BS: Ants in the Kitchen

Subject: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Kim C
Date: 16 May 04 - 08:23 AM

Apparently Tennessee has been hit with an ant plague this year, and they are all gleefully tromping around on my kitchen countertop. Because they are in the room where all the food is, I need some safe non-toxic means of getting rid of them. I have tried cinnamon and that didn't work. Murphy's Oil Soap kills them, but doesn't repel.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Raptor
Date: 16 May 04 - 08:30 AM

MINT and more MINT!

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 May 04 - 08:40 AM

Try laying a honey trail away from their regular route. Sugar water will do, just use a syringe or a bag with a tiny hole in it, and lay them another trail. If the trail leads to a discarded sandwich, they'll be happy and they might leave your kitchen alone.

Cleaning out all the cupboards and regularly wiping down where their trail is might help too.

Failing that, get an echidna. Cute ant disposal system

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: freda underhill
Date: 16 May 04 - 08:57 AM

apart from cleaning, rub lavendar oil along the edges of the kitchen benches, over the back step, etc. It will keep all insects out, they don't like the smell.

good luck

freda

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 May 04 - 09:08 AM

Boron is toxic to ants. Boracic acid, mixed with sugar, will be eaten/taken back to the nest. There used to be a liquid preparation that had a sweet solution with boracic acid or whatever in it.

Take some care with this, you don't want humans/little ones to ingest it. It is relatively non-toxic.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 May 04 - 09:31 AM

Cayenne pepper sprinkled around what they're going after will keep them away. Also around where they may be getting into the house. Sometimes it's just best to sprinkle it around food cupboards.

The boric acid thing works, too, at least in theory. I've used commercially prepared solutions and eventually the ants go away.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: DonMeixner
Date: 16 May 04 - 09:34 AM

I pictured some poor 12 year old boy and girl surround by four middle aged ladies in big hats and various body types. Each asking the children different questions all at the same time as they adjusted the childrens hair and clothes. All while Easter dinner somehow is prepared around them.

Kind of a mental Gulyas Williams cartoon.

Don

Boric acid is easily obtained in large chain Pharmacies. I use it mixed with denatured alcohol for soldering flux in the jewelry shop.

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Jeanie
Date: 16 May 04 - 09:51 AM

The best solution (safe, non-toxic) I have found for getting rid of kitchen ants is TALCUM POWDER (any perfume !) sprinkled liberally along their route across the worktops and around the doorway or wherever they are getting in. It really works.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 May 04 - 09:54 AM

Kim,

People have discussed this before on Mudcat, like here. There are a couple of different types of ants. Some are attracted to sugar, others go for fats or oils. You do have to figure out what yours are searching for to treat them in a manner that doesn't nuke the rest of the household also.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: pdq
Date: 16 May 04 - 10:36 AM

Kim C...

Do you remember the TV show "Death Valley Days"? At one time it was hosted by Ronald Reagan. The perpetual sponsor was "20 Mule Team Borax". Borax has /had many industrial uses, but was sold to the home consumer as a laundy cleaner. Last time I looked in my local supermarket, the stuff was still sold under the brand name "Borateam". Very cheap in a medium-sized box.

When dusting the affected area do it lightly - just enough to see the powder. Also, think of it as a barrier, and make the "dust trails" so they block entry points.

pdq

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 May 04 - 10:46 AM

As humid as it is in parts of Tennessee, that borax powder will have to be regularly applied, because it will get moist and stop being a powder after a little while. (I spent one summer in Gatlinburg area and it was the most mildewey wet place I've ever lived!)

You can get little ant motel things that they walk through and take poison back to the nest, etc.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 May 04 - 11:57 AM

We had a brief invasion early this spring. The "roving hunters" will sort of wander everywhere, but once they find a place where there's something good, the workers follow a scent trail to gather the goodies. If the ants are all following the same path, lined up like good little workers, simply destroying the scent path will usually get rid of at least that particular "trade route." Wipe up the ones that are visible with a wet rag, and then wipe down the surface with white vinegar to get rid of the trail. (Most red/brown vinegars seem to leave enough residue to attract them back.)

They'll probably find another place to make a new harvesting path, but usually a couple of interruptions will make them go elsewhere, unless you're dealing with a well-established colony.

Of course, you do want to clean up any food sources that they might find, but using a little dab of the white vino in you rinse water when you wipe down surfaces will help slow down any new incursions, and they'll lose interest in you.

In order to effectively kill them, you've got to find where they come from, and destroy the nest. As mentioned, they may carry borax or borate back to the nest, but it seldom does a complete job. Getting rid of the nest isn't usually necessary if you cut off their food trails before they get established, but may be needed if they've set up permanent quarters. That often means going under the house (or into the walls) to do a thorough job.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Kim C
Date: 16 May 04 - 08:31 PM

These are ants that like sweets, and I have had a little luck getting them into a trap with sugar water, where they drown. I got some of those little ant motels but I can't tell if they're doing any good or not. There may be so many of them that it's hard to tell.

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 May 04 - 08:49 PM

Tansy is supposed to work to, but it is an abortifacent in mammals if eaten.

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 May 04 - 09:00 PM

I once talked to an ant colony.

You need to read Hofstedder's "Escher, Godel & Bach, An Eternal Golden Braid" to understand... :-)


Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Mudlark
Date: 17 May 04 - 12:15 AM

I have an old house, lots of entry ways from ants (plus everything else from assassin bugs to tarantulas) and get them repeatedly in the kitchen, despite keeping counters clean, well, pretty clean. I haven't found the little ant hotels to be effective. What does work for me, tho it takes a bit of perserverance, is to wipe down the counters with any strong smelling soap, then sprinkle a a barrier line of any scouring powder, ones that contain clorine work best. I've tried all the herbal stuff, being a diehard organic gardener except when pushed to the wall, and haven't found any of them to be much help with resident populations.

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Kaleea
Date: 17 May 04 - 02:10 AM

I'm house sitting, & there are ants marching into one specific kitchen cabinet where I did not know a filled sugar bowl was. How does one know where the ants are entering the house? I'm disabled, & I am unable to get under the house & don't have $$ for exterminaters.
Do I recall that there are some kind of bug poison crystals that one can sprinkle around the base of the house to ward off evil such
creatures? Anyone know? Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 17 May 04 - 03:10 AM

Borax is about the best that I have found but last time I needed some I couldn't find anybody stocking it any more.

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 17 May 04 - 03:15 AM

Australia now has a product called "Ant Sand".

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 May 04 - 04:01 AM

I can't believe the home of the cute and disposal system (the echidna) would do such a thing!!! Whatever happened to conservation?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Ants in the Kitchen
From: SINSULL
Date: 17 May 04 - 11:01 AM

I cover all the cat food, put away all the people food and spray the most toxic ant killer I can find. It works...temporarily. They are persistant little bastards and go after anything edible.