Bobbee

Help with ants please

Posted on 06/08/08, 09:39 pm

I was pulling weeds near our front sidewalk and when I pulled a dandelion out -- and I had to dig a bit to get the root and all -- hundreds of little itty bitty red/brown ants came crawling out. It was kind of creepy to see them. I obviously destroyed their home and I left them alone and moved to another area. About thirty minutes later I noticed they were still swarming around. I want them gone, but I hate to use pesticides. Does anybody have any ideas about how I can get rid of them before they cross the sidewalk and head for my house?

• Reply #1 06/08/08  11:11pm
  
  challenger
  unless they are at your door or your foundations, don't worry. But if they are close to your door you can use this trick.
  
  We had some near our slide door, (kids and crumbs) what are ya gonna do? So I poured salt in the slide door track, the little step going down to the patio, some on the patio and the crack between the patio and the foundation and a little on the ceramic tile . The salt burns their little bodies and they end up dying. Also since they see their friends dying they send the message to the colony to leave in a hurry. Wthin a day or two.. no more problem.
• Reply #2 06/09/08  6:41am
  
  BEWITCHED
  I've heard cayenne pepper works, and if all else fails, the pesticide 'sevin' works!
• Reply #3 06/09/08  6:37pm
  
  mycat
  ant powder
• Reply #4 06/10/08  9:10pm
  
  lov12
  Ok I can help you out on the ants. You warm water to melt real white sugar in it, then mix borix acid, in it. What happens they eat it, you will see a bunch of ants coming to eat they will carry it back home, and all will die. It is safe, and won't harm cats, dogs or people. I have ants that came in the house. That is what I use. You can soak cotton balls in it and put them like on a lid. Now they will dry up just rewet them. I use plenty of sugar to make sure it kills any taste of the borix acid. IT WILL WORK.
• Reply #5 06/13/08  11:33am
  
  remtana
  Chalk also works. They won't cross it. (At least that is what I have heard)
• Reply #6 06/14/08  10:42pm
  
  Bobbee
  Thank you all so much for your advice! I was hoping for some easy solutions. As it turns out, I got lucky. It rained and they went away -- underground? No matter - I just found having hundreds of them on the sidewalk really creepy and was afraid they would find their way up the steps to my house!
• Reply #7 07/08/08  11:06pm
  
  mskitcat
  I am trying to borax and sugar sulotion. I know they are swarming to it. I am so tired of the little critters. These are not fire ants pharoh or sugar ants I think. uh it has been a tough summer trying to get rid of them.
• Reply #8 07/09/08  11:37am
  
  BigBadger
  We had ants coming in from under a skirting board. We just put a line of washing up liquid along the floor and after a few days we had no more problems. In the garden we just pour boiling water on them.
• Reply #9 07/16/08  12:00am
  
  donaP
  I've heard a little ginger spread around also helps.

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