Ant madness! Help!

[Tapster]

Over the last five years in our house I have been using borax to control the tiny, 1mm ants that get everywhere and love any food scraps or crumbs.

 

But now!.............the ants aren't coming from outside, they're coming out of the walls, from small gaps in tiling inside the house.

 

I've used silicone sealer to close up some larger gaps in the tiling but the little buggers find another way out before long.

I don't think that grouting/sealing is going to be a solution because it will still leave the ants inside the walls and they'll find a way out sooner or later.

 

Is having ants in the walls a common problem? Will a pest control company be able so sort it out?

 

Opinions/suggestions/advice, please!

[Daffy D]

You need to use the cans of bug spray that have tube extention to get right into the litle holes where the ants live.

 

Get the can with the thin metal extention, some are plastic, as this will get right into even the smallest hole.

 

 

[simoh1490]

Go to a hardware store and buy a bottle of Chaindritte, it comes in a white plastic bottle with an orange screw top, there are various sizes available.

 

Mix the liquid with water and put into a spray bottle, use rubber gloves when mixing and using and take great care not to touch the liquid.

 

When nobody else is in the house, go round to the places where you've seen the ants and lightly spray those areas, once the liquid dries it's safe for humans. The ants will track the dried mixture back to their nests and they will all die in under 24 hours. Use it in the garden for the same purpose, especially where you have ant/termite nests or hills. It is the nuclear solution for ant and termite problems which never fails, regular bug sprays only kill the bugs you can see, Chaindritte kills the nest.

 

 

[MuntyC0re]

hire a few guys from pest cleaning service

[Tapster]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

 

I have had some success using the Chaindrite powder (sold at Home Pro in an orange plastic/foil packet with a screw-on plastic top).

 

We have cats and so I've been careful where I put it, and careful to clear it away once the ants have gone.

 

It's not perfect yet, but the powder seems to be bringing the little bastards under control!

 

[wayned]

9 hours ago, MuntyC0re said:

hire a few guys from pest cleaning service

Be carefrul, Thai pest control services show up with jack hammers and bull dozers!

[tropo]

On 1/19/2018 at 9:13 AM, simoh1490 said:

Go to a hardware store and buy a bottle of Chaindritte, it comes in a white plastic bottle with an orange screw top, there are various sizes available.

 

Mix the liquid with water and put into a spray bottle, use rubber gloves when mixing and using and take great care not to touch the liquid.

 

When nobody else is in the house, go round to the places where you've seen the ants and lightly spray those areas, once the liquid dries it's safe for humans. The ants will track the dried mixture back to their nests and they will all die in under 24 hours. Use it in the garden for the same purpose, especially where you have ant/termite nests or hills. It is the nuclear solution for ant and termite problems which never fails, regular bug sprays only kill the bugs you can see, Chaindritte kills the nest.

 

 

Is it necessary to buy this "Chaindrite" to mix with water? I see it comes in aerosol cans.

 

http://www.sherwood.co.th/product_detail.php?category_id=1&product_id=25

 

I'll give that a go, but the OP talks about Chaindrite powder, you're talking about liquid. What's the difference?

 

I've been using various ant-poison formulations that they take back to their nests. I mix it with honey to make it even more attractive. I HAD success with this method. The first time the ants swarmed it and there were no ants in my kitchen for months. A new "micro-ant" came by - a slower moving one. They loved the honey-ant-poison mixture on the first day. After that, they walked straight past it. Eventually, they disappeared when I gave them straight ant-poison powder, which they carried off - all of it!

 

Now the original micro ants are back. They avoid any of my honey poison mixtures that they originally enjoyed. Obviously, they have more intelligence that we give them credit for. Maybe some of them developed an immunity for the poison and bred new, smarter ants.

 

I should mention that I have borax powder too. I've mixed that in with honey, but they don't like it very much. The formulations I buy from the store work better.

 

I don't think anyone can claim a 100% reliable method. It's going to be a continuous battle of witts. LOL

 

 

 

 

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, tropo said:

Is it necessary to buy this "Chaindrite" to mix with water? I see it comes in aerosol cans.

 

http://www.sherwood.co.th/product_detail.php?category_id=1&product_id=25

 

I'll give that a go, but the OP talks about Chaindrite powder, you're talking about liquid. What's the difference?

 

I've been using various ant-poison formulations that they take back to their nests. I mix it with honey to make it even more attractive. I HAD success with this method. The first time the ants swarmed it and there were no ants in my kitchen for months. A new "micro-ant" came by - a slower moving one. They loved the honey-ant-poison mixture on the first day. After that, they walked straight past it. Eventually, they disappeared when I gave them straight ant-poison powder, which they carried off - all of it!

 

Now the original micro ants are back. They avoid any of my honey poison mixtures that they originally enjoyed. Obviously, they have more intelligence that we give them credit for. Maybe some of them developed an immunity for the poison and bred new, smarter ants.

 

I should mention that I have borax powder too. I've mixed that in with honey, but they don't like it very much. The formulations I buy from the store work better.

 

I don't think anyone can claim a 100% reliable method. It's going to be a continuous battle of witts. LOL

 

 

 

 

I guess the difference may be that the powder can be used inside to sprinkle along the ant track whereas the liquid I use gets mixed with water and put into a sprayer for outside use.

[tropo]

Just now, simoh1490 said:

I guess the difference may be that the powder can be used inside to sprinkle along the ant track whereas the liquid I use gets mixed with water and put into a sprayer for outside use.

Understood. I will get the powder and give it a go... Do they understand the word "Chaindrite" in the stores?

 

The problem I have is that it is nearly impossible to find out where they are getting in. Sometimes I'm able to find a place they come in but they will soon find another way as it's an old place with endless possibilities. The previous tenants obviously didn't mind ants, so they infiltrated the place and set up nests all over the place, most likely inside walls.

 

I have made really good progress, but my original goal of a 100% ant-free kitchen might be impossible. When I first moved in they would swarm any food left anywhere in the kitchen, within minutes - even on the dining table. Now they are only seen in very small numbers - but they are still there LOL.

 

Thanks for your input.

[simoh1490]

7 minutes ago, tropo said:

Understood. I will get the powder and give it a go... Do they understand the word "Chaindrite" in the stores?

 

The problem I have is that it is nearly impossible to find out where they are getting in. Sometimes I'm able to find a place they come in but they will soon find another way as it's an old place with endless possibilities. The previous tenants obviously didn't mind ants, so they infiltrated the place and set up nests all over the place, most likely inside walls.

 

I have made really good progress, but my original goal of a 100% ant-free kitchen might be impossible. When I first moved in they would swarm any food left anywhere in the kitchen, within minutes - even on the dining table. Now they are only seen in very small numbers - but they are still there LOL.

 

Thanks for your input.

I know that Thai Wasadu stocks it and I'm pretty sure Global House does also, you may have to look for it on the shelves because they may not understand the name - if you explain you want ant poison I'm certain they'll point you right at it. FWIW I would avoid using the powder inside the house, it's a very potent mixture and is dangerous to handle. The liquid is dangerous until it dries (presumably it dries to a residue or powder) but then is safe to come in contact with. If it were me I might use the liquid, spray it around the area and then let it dry. Using the powder means the powder is always there in a quantity much heavier than the dried residue.

[johng]

For the dinner table find some containers that fit under the legs with a couple of centimeters clearance all round then fill containers with oil the ants won't be able to climb the table legs and eat your dinner.

 

 

[tropo]

55 minutes ago, johng said:

For the dinner table find some containers that fit under the legs with a couple of centimeters clearance all round then fill containers with oil the ants won't be able to climb the table legs and eat your dinner.

 

 

Thanks! It's quite easy to stop them from climbing onto a table, but I don't want the ants anywhere in the kitchen. My quick fix was to spray the legs, but that doesn't last very long. This particular dining table has two 65cm x 5cm legs.

[lemonjelly]

it’s an old house, you won’t win. try not to leave too many cookie n cake crumbs around your kitchen, and be grateful that the ones you do leave behind are cleared up by these little super cleaners. The human race probably wouldn’t have survived as long as it has without their help in clearing up all the detritus before it goes moldy etc


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[xyznot]

This stuff works and is available at Tops and Foodland. Keep putting drops down when you identify a path and eventually they will all be dead.  Keep doing if you see new colonies.

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, johng said:

For the dinner table find some containers that fit under the legs with a couple of centimeters clearance all round then fill containers with oil the ants won't be able to climb the table legs and eat your dinner.

 

 

You can easily find plastic bowls with a plastic ring that the table legs sit in, you then fill the moat around each table leg with water. This stops ants and does no damage to the table legs.

 

I certainly would not want to have wood table legs sitting in oil.

[johng]

You can easily find plastic bowls with a plastic ring that the table legs sit in, you then fill the moat around each table leg with water. This stops ants and does no damage to the table legs.
 
I certainly would not want to have wood table legs sitting in oil.

Water evaporates very quickly oil doesn't.

As a sometimeswoodworker, why would you not want wood siting in oil ?
How about Teak or Linseed oil
wouldn't water be harmful to wood ?

Proper wood not that MDF rubbish that turns to mush at the slightest moisture.

[steven100]

Buy a can of Chaindrite ... attach the plastic spray tube to the nozzle ...  when everyone is out of the house , spray into every nook & cranny wherever there is a hole, use a couple of cans.

Then lock the house up for a couple of hours and let the Chaindrite do it's killing.

When you return, open up the house and let it air .... 

then repeat again one week later. 

Make sure you use a tissue nose / mouth mask when spraying.

[samsensam]

had this problem back home, sprays and powders were short term solutions as they didn't get rid of the nests. then i tried these ant bait stations, small plastic containers the ants go into, get poison on their bodies and carry it back to the nest. about five days later job done and never had another problem.

 

 

[Tapster]

The Chaindrite powder is just a different way to deliver the insecticide (permethrin, or similar -thrin chemicals).

 

Some have said that the ants take it back to the nest and it helps to reduce/kill the colony. I'm not so sure as the ants near the powder die within a couple of minutes. I suspect that the others beat a hasty retreat and healthy ones get back to the colony, the affected ones never making it.

 

I'm having some success by following the ant trails as far as I can, out of the house and then leaving the powder along that trail. I'm sure there are satellite nests in my walls, though. I'm close the paying up and getting Chiang Mai Pest, here in Phuket, to deal with it. I just can't reach the motherlode!!

[xylophone]

On 09/02/2018 at 7:10 PM, johng said:

For the dinner table find some containers that fit under the legs with a couple of centimeters clearance all round then fill containers with oil the ants won't be able to climb the table legs and eat your dinner.

 

 

Ants still got on the table, but I was lucky that they didn't eat anything, cos the knife and fork were too heavy for them to lift!

[Tapster]

I wouldn't put anything past them!

 

They work as a super-organism. I'm surprised not to see the furniture being taken out, or maybe our cats, with bemused expressions on their faces!

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

On 10/02/2018 at 6:54 AM, johng said:

 

Water evaporates very quickly oil doesn't.

As a sometimeswoodworker, why would you not want wood siting in oil ?
How about Teak or Linseed oil
wouldn't water be harmful to wood ?

Proper wood not that MDF rubbish that turns to mush at the slightest moisture.

 

The table legs are not sitting in water or oil they are dry. They are sitting inside a dry container that has a moat round it, this is built into the plastic. They cost about 10 to 15 Baht each.

 

You can use oil if you want but with the dust and debris that will accumulate it will be hard to clean. The water lasts about 2 weeks before needing to be refilled and a quick wipe with a cloth cleans the

moat. 

 

I know which liquid is better.

[drtreelove]

On 2/9/2018 at 5:41 PM, tropo said:

Is it necessary to buy this "Chaindrite" to mix with water? I see it comes in aerosol cans.

 

http://www.sherwood.co.th/product_detail.php?category_id=1&product_id=25

Sanitation is the most important and effective method of ant control. If you don't feed them they won't come. 

 

From my experience, the baiting system is the least likely to produce environmental contamination, but not necessarily the easiest to implement, cheapest or fastest acting. 

Boric acid bait is organic program compatible, if you can find it. 

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/homemade-ant-killer-boric-acid-74569.html

 

Chemical pesticide bait stations, like "Grants Ant Stakes" in the US, are contained and not highly contaminating, but I don't know availability in Thailand, or what chemistry you will find. 

 

Of the chemical pesticide sprays mentioned in this discussion, I prefer the Chaindrite Crack and Crevice spray shown in the link from Tropo, if used conservatively.  It is highly available and very effective. Ask for "ya ka maleng" (chemi kill bug) section at Lotus or most superstores and local hardware stores; then look for the . I bought some at our little mooban market for under 100 baht. The active ingredients are cypermethrin and bifenthrin, two pyrethroid synthetics, based on chemistry from pyrethrum chrysanthemum flower extract. These are low toxicity for people, but not without environmental concerns. They don't biodegrade rapidly like the natural pyrethrum. These chemicals are highly toxic to fish. In high concentration they can be toxic to cats, which don't have the physiological resistance capability to this particular chemistry. 

 

The bifenthrin is very potent and gives this product a long residual effectiveness, a month to a year. The long tube application spout lets you spot spray and not get it all over the place, and allows lower volume and more conservative use. I don't think the other Chaindrite products have bifenthrin, so may not have the same residual. This is a contact spray and preventive barrier repellent, not something that is normally fed on and taken back to the nest. 

 

The Bayer Quantum product shown is a.i. of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid class of chemical insecticide. I am not familiar with this formulation, but it must have a baiting property added the way it is illustrated. This is also a potent contact and ingestible insecticide, with minimal toxicity for mammals, but deadly for fish and pollinators. Don't broadcast it near your fish pond or where honey bees are foraging. 

[tropo]

3 hours ago, drtreelove said:

Sanitation is the most important and effective method of ant control. If you don't feed them they won't come. 

 

It's a big factor, for sure, but once they have taken control of your kitchen you can keep it very clean but they will still swarm food very quickly, within minutes. They even go for the electric kettle and drown themselves in the water.The ants I find particularly annoying are the tiny ones which dart back and forth quickly. They are fast! The infestation came about from previous tenants, but once they are they are in they will always patrol the area. You can sit food on the counter for minutes and they will find it, while you're still preparing a meal. I have kept them out for months, but they slowly return.

[watcharacters]

On 2/9/2018 at 8:48 PM, lemonjelly said:

it’s an old house, you won’t win. try not to leave too many cookie n cake crumbs around your kitchen, and be grateful that the ones you do leave behind are cleared up by these little super cleaners. The human race probably wouldn’t have survived as long as it has without their help in clearing up all the detritus before it goes moldy etc


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

 

Garbagemen  (sterile females) of the planet.

 

 

[Tapster]

@tropo

 

Exactly!

 

These are the little buggers I'm besieged by!

 

Now, how do you get them out of the walls, coming out of the electric sockets and cracks between the tiles?!!!

 

Is it time for calling the professionals, or will nothing make any difference once they're in the house?

 

[tropo]

2 minutes ago, Tapster said:

@tropo

 

Exactly!

 

These are the little buggers I'm besieged by!

 

Now, how do you get them out of the walls, coming out of the electric sockets and cracks between the tiles?!!!

 

Is it time for calling the professionals, or will nothing make any difference once they're in the house?

 

I got rid of them completely for several months by finding trails on the outside of the building and feeding them a mixture of honey and the "food" style ant poison you buy at the store. They went crazy for it. After about 2 months they slowly returned but weren't too excited by the same poison mix. They still go for it, but not like they used to in the beginning. They are obviously intelligent and can work it out. I tried mixing sugar and peanut butter in too, along with some pure borax powder. I think they can "smell" the borax powder and it keeps them away. I had the best results with the powder I bought mixed with honey.

[Tapster]

Yes, I've been looking for trails outdoors as well.

 

I'll try harder!!!

 

[tropo]

7 minutes ago, Tapster said:

Yes, I've been looking for trails outdoors as well.

 

I'll try harder!!!

 

Here's one way to find outside trails. You put the honey/poison in the kitchen where you see them. If they go for it, as they did for mine, soon you should have a very thick trail of ants that you can follow to their entry point. Then I move the poison to as close to the beginning point of the trail that I can find. Usually, it's some break in the plaster. The good thing about the honey mix is that it can stick to a wall. The darting type are really hard to follow unless there are a lot of them.

Edited February 15, 2018 by tropo

[Tapster]

 

Thank you, I'll try mixing the Chaindrite powder with honey and see if they go for it.

 

Cheers!