronger these days.

The plastic ant bait traps aren't having any effect. We've bought all
of the latest ones by Raid, Black Flag, Combat, etc. - they just walk
right past, don't even hesitate. I even tried putting little drops of
honey inside to lure them in - no sale. Jelly didn't work either.

Spreading boric acid powder around makes it look like you've taken up an
expensive hobby in the kitchen, but doesn't deter the ants. I don't see
them walking through it, but they always find a way around.

Sealing up the holes they come through no longer works. They come in
from the gap underneath our cabinets. I've wandered all through our
crawl space with a flashlight, but did not see any ant trails nor
anthills. I've looked all around the outside of the foundation and
didn't see them. Maybe they're inside the walls, I've got no clue.

I also spread some pesticide around the foundation of our house inside
and out using a hand spreader. It was a granular mix for ants and
termites. Used twice the recommended amount. This didn't faze them.

I can't think of anything else to try, other than calling some dude that
has a big plastic bug on his car roof to come out here and spray a lot.
Anyone know something that works, that I've overlooked?

Gracias,

-dreq

"Derek Mark Edding" wrote in message
nk.net...
Hi Folks,

They're back, and they keep coming. Into our kitchen. We've been
waging war on them for eleven years and counting. This year the
ants are winning big.

We've eliminated every food source but our dishwasher, which they
get into regardless how closed it is. So we either need to wash
every dish the moment we're done using it, or watch a small parade
of critters going by every day. Even if there's nothing in the
dishwasher, they're always scouting around for overlooked crumbs or
drips.

The last thing that worked was a liquid Ant Bait called Terro. It
seemed great because you just put a drop of it where they can find
it, and they hungrily slurp it up.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop them from coming anymore. So either
it's killing them and there's an endless supply of ants, or it's
only making them stronger these days.

The plastic ant bait traps aren't having any effect. We've bought
all of the latest ones by Raid, Black Flag, Combat, etc. - they just
walk right past, don't even hesitate. I even tried putting little
drops of honey inside to lure them in - no sale. Jelly didn't work
either.

Spreading boric acid powder around makes it look like you've taken
up an expensive hobby in the kitchen, but doesn't deter the ants. I
don't see them walking through it, but they always find a way
around.

Sealing up the holes they come through no longer works. They come
in from the gap underneath our cabinets. I've wandered all through
our crawl space with a flashlight, but did not see any ant trails
nor anthills. I've looked all around the outside of the foundation
and didn't see them. Maybe they're inside the walls, I've got no
clue.

I also spread some pesticide around the foundation of our house
inside and out using a hand spreader. It was a granular mix for
ants and termites. Used twice the recommended amount. This didn't
faze them.

I can't think of anything else to try, other than calling some dude
that has a big plastic bug on his car roof to come out here and
spray a lot. Anyone know something that works, that I've overlooked?

Gracias,

-dreq

Had exactly the same problem. Twice a year (spring & early fall/late
summer) tiny ants would invade and attack. Terro ant traps were the
only thing that really worked.
http://www.biconet.com/crawlers/terroant.html We bated just at the
entry way and the ants never went past the traps.

After two years of using the terro traps the attacks stopped and the
colony was presumably destroyed.

Mind you, these were sugar ants an not protein feeding ants.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/insect/05518.html

me wrote:

They're back, and they keep coming. Into our kitchen. We've been
waging war on them for eleven years and counting. ..

Spreading boric acid powder around makes it look like you've taken
up an expensive hobby in the kitchen,

I didn't expect to get a grin from a thread about ants in
the house, but this did it for me. :-)

summer) tiny ants would invade and attack. Terro ant traps ..
entry way and the ants never went past the traps.

I'll second dreq's comments; we have had this problem off
and on over the years--especially after heavy rains. This
year was an "ant year" but the same thing worked that has
worked for us befo Terro ant traps. There are big
"outdoor" ones and smaller ones made of clear plastic;
we use a mix of both.

I put them all outside, and dog-proof them by putting them
inside cinderblocks, or inside a tiny "shelter" made of
three bricks. I put one or two of these where I see a busy
ant trail. Usually the ants are swarming over the baits
within a few hours.

We had miserable trouble with ants in the house this
summer; putting out the Terro ant traps, a few times over
a month or so, has fixed it completely.

I tried other brands of ant baits at first, and didn't
have any success. Bought an armful of Terro products at
Burke Brothers (5227 Hillsborough St, 851-1211), which
sent our pests to the Great Ant Farm in the Sky, and
has given us some peace at last.

HTH.


_______________________________________________
Ken Kuzenski AC4RD ken . kuzenski at duke .edu
_______________________________________________
All disclaimers apply, see? www.duke.edu/~kuzen001

On 2006-09-18, Derek Mark Edding wrote:
Hi Folks,

They're back, and they keep coming. Into our kitchen. We've been
waging war on them for eleven years and counting. This year the ants
are winning big.

We've eliminated every food source but our dishwasher, which they get
into regardless how closed it is. So we either need to wash every dish
the moment we're done using it, or watch a small parade of critters
going by every day. Even if there's nothing in the dishwasher, they're
always scouting around for overlooked crumbs or drips.

The last thing that worked was a liquid Ant Bait called Terro. It
seemed great because you just put a drop of it where they can find it,
and they hungrily slurp it up.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop them from coming anymore. So either it's
killing them and there's an endless supply of ants, or it's only making
them stronger these days.

The plastic ant bait traps aren't having any effect. We've bought all
of the latest ones by Raid, Black Flag, Combat, etc. - they just walk
right past, don't even hesitate. I even tried putting little drops of
honey inside to lure them in - no sale. Jelly didn't work either.

Spreading boric acid powder around makes it look like you've taken up an
expensive hobby in the kitchen, but doesn't deter the ants. I don't see
them walking through it, but they always find a way around.

Sealing up the holes they come through no longer works. They come in
from the gap underneath our cabinets. I've wandered all through our
crawl space with a flashlight, but did not see any ant trails nor
anthills. I've looked all around the outside of the foundation and
didn't see them. Maybe they're inside the walls, I've got no clue.

I also spread some pesticide around the foundation of our house inside
and out using a hand spreader. It was a granular mix for ants and
termites. Used twice the recommended amount. This didn't faze them.

I can't think of anything else to try, other than calling some dude that
has a big plastic bug on his car roof to come out here and spray a lot.
Anyone know something that works, that I've overlooked?

Gracias,

-dreq

I think they are using the internal piers of the foundation and not the
perimeter. They may have the colony around or near some of them.
We had this problem a few summers back and spraying the piers did it for
me. I could not find an entry point either. I think they got access
from a seam in the driveway that comes up to the corner of the house. I
never saw them there but once. I think they had setup colonies and did
not need access after that. I originally thought they were coming from
the ceiling, but I drowned the attic in spray before doing the piers.

I suggest totoal global attack with a liquid home pesticide. I use
Ortho. You may need two of the gallon jugs. Definitely one whole
gallon. They come with a built in sprayer now that gives you a nice
stream of the stuff. Make it a stream not a spray.

Spray the foundation outside where the siding meets the bricks.
Spray the foundation where it meets the ground. Make sure you get under
any leaves or plastic used for mulch.
Spray under the crawl space also at ground/brick level and where floor
joists hit the brick.

Spray all the inner piers supporting the house at the ground and at
joist as well. Spray all the pipes and the ductwork.

Spray all the baseboards in house especially every room where you have
them.

Spray all the attic perimeter from the inside, spray all pipes you see
in the attic.

Perhaps a couple of those insect bombs in the crawlspace and the attic
as well.

All this will cost you say 50 bucks at most. If it does not work then
maybe you will have to go the route of encasing the house.

Good luck.
--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

wrote:
All this will cost you say 50 bucks at most. If it does not work then
maybe you will have to go the route of encasing the house.

Good luck.

What is involved in encasing the house?

One of my relatives in a different state also has an ant problem at her
house. She paid a pest control company close to three grand to have
them dig a trench completely around their house, and install some sort
of pesticide barricade.

I wish they had talked to me first because it seems just as likely the
ants are living somewhere within the perimeter of the house. They still
have them inside after this treatment. Now the same company wants to go
through the crawl spaces and attic, doing the same kind of spraying
you're describing for additional $$$.

It sounds like robbery to me, but my relative has been using this
company for a couple of decades and trusts them far too much.

-dreq

Hi, Derek,
Same problem at my house. A friend recently sent me this article and
I'm going to try it.......................
Good Luck!

Got an Ant Problem? Use Aspartame
http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/aug..._use_aspartame


Derek Mark Edding wrote:

Hi Folks,

They're back, and they keep coming. Into our kitchen. We've been
waging war on them for eleven years and counting. This year the ants
are winning big.

We've eliminated every food source but our dishwasher, which they get
into regardless how closed it is. So we either need to wash every dish
the moment we're done using it, or watch a small parade of critters
going by every day. Even if there's nothing in the dishwasher, they're
always scouting around for overlooked crumbs or drips.

The last thing that worked was a liquid Ant Bait called Terro. It
seemed great because you just put a drop of it where they can find it,
and they hungrily slurp it up.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop them from coming anymore. So either it's
killing them and there's an endless supply of ants, or it's only making
them stronger these days.

The plastic ant bait traps aren't having any effect. We've bought all
of the latest ones by Raid, Black Flag, Combat, etc. - they just walk
right past, don't even hesitate. I even tried putting little drops of
honey inside to lure them in - no sale. Jelly didn't work either.

Spreading boric acid powder around makes it look like you've taken up an
expensive hobby in the kitchen, but doesn't deter the ants. I don't see
them walking through it, but they always find a way around.

Sealing up the holes they come through no longer works. They come in
from the gap underneath our cabinets. I've wandered all through our
crawl space with a flashlight, but did not see any ant trails nor
anthills. I've looked all around the outside of the foundation and
didn't see them. Maybe they're inside the walls, I've got no clue.

I also spread some pesticide around the foundation of our house inside
and out using a hand spreader. It was a granular mix for ants and
termites. Used twice the recommended amount. This didn't faze them.

I can't think of anything else to try, other than calling some dude that
has a big plastic bug on his car roof to come out here and spray a lot.
Anyone know something that works, that I've overlooked?

Gracias,

-dreq

marymind wrote:
Hi, Derek,
Same problem at my house. A friend recently sent me this article and
I'm going to try it.......................
Good Luck!

Got an Ant Problem? Use Aspartame
http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/aug..._use_aspartame

Hi Marymind,

The blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola, along with his readers, has been spoofed:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.c...dline=s5i11213

Humorous stuff though!

-dreq

Derek Mark Edding wrote:
marymind wrote:

Hi, Derek,
Same problem at my house. A friend recently sent me this article and
I'm going to try it.......................
Good Luck!

Got an Ant Problem? Use Aspartame
http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/aug..._use_aspartame


Hi Marymind,

The blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola, along with his readers, has been spoofed:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.c...dline=s5i11213

Humorous stuff though!

-dreq

Hi, Derek,
This article is even MORE encouraging............lol
Thanks for the updated info.
Marymind

I missed the original post, so this may not be peritinent to it, but
seems pertinent to the thread in general. Combining sugar and yeast and
putting out for the ants to eat is supposed to blow them up when the
yeast starts to grow! Have not tried this but I like the idea.
Eileen

marymind wrote:


Derek Mark Edding wrote:

marymind wrote:

Hi, Derek,
Same problem at my house. A friend recently sent me this article and
I'm going to try it.......................
Good Luck!

Got an Ant Problem? Use Aspartame
http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/aug..._use_aspartame



Hi Marymind,

The blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola, along with his readers, has been spoofed:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.c...dline=s5i11213

Humorous stuff though!

-dreq


Hi, Derek,
This article is even MORE encouraging............lol
Thanks for the updated info.
Marymind

On 2006-09-19, Derek Mark Edding wrote:
wrote:
All this will cost you say 50 bucks at most. If it does not work then
maybe you will have to go the route of encasing the house.

Good luck.

What is involved in encasing the house?


I just told you all I know about that. :-)

I do know that would be the last resort that I would try. I think
Professionals have better methods.

One of my relatives in a different state also has an ant problem at her
house. She paid a pest control company close to three grand to have
them dig a trench completely around their house, and install some sort
of pesticide barricade.

I wish they had talked to me first because it seems just as likely the
ants are living somewhere within the perimeter of the house. They still
have them inside after this treatment. Now the same company wants to go
through the crawl spaces and attic, doing the same kind of spraying
you're describing for additional $$$.

It sounds like robbery to me, but my relative has been using this
company for a couple of decades and trusts them far too much.

-dreq


--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

On 2006-09-20, Derek Mark Edding wrote:
marymind wrote:
Hi, Derek,
Same problem at my house. A friend recently sent me this article and
I'm going to try it.......................
Good Luck!

Got an Ant Problem? Use Aspartame
http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/aug..._use_aspartame

Hi Marymind,

The blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola, along with his readers, has been spoofed:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.c...dline=s5i11213

Humorous stuff though!

-dreq

interesting I could not find ants on Snopes, but plenty of other myths
about it. My BS detector was going off as soon as I read it.
--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

On 2006-09-20, E Gregory wrote:
I missed the original post, so this may not be peritinent to it, but
seems pertinent to the thread in general. Combining sugar and yeast and
putting out for the ants to eat is supposed to blow them up when the
yeast starts to grow! Have not tried this but I like the idea.
Eileen


Bread has yeast in it and sugar. Never saw an ant die from eating
bread.

Aspartame is harmful to folks with PKU, but I cannot see how anything a
human would consume would be harmful to ants unless it was beer and they
drowned.

marymind wrote:


Derek Mark Edding wrote:

marymind wrote:

Hi, Derek,
Same problem at my house. A friend recently sent me this article and
I'm going to try it.......................
Good Luck!

Got an Ant Problem? Use Aspartame
http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/aug..._use_aspartame



Hi Marymind,

The blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola, along with his readers, has been spoofed:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.c...dline=s5i11213

Humorous stuff though!

-dreq


Hi, Derek,
This article is even MORE encouraging............lol
Thanks for the updated info.
Marymind


--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 21:56:29 GMT, Derek Mark Edding
wrote:


The last thing that worked was a liquid Ant Bait called Terro. It
seemed great because you just put a drop of it where they can find it,
and they hungrily slurp it up.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop them from coming anymore. So either it's
killing them and there's an endless supply of ants, or it's only making
them stronger these days.

Sadly that's been my experience too. Terro only works on the little
black "sweet ants" for one thing. And yes, they crowd around the drops
of Terro like thirsty critters at a desert watering hole. I kept
putting out more Terro as the crowds increased, and they'd suck it up
for days, then stand around looking dazed. Then they started to
dwindle... and dwindle. Supposedly they feed the regurgitated poison
to the other ants, and it is supposed to eventually kill the colony. I
kept putting out the terro. Then, just when I thought I had the
problem solved, they started came back.

My theory is that there were a few out of those tens of thousands of
ants in the colony that had resistance to the poison. They
survived--maybe one made it to Queenhood in case the dead queen needed
replacing. Then they started all over again.

But there's not nearly as many now. Let's see what happens next
summer...

Sue

The yeast in bread has been killed by the process of baking the bread.

wrote:
On 2006-09-20, E Gregory wrote:

I missed the original post, so this may not be peritinent to it, but
seems pertinent to the thread in general. Combining sugar and yeast and
putting out for the ants to eat is supposed to blow them up when the
yeast starts to grow! Have not tried this but I like the idea.
Eileen



Bread has yeast in it and sugar. Never saw an ant die from eating
bread.

Aspartame is harmful to folks with PKU, but I cannot see how anything a
human would consume would be harmful to ants unless it was beer and they
drowned.


marymind wrote:


Derek Mark Edding wrote:


marymind wrote:


Hi, Derek,
Same problem at my house. A friend recently sent me this article and
I'm going to try it.......................
Good Luck!

Got an Ant Problem? Use Aspartame
http://www.mercola.com/blog/2006/aug..._use_aspartame



Hi Marymind,

The blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola, along with his readers, has been spoofed:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.c...dline=s5i11213

Humorous stuff though!

-dreq


Hi, Derek,
This article is even MORE encouraging............lol
Thanks for the updated info.
Marymind