Fezmid Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Well, I finally went downstairs (been working from my home office today), and I noticed that one of my cats must've puked on the carpet last night. Just lovely... So I go to clean it up, and I see a hoard of ants crawling on top of it. YUCK! Looking closer, I also see a stream of ants walking away from the puke, just like you see on cartoons. Never seen anything like that before... So I follow the line to the end and I see a couple of the little buggers crawl into a hole in the carpet where the stairs meet the floor, and then they disappear... (It's more like a small crease where the carpet from the first floor meets the carpet going up the stairs; not sure if that's always been there or if the bugs did it...) I used some bug spray on the area, cleaned up the puke (and killed/vacuumed the bugs), and sprayed extra where that hole in the carpet was. I'm guessing these little buggers didn't just move in yesterday (although maybe they did with the weather change?). Should I hire an exterminator? Will the spray in that area be enough? Or should I just let them go? Our cats puke at least once every month or so, and I really don't want a repeat of what I saw this morning.... Besides, can't they be dangerous to the house or something? For the record, the living room is right off of the dining room/kitchen, and we've never seen them in there before, including today... Damn insects... CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Works for most anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Damn insects... CW 480592[/snapback] The inexpensive ant traps with the bait they take back to their lair work well for me. I put some in my garage, basement, and under the sinks early on. I put the garage ones by the garage door, and by the door that enters into my basement from there. With pets, take a plastic bowl and cut a few notches in the rim. Place it upside down over the trap, and pile on whatever you need to do to insure kitty won't be able to get to it, if it is so inclined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campy Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Dip them in chocolate. Yumm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Go to Lowe's and get this granular ant bait called Ambro. Spread it around your foundation of the house. Problem solved. TRUST ME... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted October 19, 2005 Author Share Posted October 19, 2005 Go to Lowe's and get this granular ant bait called Ambro. Spread it around your foundation of the house. Problem solved. TRUST ME... 480603[/snapback] That's not going to help if they're already in my house though, will it? Although it sounds like a good preventitive measure... The inexpensive ant traps with the bait they take back to their lair work well for me. Those things really work? I thought about it, was a bit skeptical for some reason... Maybe I'll try that and the Ambro at the same time, just to make sure. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Those things really work? I thought about it, was a bit skeptical for some reason... Maybe I'll try that and the Ambro at the same time, just to make sure. CW 480606[/snapback] They might not. I hear that ants prefer DirectTV over cable two to one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 That's not going to help if they're already in my house though, will it? Although it sounds like a good preventitive measure...Those things really work? I thought about it, was a bit skeptical for some reason... Maybe I'll try that and the Ambro at the same time, just to make sure. CW 480606[/snapback] Tilex kills them. Actually tilex kills almost anything. You should see what it does to roaches. Those little bastards are dead within 30 seconds after a few sprays on them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Never had ants... Insects do suck though... This time of the year, box elder bugs are looking for a warm winter home! Not as bad for me this year because I convinced the guy next door to finally cut down one of the last remaining female box elder trees at the back of his property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millbank Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 . I use a syrup made out of corn syrup, honey, white sugar and water, mix it on the stove until the sugars all melt and it's syrupy but pourable, then add a good amount of boric acid powder. Once you mix it all together, you can apply the syrup to the spots where ants congregate and on their trails. They love the sugars and run to get it, and then the boric acid gets them. I used this remedy this year a couple of times, and it totally wiped out the ant colony that was under my house and trying to get in. I had a bad infestation last year, and this year I had no problem because I used this stuff at the first sign of them. It's also a good solution because you can put it exactly where you want to without having to spread it around where it's not needed. The syrup formula isn't an eaxct one, either, just mix it all up until it looks good to you. The ants don't care what proportion ingredients are in it, they just like the sugar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Combat is great stuff (they make them for roaches and ants). Really first class, five star stuff. Whenever I've had ants, it makes me bonkers...I go into full battle mode. Clean everything real good. Blast all the areas with a good potent ant spray...all the cracks...doorways...window sills, etc. (Put the pets somewhere else if you go into full ant-kill battle mode.) After all that spread some Combat ant traps around (under counters...in corners, etc.). That'll do it. Aside: when I first went into the North Star's (SF) old kitchen, I turned on the stoves and tons of roaches scattered all around the kitchen. YIKES! I was supposed to be making wings there in a couple of weeks. The owner had an exterminator come every couple of weeks...but there were still a ton of these bastards around. So I placed about 10 Combat roach discs around the kitchen. W/in a few days...roaches all gone. When the exterminator came the next time he saw the Combat and asked the owner why they were there...needless to say he wasn't happy about losing his gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Combat is great stuff (they make them for roaches and ants). Really first class, five star stuff. 480632[/snapback] Yep - that's what I use. I lay some out in early spring and then in late summer. I also spray around the foundation a couple times a year with whatever's cheap...usually Vigero's brand of general-purpose bug spray. Maybe 20 minutes effort per year - no ants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 I've had them in my dishwasher, and fridge (they froze before reaching any food). Was wondering where they were coming from because they suddenly appeared o the wall. The walls in my apt. are slightly textured. They were coming out of the light switch and plug electrical boxes. Took off the plates and sprayed in each one- no more ants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Coli Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Kent Brockman: Ladies and gentlemen, uh, we've just lost the picture, but what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft has apparently been taken over- 'conquered' if you will- by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive Earthmen or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Kent Brockman: Ladies and gentlemen, uh, we've just lost the picture, but what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft has apparently been taken over- 'conquered' if you will- by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive Earthmen or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. 480677[/snapback] FREEDOM! HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE FREEDOM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Place it upside down over the trap, and pile on whatever you need to do to insure kitty won't be able to get to it, if it is so inclined. 480599[/snapback] Thanks for adding the last part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Kent Brockman: Ladies and gentlemen, uh, we've just lost the picture, but what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft has apparently been taken over- 'conquered' if you will- by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive Earthmen or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. 480677[/snapback] SAVE THE QUEEN! WHICH ONE OF US IS THE QUEEN? I AM! NO, YOU'RE NOT......! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 Well, I finally went downstairs (been working from my home office today), and I noticed that one of my cats must've puked on the carpet last night. Just lovely... So I go to clean it up, and I see a hoard of ants crawling on top of it. YUCK! Looking closer, I also see a stream of ants walking away from the puke, just like you see on cartoons. Never seen anything like that before... 480592[/snapback] I think the bigger question is: what are you doing with a hoard of ants? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 how big are they ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Thanks for adding the last part. 480699[/snapback] Well, I know you like inclined cats... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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