HELP!!! Our home has been invaded by ants!

[loki44]

we had a similar problem, which turned into swarm ants (the flying ones).

I hate to tell you this but I think "flying ants" are termites. They have wings when they hatch, then they swarm and lose the wings.

 

[Wystan]

The tube of goop that you can place under counters and such works...

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Never let anyone tell you humans are the dominant lifeform on the planet.

The ants are coming.

Warrior Poet

Yeah, I saw that movie.

 

[Pbartender]

Another solution... Get yourself a year old dog or cat. You'll practically never have a problem with small household pests again.

 

[Abstraction]

I'm suprised nobody mentioned diatomaceous earth. More for maintenance, but a simple and organic solution. Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder of (of course) diatoms. Bugs are not detered by it, but crawl right over. However, the diatoms scratch their exoskeleton, which causes them to dehydrate. Put some around the entire outside of your house and possibly inside to control ANY crawling bug. But, again, not so good when your house is already overrun.

 

[WayneLigon]

When I had an any problem, I first spread diazon around the grounds and sprinkled it on mounds. That kinda worked, but the Terminex treatment has kept the house ant free for three years so far.

 

[Warrior Poet]

Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder of (of course) diatoms. Bugs are not detered by it, but crawl right over. However, the diatoms scratch their exoskeleton, which causes them to dehydrate.

I learn something new every day!

Yeah, I saw that movie.

An early role for Clint Eastwood, as I recall: fighter pilot in Them!. Had like 15 seconds of screen time.

Wolf70, maybe you can get the former mayor of Carmel to stop by and drop an FAE on the house. No house, no problem!

Sorry, I'm not being very helpful. :\ Seriously, good luck with the ants. I imagine they're driving you crazy.

Warrior Poet

 

[AuroraGyps]

Another solution... Get yourself a year old dog or cat. You'll practically never have a problem with small household pests again.

Ah, maybe it was that my cat was 5ish when I had carpenter ants invade my apartment last year. She'd just watch them walking around. I think that 6 legged insects are below her... she only goes after spiders, centipedes, and things w/ wings.
The ants were coming through a large space between the window molding and the wall. I found this ant killing stuff at the store that comes in a large syringe. I squirted it in the gap and then covered the over that with thin duct tape. Worked like a charm.
The most annoying thing about the ants was that I have floaters in my eyes (tiny clots of blood) and the worst ones are in the lower left corner of my left eye's field of vision. NOTHING is more annoying than constantly thinking you see an ant out of the corner of your eye, but it's a floater, or vice versa. And I'm sure many bugs have gotten away safely because I thought, "oh, it's just a floater."
Goodluck.

 

[Pbartender]

Ah, maybe it was that my cat was 5ish when I had carpenter ants invade my apartment last year. She'd just watch them walking around. I think that 6 legged insects are below her... she only goes after spiders, centipedes, and things w/ wings.

Yup... We've got a 3 year old mutt, and a 3 month old kitten. They hunt down and pounce on anything smaller than themselves that moves of its own accord.

Our dog even goes so far as to sniff out and dig up anthills in the backyard.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

I saw this on an email list I belong to:

We use orange oil because it is kid and pet safe. They have
cleaners that have it in it for your house. You can buy the stuff
from the hardware store (the home despot has had it in years past)
or any "Green" grocer like Whole Foods Market. We use it around
door jambs, windows, pipes, etc. Your house will smell nice, the
cats will be safe and you'll have the knowledge that the little
pests (the ants, not the cats) are burning their feet every time
they step on it. A spritz of straight orange oil directly on them
will pretty much kill them (the ants, not the cats) on contact.

Never tried it myself, because I haven't had ant problems in years. And that was fire ants, back in 1988 in Texas. Be glad you don't have those.