Ants

[Junebug]

Hello,

I've been having a bout with hundreds of little tiny ants in my kitchen. The original reason for them to come marching in was spilled sugar, which I thought I had removed. Anyway no they're in my kitchen and I've been spraying them with an ant killer. Yesterday it seemed as if I had conquered them, today they are back - eventhough I cleaned everything thoroughly.

Any help what I should do? Or do I just keep spraying and cleaning them away?

Thanks!

[Mo3]

One old wives' tales I heard was that where there's ants, there aren't snakes.  Perhaps you might consider keeping the little pests?

[This message has been edited by Mo3 (edited 07-03-2001).]

[Junebug]

Hmn... I live on the second floor so I hope the chances of snakes are fairly slim. I'm missing my little ghecko - don't know where he's gone... I sometimes see his droppings though, so he must still be there... I thought they eat ants and mosquitoes?

[george]

Some time ago ants appeared in my kitchen too. I noticed that they love carots, they even love the water that carots were washed in, they tried to enter the frig too....Now that I eliminated carots, the ants are gone. I can not explain it, but it works.

[singapore sling]

Put those little ant bait disks around your kitchen--solves the problem for me in a couple of days every time. Baygon and Raid both work well.

[Angel#1]

The problem with baits and chemical stuff is that they build up resistance to them.

When we lived in France we were told to use lemon juice and so when we had ants arrive here in sgp we dripped lemon juice on them and rubbed it on the cup*** following their tracks as much as poss.

It took a couple of goes but no ants in the 6 months since!  (by the way, the lemon juice burns them so they don't come back)

We also got little mites in our boxes of flour and so since then keep all loose dry foods in plastic containers. Tupperware thinks we are their best client...

[megan]

i was told to try a Lysol floor cleaner (green fluid in a plastic jar).  it's sold in any supermarkets.  i mixed it with water as indicated in the "usage direction" and wiped the wooden floor, marble floor, kitchen tiles and cup***.  it worked and cleaned the place at the same time.  no messy insecticide to use separately.  i did not see any ants afterwards.  i don't know how long it would last, but i usually mop the floors/counters with the Lysol cleaner once a week.  i do see one or two ants occasionally, but never in swarms or marching lines.  it's kept my floors smelling nice & clean, disinfects them at the same time and seems to keep the ants away.

[kamwingpang]

I tried the Bayer solution with the wild honey in the little green boxes...

doesn't work. They either got wise previously and know about those little green boxes or they just don't like the honey...