Ant infestation

[Harry Bloomfield]

We have had a few before in the house and always fixed with Nippon powder, but it doesn't seem to be working this time....

Until this evening, we were seeing maybe one, two, five per day.

I read suggestions to use borax and icing sugar mix, with a little water to a paste, then cotton wool soaked in it. Those sticky cotton balls worked, they collected and killed the ants stuck on them - but the idea is they carry the borax back to the nest, which they cannot do if they are dead.

This evening there were hundreds of them partying on the kitchen floor. Just as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone. What do a try next.

 

[noseall]

They do tidy up after a party...

 

[sxturbo]

I've had the same problem this year, not touched the Nippon or the stuff I usually put down.

So i.ordered some borax and spent this afternoon doing various mixes with borax.

Firstly the mixes they say online are far to watery, i ended up doing 2 table spoons of sugar to 1 borax, and a table spoon of water, but add water to make it whatever consistency you want.

I put it down on the decking and it spilt a bit, thought I wiped the spill up, but obviously not enough the ants are on it like tramp on chips.

My mix however now on a plate next to it hasn't been touched...... So no idea what the deal is, maybe they'll go to the pot once they've finished on the floor I don't know, I didn't know ants were so fussy.

I also put down borax mixed with peanut butter, incase it was the type that eat protein but that's not been touched.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I also put down borax mixed with peanut butter, incase it was the type that eat protein but that's not been touched.

I tried putting a dry mix, in bottle caps, they didn't seem interested, so I just laid the cotton balls bare on the floor where I could see them. That certainly attracted them. I have some peanut butter, I will try that next.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Ant killer!



Andy

 

[333rocky333]

I read that if you kill them and they do not return to the nest, then lots of the others will come out looking for them

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Well, I don't know what's happened...

I went to bed last night, with hundreds of them partying in an area of the floor in the kitchen, some/lots appearing to be dead and stuck to the cotton balls. The seemed to be congregating at the base of a door frame so I added more cotton balls there. This morning none stuck to cotton balls, only two ants visible.

 

[bernardgreen]

then lots of the others will come out looking for them

and then take their revenge on the nasty anti-ant humans

 

[^woody^]

If they are worker ants, try and get a card or a mobile number off them.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My theory on what happened, but I'm no expert.....

We got a few ants coming in from wherever the nest is/was and for several days, before the 'party'. We began putting ant killer down, which attracted even more from the nest, hence the 'ant party' yesterday evening. This morning we were still spotting odd couple around. Since then, not a single one to be seen and no dead visible ones.

What worked, for future reference, was - 3 parts icing sugar; 1 part borax, mixed to a paste with water. Dip cotton wool balls in the past and put them where I saw most ants congregating. It worked much better than Nippon ant killer and better than the dry mix left around in plastic milk bottle tops.

 

[Bodd]

We have had a few before in the house and always fixed with Nippon powder, but it doesn't seem to be working this time....

Until this evening, we were seeing maybe one, two, five per day.

I read suggestions to use borax and icing sugar mix, with a little water to a paste, then cotton wool soaked in it. Those sticky cotton balls worked, they collected and killed the ants stuck on them - but the idea is they carry the borax back to the nest, which they cannot do if they are dead.

This evening there were hundreds of them partying on the kitchen floor. Just as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone. What do a try next.

Have you tried Boots?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Have you tried Boots?

Boots the chemist, or the footwear?

 

[Bodd]

I read that if you kill them and they do not return to the nest, then lots of the others will come out looking for them

With pitch folks and fire........

 

[Bodd]

Boots the chemist, or the footwear?

Harry.... you know how to kill a joke...

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Harry.... you know how to kill a joke...

I only asked..