Ants in yard-What recipe for killing ants is safe for pets?
I've tried baking soda with icing sugar, and water soaked up bread crumbs....I was hoping this would kill the whole nest. I don't have borax, but can get some. I've poured boiling water on the flower bed, but I can't the ones that are under my patio stones. How long will a sugar mixture take to kill the nest? Thanks. And these are black with red ants. I am not positive but I think I have two separate colonies...one looks more red than the other. |
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| I think it's the boric acid in borax (or boraxo) that does the trick, but I'm not an exterminator by any means! I don't know if it's safe for pets, but I hope so. |
| Don't know if this works for ants, but when we have gnats in the house I put out a little glass of orange juice. They check it out and die in there. |
| When I worked at a pizza place years ago, we'd kill any ants we found out by the back door with a can of Pam and a lighter. They don't survive a torching. |
| I have a great book called 1112 Down-to-Earth Garden Secrets - it is
a wonderful book. It is tips from other gardeners, almost entirely organic methods. I have used many of the tips- but not the ant ones - so I can't say they work, but here you go: #1 Place 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of boric acid in a covered jar. Make holes in the top large enough for the ants to enter. They will take the mixture back to the nest. (I think this is the one you mentioned, but you need the boric acid - you can get that at a hardware store or use boraxo from the grocery store) #2 Mix 4 teaspoons powdered boric acid, 1 cup sugar and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, cool and pour some into a small bottle. Puncture holes in the lid. Stick a straw in one hole and put the otherend of the straw where you've seen ants. Refill bottle as needed. Store leftover in a cool place and be sure to lable it "ant poison" - keep away from children. #3 Diatomaceous earth will kill all kinds of crawling insects indoors and out. It's odorless and non staining. You can find this at the garden store. (maybe this would be perfect for between the stone cracks and under the stones? If you put it only under stones you wouldn't have to worry about the dog getting it.) #4 Spread cornmeal about an inch thick around tree trunks or where ants are a problem. After watering or rainfall "fluff up" the cornmeal with your fingers and replace as necessary. (I'm not too sure about this one) These are the only ones I found in the book. Hope you have some luck, and please let us know what worked! Shellie |
| Thanks Shellie, that borac acid was the one I was looking for. Somewhere on the web I found someone who tried the baking soda mix...but no amounts of it, so I wasn't sure. Another thing I found was to soak the mixture with cotton balls they will suck it and die....maybe carrying it back to nest. I thought the bread crumbs would be better???
I will keep the dirt stuff in mind next time I am there. If it kills all creepy crawlies, that may be best for around the sandbox to create a barrier away from the kids. They don't even want to go in the backyard anymore...I hope to get these ants under control. |
| I heard somewhere Grape Jelly & Boric Acid. Because they cannot resist the sweetness of the Jelly. I am sure the sugar works the same.
BTW Who is the little dog in your avatar? |
| Thanks for the jam idea...that would probably attract them to it faster.
That's Zoe, our new puppy, she is now 4 mths old. She's a 3/4 bichon with 1/4 cocker spaniel. When we let Ziva go...we came to a deal, that instead of trying to make a friend for Remy aka another lg breed dog, lets pick a small dog that will be more appropiate for the kids. So I spent quite alot of time reading all info on different breeeds. And we picked her. I like the cross, since I don't like the tight curl of bichons, and the snappy attiutude cockers have been labled with. We felt this was the best mix for us...she is such a delight, we have finally found a dog Remy gets along with too..one that can't dominate her instead adores the ground Remy walks on. Our neighbours might get a sibling, or one from the next litter...I'm hoping. |
| We have always used Boric Acid and ants do not like Bay Leaves...
GOOD Luck. |
sissa770 wrote: We have always used Boric Acid and ants do not like Bay Leaves... Aha! That's why I never have ants in my laundry or my spaghetti sauce! |
Ron wrote: sissa770 wrote: We have always used Boric Acid and ants do not like Bay Leaves... Aha! That's why I never have ants in my laundry or my spaghetti sauce!GROAN...Oh Ron!!!  |
| You don't like Bay Leaves in your spaghetti sauce? |
Of course I like Bay Leaves in my sauce.... It was your attempt at humor that I was mocking.  |
| I see nothing groanable in there. |
Someone just HAD to mention ants 
I found a carpenter ant in my bathroom today  |
| OK, NOW I'll try the humor?
How did you know it was a carpenter ant? Was it wearing a little cap and a tool belt? |
| Ha ha...
No mistaking those ones.... they're HUGE. My last house had a severe problem with them, I don't think I've seen one since I moved here until today
At least not in the house... |
Perhaps....
or maybe...  |
LOL  Those are cute. |
| Ha ha ha ha!!! |
| More Ron more...I think |
sissa770 wrote: We have always used Boric Acid and ants do not like Bay Leaves...
GOOD Luck. Well I put some bay leaves on the counter and the darn ants were just jogging right over them. So much for that!! I will have to get to the store and get some boric acid. The temps have gone up and all the sugar ants come into the house looking for water. They are everywhere...even when there is no food for them to get at. I came home and there were hundred in my sink and going up the wall towards one of the pest control plug in things and going right over the bay leaves. |
| The sugar and boric acid (like Roach Pruf) works fine for sugar eating ants, but not the meat eaters...you know the ones that really bite. For them you have to give them meat. I've heard peanutbutter and boric acid works. You might find something better.
Condolences on the carpenter ants! They are real trouble makers. |
| We are using the sugar/baking soda mix and it works like a
charm on sugar loving ants 
Our new challenge-gypsy moth catepillars
slinking and slinking everywhere on the deck,in the trees, slinking up the side of the house. Not a lovable creature  |
| I forgot.....for Carpenter ants, use Advance Carpenter Ant Bait. it is not available in stores. You need to go to the Web.
Carpenter ants are nocturnal and find their way around by following pheromone trails put in place by scouts. Carpenter ants feed on a variety of insects and other arthropods and also collect the honeydew secretion of aphids. They are valuable ecologically and can be an indicator species of the health of the forest. For instance, pileated woodpeckers are rarely or never seen in forests that do not have carpenter ants. The woodpeckers could not survive the winter because carpenter ants form the bulk of their winter diet. Carpenter ants also play a key role as a natural biocontrol agent of such local forest pests as tent caterpillars and spruce budworms. Some species of carpenter ants are serious wood-destroying pests but not all. |
| Well that was an eye opener, I had no idea ants could be either meat or sugar eaters. Explains why they are not dying with the sugar mix, they are not interested in eating it.
They do bite too, I'm going to make them a lunch now. Some can try the jam and the other can have peanut butter...who knows, doesn't everyone love a good PB&J sandwich. Does coffee grounds work? Is it fresh grounds or brewed grounds? |
SheepieBoss wrote: I forgot.....for Carpenter ants, use Advance Carpenter Ant Bait. it is not available in stores. You need to go to the Web.
Carpenter ants are nocturnal and find their way around by following pheromone trails put in place by scouts. Carpenter ants feed on a variety of insects and other arthropods and also collect the honeydew secretion of aphids. They are valuable ecologically and can be an indicator species of the health of the forest. For instance, pileated woodpeckers are rarely or never seen in forests that do not have carpenter ants. The woodpeckers could not survive the winter because carpenter ants form the bulk of their winter diet. Carpenter ants also play a key role as a natural biocontrol agent of such local forest pests as tent caterpillars and spruce budworms. Some species of carpenter ants are serious wood-destroying pests but not all. Very informative! All that... and they're UGLY. LOL |
| What a e have the tiny sugar ants EVERY spring ang summer and always wonder what is safe. I will try the Borax and sugar, Can it be used inside and outside?
Lark |
| Yes, but also depends on where and who might get into it. Dogs love sweets so sugar/boric acid sprinkled in dry areas is fine of fido can't get there. The trap with the jar, solution soaked cotton and holes in the lid have to be placed where children and dogs can't investigate. Had one lady have problems with ants in bathtub. Put the jar in the tub, kept the bathroom door shut tight.
DE, diatomaceous earth needs to be kept dry if possible. The grade is important!!! Swimming pool grade is specially treated and not effective, you need the garden grade. Perma Guard is one brand.......made here locally.....well packaged, it was "made" millions of years ago, LOL. Both the pool grade and garden grade are lung irritants, so they should be handled with a face mask or repirator and not placed out in the open where breezes might pick them up into the air. So between cabinets is fine. sheepieboss susan |
| We use little bait traps called Grants Kills Ants. They work great, kills all the ants in about a week (we get them every spring). We've never had problems with them and the dogs or cats. |
| Well I bought some Borax mixed it with both Peanut Butter & Jelly and am waiting. Anyone have an idea how long it takes. I left some in the spoon too and left that on the counter. A few have investigated, so I am hoping soon. I turned on the sink earlier and about 50 - 100 ants came out of the faucet into the cup I was rinsing.... YUCK!!! |
| Oh yuck!! You don't have a screen on the faucet? Hmmm, are they coming up at night and crawling into the faucet for a drink or inside the water pipe...that seems odd. Try other faucets to see if there are more surfers.
Just out of habit, learn to keep the kitchen sinks stopped up at night so critters (roaches espec) can't crawl up from the drain. Also pour chlorox down your drains every so often, let it sit awhile before flushing. I'll do this at night, put the stopper in and flush in the a.m. and pray chlorine gas doesn't explode the house, No, it's not that bad.
If you aren't sure of pathways, spread some vaseline around the sink and see what you catch over nite. Cleaning vaseline is tough, if Dawn doesn't work, try GooGone. |
| Finally found the site I've been looking for since yesterday! Wish I had checked my Favorites file sooner........stomach flu has affected my brain:
http://www.pestcontrolsupplies.com/ They have stuff you'll not find in your local stores! It's where the pros with IPM, Integrated Pest Management, go. |
| Try Home Depot or Lowes but make sure it's not swimming pool stuff. That stuff is either cooked or soaked (I can't remember). Also try :
http://pestcontrolsupplies.com/ This site is also good for other bug questions! |
SheepieBoss wrote: Oh yuck!! You don't have a screen on the faucet? Hmmm, are they coming up at night and crawling into the faucet for a drink or inside the water pipe...that seems odd. Try other faucets to see if there are more surfers. Actually this is a seperate faucet. I little tiny skinny one for filtered drinking water. I do not believe there is a screen on it. That is the only one they have gotten into. I was watching them last night eating the deadly cocktail I made. I was sitting there cheering them on.... I was saying good job....Now bring that back to your Queen loyal workers. They seem to be running on their little ant highway from behind the electrical outlet and down to the counter then heading toward the sink all day and night. [/quote] |
| Yep, they are in the faucet for a drink. Ants need to drink too. Nice they like the filtered stuff, LOL. It seems perverse, but I agree, watching them carry the poison back to the queen is fun. Takes awhile tho' for results. Be patient. |
| As for the Peanut Butter and Jelly it basically congeled and they were no longer interested. So in the same little dish I just scooped out what was in there and put 1 tsp of Boric acid, 2 tsp Sugar and added water. They are going nuts over it. A much better response than the PB&J.
Then when they are gone eating the run back up the wall twice as fast as they came down Sugar HIGH!!
I really hope they die soon |
| Remember, the sugar is for the sugar ants. The meat eaters need protein. Actually for those I'd rather use a bait. Of course if I'm dealing with biting ants, I go straight for the Amdro....no messing around.
sheepieboss |
| Will the meat eaters eat the sugar mixture?
Will it kill them? |
I HATE ants.  We bought our first house and didn't realize they were EVERYWHERE.   It was so bad we called EHRLICH. They did an awesome job! I still have EHRLICH but now I order some products online to agressively keep ants away - www.pestcontrolproducts.com has TERRO-PCO ant traps that work AWESOME!!! The ants flock to them!! I highly recommend them! I am also going to try the sugar/borax mixture. Also, i try to once a week dig around my yard and look for any colonies. When I find one, I spray like CRAZY and kill them. Also, they do not like the ammonia in windex, so if you kill them with windex or spray windex where they are coming in and let it dry, it will keep them away for a while. Good luck everyone! Trying to get rid of these ants is my mission in life!!! |
| sorry, I meant
http://www.pestcontrolamerica.com/servlet/StoreFront and these are the TERRO-PCO ant traps http://www.pestcontrolamerica.com/servl ... Ant/Detail |
| the traps active ingredient is sodium tetraborate......borate. Inert ingredients they don't say....water, sugar and ??
So not much different than making your own, but more convenient form. |
| Aren't ants attracted to sugar and jam and such? I'm surprised to see recipes to get rid of ants with these ingredients |
| Ants vary in what they eat depending on species. Some go after the sugary poop from aphids or other sap suckers. Others go after grub larvae and the unprotected legs of gardeners . Still others are vegetarians. So first you have to know what you have before you can bait correctly. |
| Sheepieboss is right. First you have to determine
what kind of ant you have. Try looking at your Ag extension in your area. They sometimes have really great ideas. I posted in the very beginning of this thread 3 yrs ago, and recently had an ant problem in the new house. I used the sugar/water/borax mixture and it worked like a charm. I made up a large batch. I saved up about 30 bottle caps and put some mix in each one. Then we put the caps all around the house and basement and all around the perimeter of the house outside. After 3 days I had no more ants. I still have NONE inside, and I have to admit we haven't been very diligent about cleaning the counters. Still no ants after 3 months!! The hardest part of it all was letting the ants come and not wiping them up or spraying them to death. It really did work though, and I wasn't all that hopefull that it would! Shellie |
| I used cornmeal on fire ants back in Louisiana....it actually worked! It took a couple of days, but I poured it on the mound, and a few days later the mound was dead! I've been tempted to try it on the harvester ants out here in Arizona, but I don't have any mounds or holes for them in my yard, just some neighbors....you don't wanna mess with those ants, they are HUGE! I'm afraid to tick them off....... |
| Yep, that's what we have, harvesters......an apt name as they clear everything from around their hole for many feet in each direction and then carry back small stones.....figured it was new landscaping, but it's to keep the entry clear and to allow their guards better vision. These buggers BITE! General rule: if your neighbor drops their pants in the yard and starts dancing, more than likely they are not perverts but rather trying to find the ants biting them.
Others may have fire ants.......and we do a little bit so far........but the harvesters more than fill the void. In our research we found corn meal did not do as well as Amdro....this was university research, but if it worked for you, you are satisfied, great!! Anytime you can kill that queen and end the colony is wonderful. [/quote] |
| My daughter, who is 4 was hospitalized about 6 months back after receiving red ant bites.
She finally got to see the Allergy Specialist today. They did a blood test to see if she is allergic to fire ants. It may be regular red ants.
I guess if the test is negative then it's red ants. They are all over these days... black ones, red ones, big and small. I started leaving Oatmeal on the counter for the black ones. I have heard they explode when they eat it, because it expands. My husband thinks this is a rumor, spread by ants themselves to get free food. I think he may be on to something. 
They should have all exploded by now. |
Pepsi's Mommy wrote: My daughter, who is 4 was hospitalized about 6 months back after receiving red ant bites.
She finally got to see the Allergy Specialist today. They did a blood test to see if she is allergic to fire ants. It may be regular red ants. I guess if the test is negative then it's red ants. They are all over these days... black ones, red ones, big and small. I started leaving Oatmeal on the counter for the black ones. I have heard they explode when they eat it, because it expands. My husband thinks this is a rumor, spread by ants themselves to get free food. I think he may be on to something. They should have all exploded by now. Sorry about Hayley..... but the exploding ant theory made me burst out laughing at work! |
| reading made me laugh, and a few years ago we had a fellow come over and redo our deck.... he was pulling off boards and the next thing i knew he was pulling off all his clothes and jumping around (pretty good looking guy)I had to go out and see what was going on.... red ants in my deck and they were mad. But the best show I had at my house. |
Chauncey's favorite activity is to lay on the patio and swat the ants with his gigantic paws. We don't have an ant problem  |
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