Ants!

[Jingthing]

I have ants in my kitchen. They are coming in around the sink and trailing to mostly a garbage bin, or wherever they can find anything to eat. They are small ants. I have seen these buggers before but never in this volume. This time taking out some garbage with some ants still running around, I got bit a few times. It hurt. There is a localized allergic reaction. Are these fire ants? Normally, you would find fire ants outdoors, so I was quite unpleasantly surprised to have them in my kitchen.

So, this topic is about murdering these insect terrorists.

So, far I have bought those Thai made plastic ant poison dispensers. The idea is they have a weak poison which they take back multiple times to the nest, so that over a long period of time you get at the source of the problem.

The trouble is, the ants don't seem that interested in this poison. I don't think it is working. They seem much more interested in going other places. Yes, I know to cover food and wipe surfaces, and I have also learned the trash has to go out real often. But still, biting ants. I don't like it at all.

I started to use vinegar from a spray bottle and that deters them for about a day and kills the ones it hits, but not a real solution. I have seen some US imported liquid ant poison in black plastic dispensers, not cheap at 450 baht a pack. Do those work much better than the Thai made poison?

I have just begun to fight these pests. Any tips on destroying Thai biting ants much appreciated!

BTW, I read on the net that when you put out instant GRITS, the ants just explode. Hard to find any kind of grits in these parts though.

Edited May 27, 2007 by Jingthing

[lannarebirth]

Here's what I do. I take a little leftover rice, put it in a bowl, then put the bowl out where I would prefer the ants go. Then they go there. Works really well.

[Globeliner]

You have to admit, for something so small, can carry many times its own body weight, and deliver a stinging blow of a bite, deserves some credit

[solent01]

Hate the ******* too, not sure about the "Grits" info though

http://www.pestproducts.com/grits.htm

[Jet Gorgon]

Here's what I do. I take a little leftover rice, put it in a bowl, then put the bowl out where I would prefer the ants go. Then they go there. Works really well.

Excllent. Lanny passes on another bit of his common sense. Thanks!

Another non-lethal anti-anter is to stand things in bowls of water. Inconvenient but I knew Thais that had table legs in can of water (just a half inch or so; obviously not appropriate for good furniture) or sugar bowls in a shallow bowl of water. Also try the ant chalk stick (mot ??) Help from Thai speakers please. Pour boiling water over them at their entry point every day. Just non-toxic tips; don't want you to poison your kitchen area, but I would spray the inside of the garbage bin with ant killer every time you replace the bag.

Fire ants in the house is uncommon, no? I sympathise, their bites hurt like h ll. It must be your wonderful personality, JT.

[Lickey]

Try Shock, its a chalk that you draw round the floor next to raised surfaces, along doorways,windows ect, its in a red/yellow/white packet, about the size of a cigg packet with 8 cigs inside, works well, my missus puts a little sweet rice on floor, after an hour the obliging ants show us the way to there nest, usually outside, i top up their food with some red diesel, and the buggers are gone, never to return..Diesel can harm garden plants, so be caefull where {if} you use this method, Cheers, Lickey.

[Jingthing]

Interesting point about the grits. Have also heard Johnson baby powder kills em.

I am still confused. These ants look rather small. Aren't fire ants bigger? Are fire ants common in Thailand outside? I agree, fire ants inside is uncommon anywhere.

Putting out a rice bowl. OK, I get the bait factor, but then what? Aren't you just feeding them so that they go from a colony to a major city? I like to give alms, but do draw the line at stinging pests.

Spray in the trash can, good idea.

I did see the Thai ant chalk. There were some English directions but they weren't too clear. The bad part is it is clearly a toxic poison, you have to wear plastic to apply and you are supposed to apply it and then clean it up every day. Ughhh.

I saw one tip that sounded interesting. Mix molasses, active dry yeast, and borax into a paste. Then put out in bottle caps. Apparantly a very effective poison. Not sure how available molasses and borax is here though (I would think borax poison would be available anyway).

[solent01]

Article from Bangkok Post many years ago about the *****rs

http://thaibugs.com/Articles/bangkokpost_1...1_Outlook01.htm

Solenopsis geminata (Fire Ant) pics HERE

Edited May 27, 2007 by solent01

[Jingthing]

Article from Bangkok Post many years ago about the *****rs

http://thaibugs.com/Articles/bangkokpost_1...1_Outlook01.htm

Solenopsis geminata (Fire Ant) pics HERE

Thanks for that. Very informative indeed. However, now I am even more confused. I believe my ants are black, not red, and according to the article only the red ones are stingers. Also, they seem smaller than I think fire ants are supposed to me. I did notice a few bigger ants among the bunch. Hmmmm. It could be that I have multiple species of ants and/or I am color blind.

Edited May 27, 2007 by Jingthing

[Lickey]

Shock chalk sticks have there own plastic wrapper, just push out stick and start chalking, as with all insecticides and poisons, wash hands after use anyway, normal kitchen floor cleaning takes shock away, as it is water soluable, then just re-apply, it really works, cheers, lickey.

[Jingthing]

Yep. I am a bit color blind. I just had a closer look. They do look kind of reddish. Egads.

[Lickey]

its all that fat under your eyeballs blurring your vision

[solent01]

Yep. I am a bit color blind. I just had a closer look. They do look kind of reddish. Egads.

Thought that may be the case JT. I think Fire Ants are the only invading stinging ants in Thailand, there are more stinging ants but they are jungle based, and don't invade. I try to find where they are entering the house and spray "Mortein" around the area (but spray from the outside, not the inside), it doesn't kill them all but stop them coming in for a while until I can remove what ever they came in for.

Good luck with the battle

Edit....

The various other types of ant that live around your house run for thier lives when they cross the path of a fire ant, watch them, quite funny.

Edited May 27, 2007 by solent01

[Jingthing]

Thanks, S. I am in a condo on a high floor. There is no outside fire ant mound, So they must be in the woodwork. I think they can really cause damage to buildings. Looks like I might need professional exterminators. I could also just give up the kitchen and eat out all the time! I also think it is pretty clear they are not interested in the food in the Thai plastic ant poison holders (maybe thats for another kind of ant or the wrong season as I read the fire ants like different kinds of food seasonally).

Being in Pattaya, if it isn't immigration officers banging at the door demanding papers, its treacherous ants, what next? Do cobras take elevators?

Edited May 27, 2007 by Jingthing

[Jet Gorgon]

...what next? Do cobras take elevators?

No, they come up through the toilets.

[jEFFREYk44]

In the better Condo's in Bkk the cobras can take the stairs or the elevator but must leave ID downstairs, a quirky Thai law excludes ants from this

[ozzydom]

Aswin Powder is great ,just spread a line of it across the line of ants or around the entrance to the nest,they walk it into the nest and thats it,ARS Mite 1 crevisse spray has a thin delivery nozzle to poke into cracks and holes they use as doorways to their nest ,instant kill on contact but Aswin is the permanent solution. Lotus and Makro carry both and both have English writing on container.

[Lost in LOS]

havent read all the way through so this may have been said already. ants will not cross over chaulk. if you draw a chaulk line they will not cross it. i draw a chalk line around my dog's food bowl and the ants will attempt to cross it but will always stop short.

[Etrigan]

Pour or spray boiling water to destroy their chemical trails. Clothes detergent makes a good anti-bug barrier.

[soundman]

I have ants in my kitchen. They are coming in around the sink and trailing to mostly a garbage bin, or wherever they can find anything to eat. They are small ants. I have seen these buggers before but never in this volume. This time taking out some garbage with some ants still running around, I got bit a few times. It hurt. There is a localized allergic reaction. Are these fire ants? Normally, you would find fire ants outdoors, so I was quite unpleasantly surprised to have them in my kitchen.

So, this topic is about murdering these insect terrorists.

So, far I have bought those Thai made plastic ant poison dispensers. The idea is they have a weak poison which they take back multiple times to the nest, so that over a long period of time you get at the source of the problem.

The trouble is, the ants don't seem that interested in this poison. I don't think it is working. They seem much more interested in going other places. Yes, I know to cover food and wipe surfaces, and I have also learned the trash has to go out real often. But still, biting ants. I don't like it at all.

I started to use vinegar from a spray bottle and that deters them for about a day and kills the ones it hits, but not a real solution. I have seen some US imported liquid ant poison in black plastic dispensers, not cheap at 450 baht a pack. Do those work much better than the Thai made poison?

I have just begun to fight these pests. Any tips on destroying Thai biting ants much appreciated!

BTW, I read on the net that when you put out instant GRITS, the ants just explode. Hard to find any kind of grits in these parts though.

Buy that Shelltox surface spray stuff. Lasts for three months at the back of cupboards etc. Watch out though. The stuff is deadly & will kill all the jing joks as well.

Cheers,

Soundman.

[wazza11]

i use chalks to get rid of them too...

[Artisi]

I have been told (but have never used it) that engine de-greaser works wonders - spray or pour in on the ground etc near to where you are having ant problems

[larvidchr]

Buy that Shelltox surface spray stuff. Lasts for three months at the back of cupboards etc. Watch out though. The stuff is deadly & will kill all the jing joks as well.

Cheers,

Soundman.

Yes it might not be enviromentfriendly but I use something similar, it stinks of petroleum but kills anything several months after I spray it on, I spray on doorsills round window sills aso. even the big cocroaches only get 10 cm inside before they rool over on their backs, I also use it around the egdes of outside plantpots to protect the big plants from ant invasions, works a treat.

[rychrde]

I've always found the 'chalk' to be useless. Most surfaces are too uneven and although you think you have a nice thick line, look closely and you can see the gaps and the ants just tip-toe around the powder..if they have toes to tip.

The stuff I used in UK was borax. Anybody know what its called in thai as I just get blank expressions when I ask for it? Actually, in UK borax is a restricted licensed chemical so a huge ripoff as one has to pay an 'expert' to come and spray the outer house.

I do have some stuff that works, and can't rem its name as in a box in my new home. Will try to find it. Has just numbers as the name.

rych

[mamanoodle]

I too tried to buy borax here but never found it. After poisoning myself after trying to rid the ants with some powder in a yellow tin I tried talcum powder, it worked better than the poison stuff, any type of talc does. After seeing those close-up pics of the little horrors I'm more determined to keep them away now. This also works for roaches too.

[bkkmei]

what do you do with the talcum powder?

I put all open food in the fridge. Somehow, the ants manage to get in still - sealing round the door must be dodgy - but it's so cold for them, I just find dead ants round the edges.

[Jingthing]

Update:

There was something seriously wrong with my trash bin and where I was putting it in my kitchen was stupid (it was small, so it was on the counter next to the sink). The ants could easily get in and the fire ants were particularly mad about protein and fat organic waste like chicken.

Yesterday, I observed one of the 50 baht Thai-made green plastic ant poison motels that appeared to have been actually moved by a massive swarm of smaller black ants (the lid was raised) and I saw a swarm of maybe hundreds of thousands of them travel a small distance from a power outlet to the poison, and back again. I wish I had video of it. (Yes, I agree, I am easily amused and should get out more!) They seemed to have eaten their fill of that for now.

I decided I want to be a little conservative about poison for now and try a "tough love" cut out all food supply tactic. I just threw out the old garbage bin and bought a new small bucket with a tight lid. For now, all organic waster goes into my freezer until it goes out the door. Still leaving the green plastic poison hotels out, though I don't think the fire ants ever ate that. I also bought some more plastic food storage containers, it is best not to leave anything in cabinets that isn't sealed up.

Now I know the ants have a system to last quite a long time without food, but I have to assume that they are sending out scouts to other locations to get food where it exists, not from me anymore. However, I stocked up on additional ammunition, chalk, poison spray with nozzles to get in the crevices, and even ground chili powder which I will probably just eat but I thought it might be fun to test its alleged effectiveness as a barrier like talcum. So for now, I am winning, but the ants are still alive and waiting, and hopefully traveling. I will probably try the crevice poison, but I saw the ants come in from so many locations, I doubt I can really get much more than the really obvious pathways.

One point of note. Fire ants can cause serious health problems or death to allergic individuals. Multiple stings over time make it progressively worse.

I have had fun reading the responses to my ant invasion. It was a real ant education.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Jingthing

[redwood13]

ARS ANT KILLER

Consists of a little green plastic "house" attached to a mostly orange card that you'll find hanging from a hook in the insecticide section of your friendly neighborhood supermarket - Foodland, Tops, Tesco etc. Cost is around 50 baht.

Remove the "house" from the card and put the enclosed bait granules inside and close the cover. Place along an ant trail but in an out of the way place. In a day or so you'll see that the granules have been disturbed and there'll be some outside the "house". The ants have taken the bait back to the nest. In a week or so you should see a deminished number of ants in your home.

-redwood

[PRGUY]

Try spraying them with local coca-cola, it is rumoured that the ants willeventually die pus just wiping the residual coke will keep your kitchen clean! Lol! My neighbour swears by it. Though initially more ants will congregate, they all eventually die!

[popshirt]

ARS ANT KILLER

Consists of a little green plastic "house" attached to a mostly orange card that you'll find hanging from a hook in the insecticide section of your friendly neighborhood supermarket - Foodland, Tops, Tesco etc. Cost is around 50 baht.

Remove the "house" from the card and put the enclosed bait granules inside and close the cover. Place along an ant trail but in an out of the way place. In a day or so you'll see that the granules have been disturbed and there'll be some outside the "house". The ants have taken the bait back to the nest. In a week or so you should see a deminished number of ants in your home.

-redwood

Yes it really works! You just have to be a little patient because it does take about 4 or 5 days before the ants disappear.

We had an enormous infestation and ARS Ant Killer did 'em in.