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Post by mustelidmusk on Jun 24, 2008 22:47:55 GMT -5
Apple would love a big pan of water - he'd be snorkling  . You're right - since Apple likes to play in water, you'd have WET ants! I figured you'd be ready to kill me for using the ant icon - I just couldn't resist  I got my fingers crosed that the ants are gone for good tomorrow!!! -jennifer |
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Post by josiesmom on Jun 26, 2008 16:08:02 GMT -5
Get abox or two of Boraxx powder and sprinkle it all around the outside of your house. This will deterr outside ants from getting in.
The inside ants you may just have to do a chemical spray to erradicate them.
then really clean their trail areas with white vinegar. This shold neutralize their pheromone trails - which ought to confuse any other ants from following the same path.
Every now and then I get teensy "sugar" ants and I;ll do this as well as do a chemical spray at their source if I can follow their trail well enough.
We have fire ants in Florida, so ANY ant to me is fair game! No way do I want THOSE critters getting in my home!
Cheers,
Kim
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Post by pear2apple on Jul 2, 2008 15:40:26 GMT -5
Ants are still here. I would just give up if I wasn't so grossed out. They are hanging out by his litter box. His poos are extra stinky now because he ate a few cornstartch peanuts. I was thinking of getting DE Food Grade, but now I'm reading that I have to keep it away from Apple so he doesn't breathe it or get it in his eyes. Now how am I supposed to do that, when the ants are surrounding his cage? I have nowhere to move Apple til I take care of this problem, my apartment is too small. Not really sure what I should do now. The mint bags, I'm going to buy some today. The Vaseline border doesn't really work, or else its all dry by the litter box. Either way, I can't keep reapplying every week. I need something more permanent! OK, I'm pretty confused now. I checked out DE, I guess I have to buy it online but the online stores are conflicting, saying its ok around pets, then its not ok around pets. And then another place said Terro gel (borax acid and sugar water), but then to keep that away from pets because its not safe. So not at all sure. I guess I just need to go complain to my landlord. And then I found this DIY ant Killer video, I guess I could try this. But everyone knows Apple will try digging at this. I guess I could try it over the weekend while I am gone. But if I take it away when I get back, they will be back too. Sigh! www.metacafe.com/watch/1363589/diy_ant_killer/Anyone else have ideas? I'm going crazy!! |
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Post by pear2apple on Jul 2, 2008 21:11:46 GMT -5
OK, so both places I checked don't carry Boric Acid. I might try an actual pharmacy now.
My friend suggested I bug bomb/fog my apartment. Sounds like a plan. I will be gone all weekend, so that should give it enough time to clear out, and then I will just move Apple's cage to the basement so its not directly affected.
If anyone sees any flaws, let me know ASAP because if I have to air out my apartment after the bomb, I will need to do this tomorrow night. I'm leaving Friday until Sunday, so it would be closed up that whole time. We'll see after I read about the bug fogs at Walgreens.
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Post by pear2apple on Jul 7, 2008 9:15:51 GMT -5
I found a flaw to my own plan. Fogging your house means you have to cover everything in newspaper of plastic: my couch, tables, chairs, kitchen counters, tv, Apple's cage, etc. Way too much work, and then I read that fogging doesn't really take care of any bugs that are in the walls, just whatever is out and about. Not to mention, very few cover ants. So that is out. Now I have decided I will be gone this weekend as well, picking up the new girl, Glacier (see other post about finding a ferret to adopt), so I've decided to pick up TerroGel and use that. Hopefully that will kill them for good! On another note, the dryer sheets and mint tea are doing a great job! Dryer sheets are surrounding the cage and I haven't seen any ants around the cage since I put out the dryer sheets. Of course Apple must think it smells so fresh! Anyway, thanks for that tip! I had the mint tea bags and he ripped open one, I imagine it started him off sneezing like crazy! Anyway, dryer sheets and mint tea bags, works awesome! |
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Post by wmella85 on Jul 10, 2008 14:51:13 GMT -5
someone suggesed using something called phantom to me. does anyone know what this is?? and if its safe?
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Post by pear2apple on Jul 10, 2008 18:43:28 GMT -5
Phantom is an insecticide, but I think you have to go through a professional. Heres the website: www.termidorhome.com/phantom/default.aspOK, so I rearranged the furniture in my apartment. I went 2 days without ants. I just killed 2. On my desk! I almost put my hand there! so gross!! I just wanna cry. Its so frustrating. Starting tomorrow afternoon I am putting out the TerroGel for the whole weekend. I really hope they all die off before I bring back Kiwi!! Otherwise I'm going to have to take them both to my boyfriend's houses for a few days until these ants all die! Sigh! I don't want to do that since I am bringing Kiwi home on Monday, that will be too much stress! But honestly, nothing is really working and its so upsetting! EDIT: I found this website: www.pestproducts.com/terroant.htm If only they have overnight shipping I'd get this. I wanted to make my own mixture, but no place sells Boric Acid! LAME Every time I see something little out of the corner of my eye I think its an ant! Its got me so paranoid! LOL |
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Post by pear2apple on Jul 24, 2008 9:29:06 GMT -5
UPDATE!
OK, so that weekend I got Kiwi I put 6 ant traps all over my apartment. I got back, 5 of the ant traps all looked the same, the 6th one had 4 dead ants in it. OK, so they have been eating this stuff and got a little too greedy!! ROCK OUT!
Then I stuck 2 traps outside my front door and one at my back door, I have another in the kitchen, and the rest I stuck on a shelf in the closet. No ferrets can get to them. I've since seen 3 ants, all of them were moving so slow like they were slowly dying or it was 10 degrees in my apartment and they were freezing!!
YAY! They are gone! So for everyone else, pick a weekend and get your ferrets (and yourselves) out of the house. Stick out these traps everywhere you've been seeing ants. Come back in a few days, move all the traps out of reach, stick them outside your door and you're done!
Its TerroGel, found at Walgreens. Wasn't at Kroger or Meijer. Buy the traps that are already filled with gel, not the ones you do yourself. Repeat this process every few months to keep them away.
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Post by tsslilsis on Jul 24, 2008 15:32:44 GMT -5
Sorry if this has been mentioned..
I haven't read the whole thread because its so long. But for carpeted areas, to get rid of ants, mix A LOT of table salt with some baking soda and sprinkle on the carpet, leave it for at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour and vaccum it up. They do not like the salt, I don't think the baking soda has anything to do with it BUT it is a super carpet deordorizer.
And for people that have spider or other insect problems, they do NOT like citrus so take a few drops of citrinilla (SP) and add to a SMALL spray bottle with warm water, mix well.. Take a cloth, spray the stuff on it and rub it on your walls or places where the bugs hang out. They do NOT like it so they will not be hanging around.
-~Ketlin
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Post by pear2apple on Jul 24, 2008 18:05:47 GMT -5
Those ideas have not been mentioned, thank you! Yes it is long, mostly its just me complaining!! |
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Post by dalamar on Jul 25, 2008 13:13:45 GMT -5
I use this: www.riddexplus.tv/?cid=551459Since installing most of the mice moved out (the rest left when the wolverines showed up), the roaches all seemed drunk and then they left, and we don't have ants anymore. It has no affect on the babies because 1) they aren't rodents, and 2) they don't live in the walls. |
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Post by pear2apple on Jul 25, 2008 13:19:03 GMT -5
I use this: www.riddexplus.tv/?cid=551459Since installing most of the mice moved out (the rest left when the wolverines showed up), the roaches all seemed drunk and then they left, and we don't have ants anymore. It has no affect on the babies because 1) they aren't rodents, and 2) they don't live in the walls. Is this noise or vibrations that we can't detect?? I don't get it? |
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Post by dalamar on Jul 25, 2008 14:02:14 GMT -5
Its basically an electromagnetic field that runs through the wiring; so anything living in the walls is going to 'feel' it and want to leave. The field does not extend past the walls making it safe for everyone else. I have mice that I am breeding for my ferrets and they are just fine, but the ones that used to live in the walls all left.
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Post by wmella85 on Aug 11, 2008 16:40:26 GMT -5
this sounds interesting. i have a really bad ant problem also. how many of the riddex things did you need fo your house? mine is probably 2300 sq foot rancher, but the laundry room and office were addons so they are on different levels than the rest of the house. would i need more than two?
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Post by dalamar on Aug 11, 2008 20:01:23 GMT -5
Two should be fine. I got two of them for $30 and gave one to a friend. Each one covers a lot of space, but if you have multiple levels I would say have one for each.
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