Ants!!!!!

SpoiledMan

SpoiledMan

New member
I have tried just about every over the counter remedy to get rid of these little critters with little success. The prices that the exterminators want are plain robbery. Does anyone have a product recommendation for me? I don't have a problem with mail order.
 
SpoiledMan said:
I have tried just about every over the counter remedy to get rid of these little critters with little success. The prices that the exterminators want are plain robbery. Does anyone have a product recommendation for me? I don't have a problem with mail order.
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Indoor or outdoor control? Have you identified the type of ant that is the problem?



Outdoors you can apply one of these to keep them out;

DeltaGard G (a.i. Deltamethrin): Deltagard is a granular insecticide which utilizes a unique, water soluble carrier. Its irregularly shaped granules dissolve completely (leaving no particles that might be picked up by birds and other non-target species!), delivering the maximum dose of DeltaGard to the target insects. Packaged in convenient 10 lb. bags which, at the treatment rate of just 2 lb. per thousand square feet, will treat 5000 square feet. This is considerably less than traditional granules, and means you carry a lot less bulk while still getting the job done properly. Normal residual is up to 4 weeks, depending on environmental conditions and targeted pests.



Talstar (a.i. Bifinthrin) Talstar is a synthetic pyrethroid that is available in both granular and liquid concentrate forms. It is very safe towards non-target animals such as birds, reptiles and mammals. Talstar lasts much longer than organophosphate pesticides such as Dursban, Diazinon, Malathion and Acephate. We have had many reported cases of Talstar controlling molecrickets for up to two months, chinch bugs, ants and fire ants for three months! Only 1 or 2 applications are needed each year for mole crickets. No special site preparation is needed when treating for mole crickets with Talstar. Talstar is very effective in controlling ants, fleas, mole crickets, chinch bugs and other turf and ornamental pests.
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More info here.



I apply Talstar around the perimeter of my home a couple times a year and have no ants whatsoever. The 25 lb. bag should last for several years.
 
Oops, they are of the "Argentine" type. My house has a raised foundation and can easily have something spread/sprayed under it. I'm looking for something to use outside as well as baiting to use inside. For the inside I'm hoping for a gel type product.



All of the products are like wax where they're all the longest lasting and most effective.
 
Empty your trash often and make sure your house is free of crums and food particles that might attract ants. Make sure that food containers are tightly closed, without residual traces of the food on the sides of containers. These ants can even get into screw-top jars without seals. They follow the spiral threads until they are inside!



Avoid using toxic aerosol insecticides inside your home--unless you don't care about your lungs or your bone marrow.



Try spraying a deodorant detergent (Pine Sol® or peppermint Castile® soap), Windex® or rubbing alcohol on ant trails in your home. This may erase the scent trail and cause the ants to become confused and disoriented.



Go on search & destroy missions around your home, spraying Diazinon® on ant colonies beneath stepping stones and other cool, damp places.
 
Patrick, I kind of wish that they were actually after some trash or food crumbs rather than just crawling aimlessly looking for I don't know what. We don't eat food at all in our bedrooms yet we have NONE in the kitchen or bathrooms but they are all over our bedrooms. I have tried removing the scent trails with other scented product and it doesn't work either.



When I could use Diazinon (it's not available in CA any longer) I was ahead of the game. Now we have the bottles that say Diazinon on them but have and asterisk that leads you to the small print that says "replacement for" and the products aren't nearly as effective. Sometimes they last a day and sometimes a week or so and that's with a thorough soaking under the house in higher than recommended concentrations. I don't like doing that for the safety of me and my family.



I have found a couple of odorless and low toxicity gel baits and granules that I'm thinking of spending a few bucks on. The wife says that this is my last hurrah and if it doesn't work she's calling in the big guns. Right off the bat with these guys we're out over $200 and the work is only guaranteed for 30-60 days unless you sign up for the regular visits that will make ant extermination more than my car insurance!
 
FluorGuard baits are listed for Argentine ants; I have had good success with these for pavement ants. You can get it here , or here or here . Read around at those sites; they may have some gels, also.
 
I wasn't impling that byou did I'm sorry it came off that way it was just a cut and paste of stuff you might have already known. I feel your pain because I keep a very clean house and I had a trial of ants in mine on saterday. From the rain we had for the past four days it seems to drive them inside for some reason but they went right to the old bait stations i put out and now they are gone. I'm not sure but i would give then a try,the ones setec listed looks good any try spraying also...I'm not sure if it would hlep but i saw some outdoor stakes in the supermarket that i got my disk baits from i would think that all three would help and the spray would be the most dangerous
 
I've also had good luck with the Terro Ant Killer. It is a Borax based thick liquid that you place on a small piece of cardboard. The theory is they eat it, take it back to the nest and hopefully it eventually kills the entire colony.



Don't know about the Argentine ants, but the ants around here love it and I can always find it locally at the ACE hardware store. Once they find it they swarm all over it and I usually put out several more in the same area to accommodate all of the "diners".
 
I live in S. California, where we have lots of ant problems over the summertime. I think my town must have been built on a giant ant hill...



I use Grants Kills Ants Stakes. They are very effective. Come in a package of 10 stakes, which you can put around your house and inside.



One Important Note: The active ingredient is Arsenic. It is very toxic. You need to be very careful with this stuff if you have kids or pets.



Generally, I buy 2 packages. Most of them are placed outside. I do place a few inside in areas where my kids can't get to them. In heavy ant season, I may replace them 1x/month. Other times, I have gone several months without replacing them. I get them from Lowes.



I also use the ant pellets (borax?) around the house, again only during the summer ant season.



I used to use an exterminator, until one of my friends told me about this stuff. I was very skeptical, but went ahead and tried it. I have been using them now for about 3 years without any ant problems. Great stuff.



Dom
 
We've got it bad this year, too. The friggin' ants are everywhere in the house. I've tried Sevin (this year only) and have had very good success with Diazinon Ultra in previous years. I don't seem to be able to stop them...well, except for the heel on my shoe.
 
Just went to the hdwe store and grabbed a box of the Terro liquid (outdoor) traps. Hopefully they'll have an impact.
 
strange,,, the ants are very bad up here in ontario too.. makes ya wonder what started this bumper crop of ants....
 
My Dad has something that got rid of the ants around the pool, but it also killed everything around it. :P Oh well, can't win it all.
 
Buick, err ScubaStevo what was it? At this point I might just be game to try. We had the house tented and the first thing back was THE ANTS!!!!!!



I appreciate all of the feedback and am evaluating some of them. They all claim to be like car wax as they are the best and last the longest. Keep them coming.
 
SpoiledMan said:
Buick, err ScubaStevo what was it? At this point I might just be game to try. We had the house tented and the first thing back was THE ANTS!!!!!!



I appreciate all of the feedback and am evaluating some of them. They all claim to be like car wax as they are the best and last the longest. Keep them coming.
Click to expand...





I'll find out tonight bud.
 
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