Same Difference

With the hot weather this week, the ants have now reared their ugly heads in our house!

They come from under the bottom of the architraves on the inside doors. I have tried allsorts to stop them OH has even siliconed round the bottom of the architraves but to no avail. The only thing that kills them is the spray cans, but that is only when they are running round the floor.

Does anyone know of anything to use that can kill the nests or at least make them not want to come out of their nests and invade my house?

mrsjdr

Had an ant problem where I work, I bought an ant trap, did not seem to work at first, but after about three days no more ants! The pack comes with two traps which are black round plastic things, seems the ants go inside where they get the "stuff" and take back to nests and kill them, hence the three days it took to get rid of them, sorry threw away packaging so do not remember the name.

Same Difference

Ive tried the ant trap but it didnt seem to work, unless I have that many living under the house that it didnt manage to kill them all!

Fred James

Look for a spray can called "Todo un Año sin Insectos." There are various brands available in most supermarkets and they are not cheap: 7 - 10 euros.

They contain a high concentration of Chlorpiriphos which is really effective against all crawling insects. It also contains a lacquer which creates a band of insecticide where you spray it. It may not live up to the one year claim but it sure works for a month or two.

Try and find the nests and spray some around the nest.

bil

Ok, we use a mix of all out chemo death and strategy.

If they get bad, we go all round the outside of the house at floor level with a pesticide like Dursban.

You also need to see where there are bridges like cables, ivy, etc and cut them or spray with pesticide.

Inside I try and seal all access points, but the big problem is that the whole house is a maze of cavities via the hollow bricks.

I have been known to take an insulin syringe and apply a tiny amount of raw pesticide into a hole.

Inside the house I use a proprietary spray to block off access thru open windows and so on.

However, the single most important thing is food hygiene. Clear up all crumbs, spilled fruit juice, keep all containers sealed/closed, and any food that can't be sealed,keep it in sealable click lock boxes.

If there is no reason for them to come in en mass, then the scouts that come into the house will wander off home without coming back with reinforcements.

I never spray a nest that doesn't cause a problem, but I'm ruthless with those that do.

Same Difference

Are the things you have mentioned safe with pets, or is it likely to kill my dog too?

bil

When you have pets or children, you have to be more careful.

I'd stick to using pesticide only where they can't reach, and be more thorough with fod hygiene and hole blocking.

I can tell my wife not to lick the threshold, but when the dogs come out it will be different.

Mitzyboy

And watch out for Dec's as well ...... if you get them both then you are in real trouble

Same Difference

Now I could cope with And and Dec

bil

Arrrrrrrrggghhh.

I am reporting you to the crap joke moderator.

Same Difference

And the hijack moderator!

rugbymatt

Try cleaning the house more and spending less time on BE?

crispy

For every ant you kill outside the nest, mummy queen ant will produce a hundred more to take their place

bil

I dunno, a squirt of Dursban is pretty effective.

She may breed, but it sure as hell keeps them away.

I find ants fascinating, and once used them as a bio project in my exams. As long as the food hygiene rule is obeyed, they are seldom a problem for us.

Fred James

It depends on which insecticide you use. Some of them are designed for the ant to take back to the nest and it then kills the ants in the nest.