Tiny ants EVERYWHERE in the house - HELP!

[mom2chicksandpups]

If you try the boric acid that others mentioned, you can buy it very cheap at the Dollar General. I am allergic to insecticides, so we use boric acid in the house. I put it behind the stove, refrigerator, etc. and we never see any bugs in the house--unless it's one that just flew in from outside. I never thought of using it for ants, but I believe it will work well.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Year before last we were overcome with them too. They just about drove me nuts. Last year I tried the Terro baits...

and they really work well. No more ants!

 

[schmije]

Quote:
I've heard the same thing about cornmeal. You just put little piles out wherever you see the ants. They take it home and it kills them all. The only problem with this method is that it takes a week or so. We tried it this spring, and after a couple of days the ants disappeared. Of course, they seem to come and go depending on the weather, so it could have been a coincidence. I'm not completely convinced yet.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

I'd be afraid that grits and cornmeal would attract roaches.

 

[blossom hen]

What LilRalphieRoosmama said. Or if you don't have grits, plain cornmeal will do the same. Cheap, non-toxic, totally safe around children and pets.

 

[redhen]

Where do you find the borax? I have done the vinegar thing..and that did seem to help some. Also...i did the DE last year...useless...IMO.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
yeah...i remember people swearing by this for red ants when i lived in Florida. They said sprinkle grits or corn meal all around the ant hills... must be some truth to it ...I'm gonna try it this year.

 

[Freebird1st]

Been years since ants have been an issue for me. If I recall correctly, the little black ants are what w always called "sugar" ants because they loved sugar as well as grandma's grease can.
Seems she used the vinegar to wipe everything with and sealed the sugar in air tight canisters. Seems I used boric acid to finally get rid of them for her but I can't remember for sure.
The "piss" ants are a little bit larger and have a grayish to clear rump area and when mashed smell like ...well , just try it and you'll see...they smell "piss".

 

[amamaofmany]

Where do you find the borax? I have done the vinegar thing..and that did seem to help some. Also...i did the DE last year...useless...IMO.

Borax is found in the laundry section of your supermarket or discount store. Mule Team is one brand.

Boric Acid also works, and you find that in the pharmacy in a small plastic jar, or as mentioned, in the Dollar Store in a large bottle.

Both chemicals are mildly toxic to humans but only in pretty large quantities. You would still want to prevent a child or animal from eating any bait.

DE only works if you get it on the ants, though. Ants have the tendency to avoid all small particles like DE and powders because it cuts their bodies or clogs their breathing holes (which are on their bodies, not through their mouths or on their heads) They are very good at managing to find a way around it, or even building a little bridge of sticks or leaves over it if given enough time!

When they are swarming on the sidewalk, you can sprinkle it over them, but only the ones who have contact with it die. This is why sprinkling DE, borax or boric acid around a house or around cabinets works - ants avoid going there. But if you can get them to eat it they take it back to the nest, feed the queen and the larvae the borax and it kills 'em. There is a DE, which I bought at Lowes, that is baited - it tastes good to ants and they eat it as well as carry it back to be eaten by the nest, and those that eat it die. I have that in my pantry under the shelves and its done a good job of keeping ants and silverfish out of there.

I also make the borax or boric acid bait for yellow jackets in summer and fall. Mix it with fruit juice or pancake syrup and set it out for them in a pop can or bottle so that birds, butterflies and honey bees don't get it, and up somewhere away from children and animals. It kills their nests in about a week by destroying the larvae that are fed the stuff, then slowly working on the larger ones.​

 

[gaited horse]

don't use poision get your chickens in