Ants in the Kitchen...
Andreas Ramos
Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
through the kitchen.
I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
that one you have in your backyard?)
Ideas?
--
--
yrs, andreas
__________________________________________________________________________
Andreas Ramos and...@andreas.com http://www.andreas.com
Heather Allen
In article <andreasD...@netcom.com>, and...@netcom.com (Andreas
Ramos) wrote:
> Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
> through the kitchen.
>
> I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
> roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
> roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
>
> I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
> point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
> that one you have in your backyard?)
>
> Ideas?
Well, the best thing I could say, is to deep clean, and I mean strip
everything out of the cabinet area and on the counter and bleach it. use a
lot of bleach. don't miss a centimeter, the bleach destroys their trail,
but if any part of it remains intact they'll reestablish it.
Heather
Ernest Feo
Andreas Ramos (and...@netcom.com) wrote:
: Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
: through the kitchen.
: I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
: roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
: roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
: I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
: point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
: that one you have in your backyard?)
: Ideas?
: --
: --
: yrs, andreas
: __________________________________________________________________________
: Andreas Ramos and...@andreas.com http://www.andreas.com
Mint leaves, lots of mint leaves
--
Ern
a054...@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us
, ,
("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._
`6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`)
(_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-'
_..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,'
(il),-'' (li),' ((!.-'
"Never trust a government that doesn't trust its own citizens with guns"
Thomas Jefferson
Sheila Bostick
In <heathera-030...@news.frontiernet.net>
heat...@frontiernet.net (Heather Allen) writes:
>
>In article <andreasD...@netcom.com>, and...@netcom.com (Andreas
>
>> Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway
heading >> through the kitchen.
<snip>
>
>> Ideas?
>
>Well, the best thing I could say, is to deep clean, and I mean strip
>everything out of the cabinet area and on the counter and bleach it.
use a >lot of bleach. don't miss a centimeter, the bleach destroys
their trail, >but if any part of it remains intact they'll reestablish
it.
>
>Heather
Andreas:
I've found that spraying the trail with 409 works well as an instant
death spray and that if you wipe them up and then spray again and leave
it to dry the ants won't come over the same path. It doesn't guarantee
they won't find another [yech!].
Cheers,
Sheila
she...@ix.netcom.com
Mark Thorson
In article <andreasD...@netcom.com>,
Andreas Ramos <and...@netcom.com> wrote:
>Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
>through the kitchen.
There used to be a product called Antrol that worked great.
It was little glass bottles, flat on one side, filled with
an arsenic and sugar syrup solution. You could also buy the
syrup separately in a big refill bottle.
Later, they started putting in a ball of cotton or
something to help make the system more resistant to dumping
out the contents when spilled. (I remember several spills
as a kid.)
I think the last version may have had a gel, and was not
reusable, but I could be wrong.
About 10 or 15 years ago, they replaced that product with
Antrol II. This looks just like Antrol, but the arsenic
has been replaced by boric acid. Boric acid is much less
toxic than arsenic. It's actually used in some OTC eyewash
products as a mild disinfectant. (A use that has been
criticized as borderline quackery.)
Antrol II doesn't work worth squat. My opinion is that
it is just exploiting the fond memories of many people
for the original Antrol product. The bottle and packaging
look just like old Antrol. Yet, you can still get arsenic
based anti-ant products. I think Grant's has such a product.
In my experience, an ant invasion is something that must be
nipped in the bud. It seems like as more invasions occur
the ants develop an institutional memory of where to go
looking for food.
I have found that the most effective repellant for ants,
one that seems especially effective in countering the
development of institutional memory, is dead ant bodies.
When a trail first forms, it can be effective to wad up
a piece of Saran Wrap and crush as many ants as you can,
leaving the dead ant bodies on the trail. I've several
times had the experience of the trail disappearing the
next day. One interesting phenomenon is that the ants
will remove all the dead ant bodies before shutting down
the trail.
I think this latter response is a defensive measure.
If you're ants, and you discover a bunch of dead ant
bodies being returned from the field, you know something
is killing your soldiers, and you don't want to leave
a trail of them pointing back to the colony. And, you
want to remember to stay away from that place.
Mary Ash
and...@netcom.com (Andreas Ramos) wrote:
>Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
>through the kitchen.
>
>roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
>roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
>
>I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
>point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
>that one you have in your backyard?)
>
>Ideas?
>--
>--
>yrs, andreas
>__________________________________________________________________________
>Andreas Ramos and...@andreas.com http://www.andreas.com
If you can find the source (ant hill) you might try putting down Diazinon
granules on the hill. Check with the hard ware store about how to use the
granules.
Your best bet is to call a pest control technician and have the person
spray your house. This will probably entail you having to clean out all
your cupboards in preparation for the spray job. When I have this done, I
usually stack everything on tables and cover them with sheets. The
technican sprays the house, then I let everything air out and dry, I then
wipe down the counters and inside the cabinets, then let everything dry
again.
Then I drag all the stuff back to the cupboards and put them away. If you
are not already storing foodstuffs in storage containers (Rubbermaid,
Tupperware or glass jars) then I'd do so when putting the food away.
Storing food in containers doesn't do much to keep the ants away, but it
does help protect your food supplies.
Also, ants are crafty critters, and before offically invading your home
they send out scouts that go back to the hill to tell all there comrades
where food is available.
Good luck and happy ant hunting!
Mary
Rubbermaid Queen of the high desert
Sue Hutt
On Sat, 3 Aug 1996 07:47:15 GMT, and...@netcom.com (Andreas Ramos)
wrote:
>Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
>through the kitchen.
>
>I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
>roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
>roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
>
>I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
>point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
>that one you have in your backyard?)
>
>Ideas?
>--
Hi Andreas,
We have had the same problem. I made a mixture of boric acid powder
and sugar with a little water. I put it near the line of ants and let
them enjoy.
They are supposed to take it back to the nest and all will die. The
good thing about it is I can follow the line and find where they are
coming in. When I know exactly where they are getting in, I spray
with a good ant spray just the spot where they come in.
It has worked in two homes! No more ants! ( Actually, in our trailer,
I found four places and cleaned them all!)
Sue
-----
I cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food!
Bobbie Best
Andreas Ramos wrote:
>
> Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
> through the kitchen.
>
> I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
> roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
> roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
>
> I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
> point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
> that one you have in your backyard?)
>
> Ideas?
Don't know if it will work on California ants but Pittsburgh ants seem to
respect my living space. When the annual ant parade starts through my
kitchen, I spray bug juice all along the doorway on the *outside* of the
door.
I also hit the bottom of the door frame between the storm door and kitchen.
The ants do however forget where they are after a big rain and I have to do
it again. After I spray, I wash the kitchen floor and remove the cat's
dishes to another room for 24 hours.
I figure if you make the ants entrance way nasty, they'll go visit the
neighbors. Works for me.
hugs,
bobbie(who will pull up the window screen to let flys out though)
Chris Borgnaes
I heard an old wives tale once that said a lemon cut in half and left out
to grow moldy will keep ants away.
Nicholas Winton
Then again, you could develop a liking for chocolate covered ants ...
NIc
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CampusLife - University of Toronto http://www.campuslife.utoronto.ca
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan Porter
]Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
]through the kitchen.
]
]I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
]roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
]roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
]
]I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
]point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
]that one you have in your backyard?)
]
]Ideas?
]--
Find their trail to the outside and spray a small barrier of Raid across
that door frame/window frame/on the ground, to "cut" their trail. Much as
I hate to use strong poisons, I find you really just need a bit. Once
they loose track of where the goodies are, they will turn their attention
to better things, like your garbage in the garage.
--
"It is so unreal the number of simple things that have complex results if you are a piece of spinning iridium." -- post to alt.conspiracy
Edwin Pawlowski
Bobbie Best <tail...@earthlink.net> wrote in article
<3203DA...@earthlink.net>...
> Andreas Ramos wrote:
> >
> > Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
> > through the kitchen.
Sure, talk to your uncles and ask them to keep them away.
--
Ed
e...@snet.net
Janet H.
In article <4u0pkd$g...@login.freenet.columbus.oh.us> borg...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Chris Borgnaes) writes:
I heard an old wives tale once that said a lemon cut in half and left out
to grow moldy will keep ants away.
Oooh, that's a good one. I heard once you can get them to drown
themselves by putting something sweet in the center of a bowl of water
near where their trail is. They build a bridge of their little dead
bodies and climb over each other to get to it.
But it might be simpler to stop 'em before they get in the house--
When I get ants it's usually via the kitchen sink, and I can reduce
the problem by keeping it plugged for a week or so.
Good luck!
Janet H.
Diane De Marzo
Well, for some reason, the little critters hate cucumbers, so ...
a few strategically placed cucumber slices ... or stips of cucumber
peel ... and they won't cross it.
Of course, you have to 'refresh' the cucumbers every day or so,
but it's a solution that won't harm pets, kids, etc.
I have no idea why this works, but it
has stopped major invasions in my kitchen on more than one
occasion over the last few years.
Good luck!
d
Nancy Dooley
In article <andreasD...@netcom.com> and...@netcom.com (Andreas Ramos) writes:
>From: and...@netcom.com (Andreas Ramos)
>Subject: Ants in the Kitchen...
>Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 07:47:15 GMT
>Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
>through the kitchen.
>I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
>roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
>roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
>I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
>point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
>that one you have in your backyard?)
>Ideas?
Boric acid/sugar & flour in equal parts (NOT good for kittens/kids, so hide it
behind/under places they can't get).
There's a commercial product called "Revenge" which does a good job.
There are "sugar" ants, "grease" ants, and carpenter ants - all have different
treatments. The boric acid seems to work on all of them.
Nancy Dooley
"Celebrate our State." Iowa's Sesquicentennial year, 1846-1996.
Nancy Dooley
In article <4u4vmr$i...@zeus.ieee.org> ddem...@tab.ieee.org (Diane De Marzo) writes:
>From: ddem...@tab.ieee.org (Diane De Marzo)
>Subject: Re: Ants in the Kitchen...
>Date: 5 Aug 1996 14:15:55 GMT
>Well, for some reason, the little critters hate cucumbers, so ...
>a few strategically placed cucumber slices ... or stips of cucumber
>peel ... and they won't cross it.
Another fun fact about ants: They don't like to go across a chalk line.
Kids' experiment: Go outside and find some ants on the cement sidewalk or
driveway; draw a chalk line and see if any of them cross it. They'll go
around it if they can.
My "kid" (27 years old) drew a huge chalk circle, and finally some of them
made a "mad dash" across the chalk. But they were REALLY reluctant, you could
tell. ;-)
amanda toering
In article <nancy-dooley...@uiowa.edu>, nancy-...@uiowa.edu
says something like...
>
>My "kid" (27 years old) drew a huge chalk circle, and finally some of them
>made a "mad dash" across the chalk. But they were REALLY reluctant, you
could
>tell. ;-)
>
>
>Nancy Dooley
>
>"Celebrate our State." Iowa's Sesquicentennial year, 1846-1996.
What was it--the knocking knees? Were they chewing on their fingernails?
Muttering "ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod" to themselves?
amanda
not at all reluctant
Allison Wise
Hi Andreas,
I agree with Sue: I had a miserable 2 years that were especially bad
ant years (all food out of cupboards and onto kitchen table and even
coffee table for weeks on end) and then my aunt told me about mixing
Borax with Karo syrup. I made up a concoction of that and put it where
the ants could come and get it, and we haven't seen an ant in a year and
a half!
Allison Wise
SmokeyKat2
My grandmother used to use pepper. The ants won't go near the stuff. We
used to get them comming in through the kitchen door. We put a line of
pepper ...no more ants!!!
SmokeyKat2 (=^:^=)
Pat
Hi Andreas
I found this article on ants on line from the Super Handy Man
Al Carrell - About the House
His recipe is and he states it really does work.
One part sugar, one part yeast powder, and two parts molassees. Mix it
together and put it on little strips of cardboard. It is simple and
safe to humans and pets. Put it where the little critters can get to
it. The ants are going to be attracted to it and when they eat it,
they're going to die. I haven't tried it yet. Didn't get any ants so
far, but the summer is not over yet....
Pat from Southern Cal.
Valerie Stark
>through the kitchen.
>
>I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
>roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
>roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
>
>I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
>point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
>that one you have in your backyard?)
>
>Ideas?
Keep trying different ant traps. The ones that finally worked for me
were by Ortho. I found them in the garden section of the Payless.
Val
Nancy Dooley
>What was it--the knocking knees? Were they chewing on their fingernails?
>Muttering "ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod" to themselves?
Precisely.
Arthur A. Simon, Jr.
Nancy Dooley wrote:
>
> In article <4u4vmr$i...@zeus.ieee.org> ddem...@tab.ieee.org (Diane De Marzo) writes:
> >From: ddem...@tab.ieee.org (Diane De Marzo)
> >Subject: Re: Ants in the Kitchen...
> >Date: 5 Aug 1996 14:15:55 GMT
>
> >Well, for some reason, the little critters hate cucumbers, so ...
>
> >a few strategically placed cucumber slices ... or stips of cucumber
> >peel ... and they won't cross it.
>
> Another fun fact about ants: They don't like to go across a chalk line.
> Kids' experiment: Go outside and find some ants on the cement sidewalk or
> driveway; draw a chalk line and see if any of them cross it. They'll go
> around it if they can.
>
> made a "mad dash" across the chalk. But they were REALLY reluctant, you could
> tell. ;-)
>
>
> "Celebrate our State." Iowa's Sesquicentennial year, 1846-1996.
==========================================================
If these are the tiny black one (Pharoah ants, sugar ants) you can poison the
nest by making up the following recipe: Mix together into a paste...
1 tsp syrup
1 tsp peanut butter
1 tsp boric acid
The boric acid is available from your local drug store. It is somewhat *toxic* to
mammals, so you don't want to leave this around where little pets and rug-rats can
get to it. Put this stuff into the inverted lid of a pickle jar, or on a piece of
aluminum foilmand put it in an-out-of-the-way place where the ants will likely
find it. They will take the food back to the nest and share it with co-workers and
Queenie. Voila! Although I've used this method for years and the recipe, with
variations, is broadcast by Houston radio station KTRH on its Garden Line Show,
I've got to include: *Legal disclaimer: Use at your own risk.*
Fowler_Barry
I use Adams Flea and Tick spray. It's based on pyrethins, which are
an extract from the marigold flower. I spray the "input source" and wipe
with a paper towel. The small residue seems to take care of 'em.
Johnson
> Andreas Ramos (and...@netcom.com) wrote:
> : Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
> : through the kitchen.
>
The ONLY thing commercially that I have found to work for those little
bitty ants (sweet eaters) is Terro but it is hard to find. Some of the
home mixes of borax & sugar water or corn syrup sound about the same so
try those if you can't find Terro.
Margaret Johnson
saun...@kuentos.guam.net
Ellen Gary
In article <4uj5rf$q...@lehi.kuentos.guam.net>, saun...@kuentos.guam.net wrote:
×
× Terro is available from Real Goods Catalog.
× Cindy
Cindy, can you give info on how to get this catalog?
Thanks,
Ellen
fcook
Ellen,
I bought a bottle of Terro at a regular hardware store this spring.
It's sometimes hard to see on the shelf (kind of hidden) so I had to ask, but
that has to be faster than ordering out of a catalog!
I missed several days posting, so I don't know what has been said
about this product. The box says it is primarily for sweet-eating ants. The
last bottle I bought before this one said if you thought you had grease-eating
ants, mix a drop of cooking oil in with the Terro.
That's what I did when I was totally invaded! I cut a square of
paperboard out of a frozen entree pacage (they're coated on one side, but not
the other). I put a couple of drops of cooking oil on the uncoated side and a
few drops of Terro on top of that. The ants came in droves the first few
days, and then they disappeared. I have never known this stuff to fail. Good
luck!
Florence Cook
fc...@sky.net
Why did Kamakazi pilots wear helmets???
Iservice teacher
Try sprinkling whole cloves along the back edge and drawers of your
cupboards.
Susan Porter (spo...@nmia.com) wrote:
: In article <andreasD...@netcom.com>, and...@netcom.com (Andreas
: Ramos) wrote:
: ]Any idea about how to get rid of ants? I've got a major freeway heading
: ]through the kitchen.
: ]
: ]I put up ant motels: the kind with poison in them. But the little buggers
: ]roll right pass them, just like families from Ohio in their Winnebagos
: ]roll past the motels in Tennessee on their way to Florida.
: ]
: ]I don't like the idea of bug spray within living quarters, but at this
: ]point the next step is a low-yield nuclear device (Ray, do you still need
: ]that one you have in your backyard?)
: ]
: ]Ideas?
: ]--
: Find their trail to the outside and spray a small barrier of Raid across
: that door frame/window frame/on the ground, to "cut" their trail. Much as
: I hate to use strong poisons, I find you really just need a bit. Once
: they loose track of where the goodies are, they will turn their attention
: to better things, like your garbage in the garage.
: --
: "It is so unreal the number of simple things that have complex results if you are a piece of spinning iridium." -- post to alt.conspiracy
--
q
saun...@kuentos.guam.net
blud...@cris.com (Ellen Gary) wrote:
>In article <4uj5rf$q...@lehi.kuentos.guam.net>, saun...@kuentos.guam.net wrote:
>×
>× Terro is available from Real Goods Catalog.
>× Cindy
>Cindy, can you give info on how to get this catalog?
>Thanks,
>Ellen
Have only been doing this internet thing a little while, know you all
say "I have no interest in this catalog" or some such thing, & I
don't- so here is the info. http:/www.well.com/www/realgood
e-mail:real...@realgoods.com or 1-800-762-7325. Hope it helps.
Cindy