Gina123

Hello all! We are very new to Australia (only been here 8 months), so i just wanted to get some op advice on Ants.

We seem to have quite a lot of them recently and have found thousands of them in an around the toilet when we returned home today.
Its the downstairs toilet that is hardly used but was cleaned only 3 days ago with bleach etc....

I take all the usual precautions, sealing food containers, wiping kitchen surfaces etc, but I just wandered if anyone had an y other useful tips on how to prevent ants. Plus I also wandered if ants are more popular at different times of the year and if so when are you most likely to get them?

Many thanks in advance.

P.S We live on the mornington penninsula in Melbourne... dont know if that makes any difference!

desperatehousewife

we're newer than you, but a couple of times after we arrived the kids had spilled/dropped some food and drink on the floor and we came back to find a trail of ants. I sprayed them and round the window where they were coming in with baygone and so far (touch wood!) a few weeks later we've had no more ants

so maybe worth a try for you

Lindsay x

UK-2-OZ

Just wait till summer, they are everywhere Antrid is quite good and the only thing that we seem to find works.

The Bloke

It could be that rain is on the way and they naturally head for higher ground ie inside to keep dry. If you happen to notice ant mounds in your yard, this can also be an indicator of probable rainy weather as the mounds are designed to stop water flooding through the nest. I've sprayed, put ant sand around, used talcum powder, if they want to go somewhere, they will.

The Bloke

is probably right. They'll be back sooner or later.

welovebonds

What works is Peppermint Oil, a few drops in some water and clean all surfaces and floor with this. Ants hate the smell, so they don't come back. But you need to use if every day.....but makes the house smell lovely. You can pick up the Peppermint Oil from a good health food shop and a small bottle lasts for ages.

Mamma Minty

We haven't really suffered too badly with ants (we live in Perth) but we have had these little moth type things in our pantry!! I have totally cleaned it out from top to bottom, but we still get a few. I wondered if anyone knew what they were and how to stop them coming back !!

Malcs66

We were over run with ants last summer and it drove us mad. What you need to do is find out what type of ants you have, as there are hundreds of different species. This is because you have to use the correct poison for that type, otherwise it has little effect.
What we were told to do is stick 20 or so ants to sellotape and post the same day to the Department of Agriculture. A few days later they sent a reply stating what type they were and what poison to use. The poison is sold in Bunnings but expensive, $90.

http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/im...oastbrown3.pdf

Try copy and pasting this link.

Deancm

You talking about cockroaches?

Jan4kids

These are Pantry Moths, they lay their eggs in the creases of packets. They particularly like flour and sugar, you may find silky threads with pupa in your unsealed foods too.

There are dedicated products to irradicate them in the Supermarkets and Bunnings.

Jan

ossigeno

We're 5 years in Australia and have never had a property that did not have infestations of ants, cockroaches and pantry moths.

Bix

Do Supermarkets and Bunnings get infestations too Jan?

Jan4kids

DOH!

Mamma Minty

These are exactly what we have. Trip to Bunnings for me today!! Thanks Jan

Gina123

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou to all who have responded.... Hopefully Im gonna get them sorted now! make me itch all over the thought of them!