Ant Control

[EAD063]

Okay, so every spring I usually have some problem with very, very tiny ants. I live in a condominum so they can get in from anywhere. Well one bit me today when I was on the couch and I'm mad now. Aside of going out and caluking any holes for cable wires and the like, what can I do to keep them from entering my house under things I can't caulk, like underneath trimming on the floor. The usually congragate in the bathroom, so hopefully they come in through there and it can be controlled. I don't want to harm my inverts which is why I'm rather hesitant to take action.

Ps, I have pest spray, but that's left over from when the house was unoccupied (no inverts), I've never used it once I moved in.
Thanks, Ed

 

[EAD063]

Really guys, I know I can easily look it up.. but I'm not looking to kill my friendly pests.... I'm looking for a solution which doesn't get into the air. I don't feel like being bit anymore, it hurts!!!

 

[Galapoheros]

Wha... I clicked on the wrong thread but, this is interesting to me because I've had the same problem. It doesn't sound like you're talking about "Fire Ants". Are they reeeeal small and black? Sorry to use a common name but I think most people call them sugar ants(?). I had those and didn't think they posed that much of a problem but I walked in a room and noticed a baby pede halfway under water in the water dish. It had tried to escape the ants and was limp as a noodle. I didn't think the little black species of ants would tackle large prey like that. I put the pede on a counter and the next day I was about to throw it in the backyard but a leg moved. It made it. I've heard of people using borax for small ants. I would say try Amdro but I don't think they are big enough to carry it back to the nest but maybe they would carry small pieces. I think Amdro would work if it appeals to them as food. I just don't know if the species you're having a problem with would grab the Amdro and carry it to the queen. I just looked at the Amdro container I have and it says it will get other ants (says "fire ant killer"). You wouldn't be spreading pesticides to your bugs that way.

 

[Selenops]

Try lines of baking soda along the baseboards and where ever you see them gaining entry. Works amazingly and acts as a deterrent too. Ants like to stay away from it.

 

[beetleman]

there is this stuff called terro it's a clear liquid that comes in little "traps" the ants go in eat all of it then go back to the colony and that's it, gone completely gone,it takes acouple of days but it works trust me i'm in fla. and this is the ant capital these suckers are everywhere down here the terro does not smell either,once you put it down where they are coming from you will see in minutes the ants swarming in and out of the trap. good luck.

 

[Galapoheros]

That terro product sounds like some good stuff! I read the killer ingredient is boric acid that is derived from borax. I'm going to get some of that stuff myself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid

 

[EAD063]

Hey all, thank you for the kind replies... The ants in question maybe "sugar ants". I was confused because they don't seem harmful, but when I got bit (felt like a tick had just latched on) I looked and saw the tiny ant, and it was half red and half black. For the first time I just got down on the floor and really gave them a good look. That ants are strange looking, and have an elongated thorax (i think thats what it is called).. So basically theres the head, a small segment, then an elongated segment, then the final segment of it's body, it almost looks like a nymph wasp, but I doubt it and in my 3 years owning the house I've never once seen any bee at all in here, but have see these ants.

Thanks all for the solutions, I'm glad all my fellow bug lovers are here because without you all, I'm sure a all my scorps may have had some issues... I need a bigger house so they can have they're own room, lol.

I'm still curious as to what these ants are though, I will keep looking but if anyone has a suggestion, feel free.
Thanks again,
Ed

EDIT: Hmm, maybe the sugar ant is the culprit? Although they don't seem as developed as the ones I see. Although upon reading up 1/16 of an inch sounds like the right measurement.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/sear...peg&no=1&tt=267&oid=2d7138d5ed3900c2&ei=UTF-8

 

[Ms. Peaches]

http://www.antdata.org/usants/statelists/newengland.htm#Tetramorium maybe helpful

 

[EAD063]

http://www.antdata.org/usants/statelists/newengland.htm#Tetramorium maybe helpful

Thank you Ms. Peaches... I'm shocked there are that many differnt species around.

 

[Ms. Peaches]

No problem I was surprised too. I was curious and looked up California ants always wondered what our tiny little ant actually were. Cant decide between the Odorous house ant—Tapinoma sessile and the Tetramorium caespitum- Pavement ant just at first guess. I think I am leaning toward the pavement ant (cute name) if its any of the 2 but I would have to actually take a look at them again paying attention to details. Ants in large numbers will always creep me out though. Sorry ant lovers.

 

[myrmecophile]

An easy way to tell if you have Tapinoma is to pick one up in your fingers and crush it. Then smell your fingers, No really Im not kidding. If it has a foul smell you have Tapinoma, if not you have something else. Red and black though sounds like either a Solenopsis Thief ant esp if very tiny.

 

[EAD063]

Whatever they are, they're punks, I can't stand them. I will try to get the supplies today, but unfortunately, it's been snowing for 2 days, which is just my luck ( we haden't had more than an inch total all year so far ). Either way I'll try to post some pics of what I do. Thanks again all... and ps, theif ant is almost exact!

 

[nepenthes]

Solenopsis molesta? i think i spelt that right.

www.antweb.org

Might help you a little bit.

Sorry for youre problems here are some solutions and dont take them the wrong way.

dont keep sources of water readly avalible (you mentioned a bathroom?), keep food sealed well. They might move on, but i never noticed S. molesta to have that strong of a bite. Sweep daily clean daily, and do dishes! lol. Not fun stuff but if they really bother you that much caulk places well.

 

[EAD063]

Solenopsis molesta? i think i spelt that right.

www.antweb.org

Might help you a little bit.

Sorry for youre problems here are some solutions and dont take them the wrong way.

dont keep sources of water readly avalible (you mentioned a bathroom?), keep food sealed well. They might move on, but i never noticed S. molesta to have that strong of a bite. Sweep daily clean daily, and do dishes! lol. Not fun stuff but if they really bother you that much caulk places well.

My house is actually extremely (clean****), but I don't know if I can say that much for some of my neighbors. The building is old apartments which were converted into condominums, unfortunately I live on the ground floor which is harsh too.. I may try to calk underneath but I am not handy and I know it'll be a mess! LOL There is nothing to eat in the bathroom, which is weird, but they still go there. I'm going to set some of those solutions everyone gave in some jelly and hope they eat it! I'll post pics of my "ant jello".

 

[Doezsha]

can house ants hurt Ts? or have any one had anyone lost Ts to ants. I just woke up from a nap after work and notices some in my room.

 

[arachnocat]

I had a bad ant problem last year. I lost my centipede to ants. They ate him alive and it was pretty awful. I have no doubt they can do the same thing to Ts. What I did was get a spray bottle and fill it with orange peels, lemon dish soap, cinnimon, cloves and water. I sprayed it around my T cages and on the walls where they were coming in. That stuff worked great. The ants hated it and left. The kind I have around my house are sugar ants I think.

 

[Galapoheros]

Of course, some ant sp more aggressively sting and attack prey than others. When I lived in an apartment, I came home to find some Tx Alligator lizards I had frantically trying to climb the glass. I remember the apartment and remember when I left there. So this happened 19 years ago. Man, getting old. Anyway, Fire ants were in there attacking the lizards(4). They lost all their toes. I also had a Vinegarone in the same cage. The lizards left it alone because they knew it wasn't a good thing to eat, ...they learn fast. Just one flick of their tongue on the Vinegarone and they would back up and would never think about eating it again. Something to do with the acetic acid the Vinegarone has as a defense I think. There was not an ant on the Vinegarone and I've wondered if that had something to do with acetic acid as well since it is related to formic acid ants use as a defense. Blablabla, anyway, when the ant thing has happened to me, I've always tried to follow their trail to see where they are coming in. That's where I put the bait. If someone mentioned that, sorry, I missed it.