How Can I Stop Getting Ants In The House

[chris5346]

hi,

we are getting ants in the house , what can i do ?

in the u.k i would just put some nippon on a coin and with in a few days they would dissapear.

i can't find nippon here - maybe there's an equivalent ? also i've looked into getting some sent from the uk but i think customs wont allow it ?

some ants are red and some black - maybe nippon from uk wont work here ?

i have gone around all the ceilings and filled the small holes etc

i've also put some powder down but i've got a newborn and i don't like using it. i've put powder outside the house also,

we try to clean floors and are careful with dropping food but still a few come.

any suggestions ?

[Thongkorn]

Try chalk , there are some impregnated chalk you can use.You get it from hardware shops. It has chemicals in it,

[phomsanuk]

Try chalk , there are some impregnated chalk you can use.You get it from hardware shops. It has chemicals in it,

My housekeeper has used powder and chalk, Isaw some box type poison traps at Peoples Mkt in Pattaya, safer around kids/animals.

[galvheim]

If Tesco Lotus have mostly the same supplies in all stores around Thailand, you should be able to find Era-Powder Plus, or Era-Chalk.

The active ingredient in the powder is Cypermethrin - Wikipedia link.

About their product they write this:

ERA POWDER PLUS: is a type of contact insecticide powder which exterminates termites, cockroaches, moths ants effectively.

HOW TO USE: Spread ERA Powder over the insect's tracks and its hiding places such as; garage, trashcan, door, window, cracked wall and ground, and other infested areas. Then clean up the powder after 24 hours.

ERA POWDER PLUS: can also be mixed with fresh water (100 gram per 20 liter) for spraying or pouring onto the soft-ground to exterminate underground termites and underground insects.

ERA POWDER PLUS: is a safe product for use in the residential areas or outside the fields.

STORAGE: Keep in a safe place , do not place the product direct exposure to the sun.

FIRST AID: IF swallowed, drink 2-3 glasses of water, then induced vomit.

Only the smallest touch on the insects will quickly damage their nervous-system, and I have stopped using it since I frankly feel sorry for them. My method is to put something sweet in places that I not I not use just to keep them busy for some time.

But really it all comes down to how clean it is. I have made a law here that the kids are not allowed to eat anything inside my room. If I sometimes forget my glas of juice in my room, you can be sure they that they have found their way there during the night. If I not have anything edible for them here they will not come. In my bathroom I have found out that they are suckers for mouthwash (the biggest brand in Thailand but right now I cant remember the name).

Also they tend to eat dead or stupid insects, and this may attract quite a lot of them.

My advise is to keep it clean, and somwhat try to live side-by-side with these little creatures.

You may win a few battles against them, but you will never be able to exterminate them. After all: All they do is cleaning up your place... :-)

[FarangKenStine]

the ants are near impossible to get rid of

[Scully]

As someone said you can buy chalk that ants wont walk over just put it all round the points of entry.

Also ants will not walk over any type of talcum powder, I thought my GF was mad when I saw her put talc all over the place but they really will not walk over it.

[NanaFoods]

How to keep ants at bay:

1. Keep a meticulously clean house - don't leave any food particles around. Clean with soapy water.

2. Set your food cupboard or rack legs into bowls filled with tapioca starch.

3. Keep food in airtight containers.

4. Erase ant chemical trails with soapy water (I find liquid dish soap works best) - soapy water kills ants too.

5. If ants are found creeping from wall cracks, spray pesticide (or concentrated soapy water) into the cracks.

Edited June 19, 2010 by ChefHeat

[dsprtliving]

I'd also suggest using the ant chalk as previously suggested. My partner and I had a condo up in KhonKaen for a while, and only discovered that it must have been built on a giant ant colony to late. Went out and bought some of the ant chalk then went to work sealing the windows and doors with a ring of the stuff. Took some time, but it worked wonders and the chalk lasts a fairly long while. Hope ya have some luck with it, cause i know how frustrating it can be to be forced to share your home with these little beasties!

[doctormann]

It's a little known fact that ants are actually highly intelligent pan-dimensional beings and use worm holes in the fabric of space-time to invade your house.

Must be so, otherwise how can it be explained that one minute there are no ants to be seen and the next there are about a million of them molesting some food particle or other that is so small it can hardly be seen by the human eye?

DM

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

We live on the 14th floor of a condo and cannot get rid of the little (*&^%$&^%). They appear out of nowhere, through any cracks in the walls or floors. Have not found a deterrent that last for any length of time.

Good Luck and when you find a solution that works please post it.

[JetsetBkk]

We live on the 14th floor of a condo and cannot get rid of the little (*&^%{:content:}amp;^%). They appear out of nowhere, through any cracks in the walls or floors. Have not found a deterrent that last for any length of time.

Good Luck and when you find a solution that works please post it.

Try to follow the ants before you get rid of them. See where they come from and squirt some ant killer spray into the hole or crack. Then seal the crack with any kind of sealant.

There will always be "searcher" ants looking for food. So you must keep the house clean, do the washing up before going to bed, keep food in the fridge or in air tight boxes, etc.

[JpnThai]

I haven't tried it yet, but I read recently that ants cannot digest corn meal. If you spread it around they will pick it up and bring it back to the ant hill. Then when they gather to eat it they will die from not be able to digest it. If you don't want to use chemicals it might be worth a try.

BTW, the same thing goes for yeast cakes and birds. They eat it and it starts to ferment and give off gases, but they can't release the gas and bloat and die.

I am not advocating doing either, but if you need to get rid of them without chemicals...

[tutsiwarrior]

Chaindrite products (available everywhere) are effective...spray the cracks and around windows, floor baseboards and door thresholds...get serious in the kitchen and put everything away before spraying...I've found that a strong application is good for about 3-4 months...yew can never totally get rid of the little buggers...

[JusMe]

Chaindrite is one of the names for permethrin. Supposedly not too harmful to humans, but .... Maybe google it for more info.

[jackr]

It's a little known fact that ants are actually highly intelligent pan-dimensional beings and use worm holes in the fabric of space-time to invade your house.

As suggested, Chaindrite is your best bet. Comes in powder form (that they take back to the queen) or solution that obliterates them on contact.

[bigtimeali]

try getting some ARS powder from big c or tesco lotus, its in a red packet, has a green box type thing in it that you put the powder, place near where there is most activity from the ants, and they take the poison to the nest where it kills them all off, good stuff, won't have any more for 6 month or so

[eggomaniac]

This works for Vancouver Island ants.

If you can get some boric acid or hydramethylnon from a chemist or lab, mix it with sugared water and put drops along ant trails.

It's fun to watch them circle the drops and sip away. They feed the young ens with it. It takes a few hatches and regular maitainence but eventually no ant hives occur within foraging distance. It directly kills the hatchlings.

--------------

Edit; or as bigtimeali said above.. missed his Post

ARS probably contains boric acid, or a similar ingredient, mixed with the nursery food.

Edited June 19, 2010 by eggomaniac

[chris5346]

some gr8 advice ,

i've got the kitchen sorted last few days just need to get some of those products to try and stop them coming back - looking much better already.

i just hope the nests aren't in the roof because they were going up there.

have found eggs in the hanging baskets and i've taken the indoor plants out side so should be much better now.

i still think there's bigger nests somewhere maybe in the ground outside but can't see anything.

maybe there's just lots of small nests everywhere ?

baby syas thank you very much.

[HDRIDER]

Hi

What about use a pest control? i use one and i never see ants so it must work, well, i never see any insect now

[billythefish]

Have you considered buying an Armadillo, they look quite cute and I am sure being on the 14th floor of a condo would not be an issue - I don't believe they suffer from vertigo.

http://blogs.technet...illo%5B1%5D.png

Alternatively, have you ever tried pissing on them, whilst doing this in the kitchen maybe an issue, try pissing on them outside - they seem to hate piss.

Edited June 20, 2010 by billythefish

[BadBoyBubby]

Try putting a sign outside saying "No Ants Here Please, we are British " Your wife may be able to help you with the Thai, failing that, I suggest you do as Billy the Fish says and get an anteater - there is very little you will be able to do to prevent ants, just get used to them, I drink them everyday in my coffee/coke/beer, they probably add a bit of nutrition that the crap white processed rice here fails to do.

[BadBoyBubby]

I'd also suggest using the ant chalk as previously suggested. My partner and I had a condo up in KhonKaen for a while, and only discovered that it must have been built on a giant ant colony to late. Went out and bought some of the ant chalk then went to work sealing the windows and doors with a ring of the stuff. Took some time, but it worked wonders and the chalk lasts a fairly long while. Hope ya have some luck with it, cause i know how frustrating it can be to be forced to share your home with these little beasties!

The Chalk stuff is some dubious poison developed by the Chinese - it works for about a half a day.

The expensive rubbish sold in Tescos as Ant Bait - where you place it near where they run and it is supposed to wipeout the colony too is a pile of crap, they eat the lot in 5 minutes and then come back for more!

[filingaccount]

Many people have posted about chalk, sprays, liquids etc...

The only thing that will last for any length of time is killing the queen.

And how do we do that? With poisonous ant "food" they bring back to the nest. It is then consumed by all ants in the nest, including the queen. Your ants will be gone within a few hours, and they will NOT be getting back anytime soon.

I use ARS ant killer. It comes in a small sealed bag and a plastic box with holes in it. Place it near the entry point (or alternatively along the path) of the ants, and they will go nuts over it.

I have cleared several ant infested houses and condos with this stuff.

It's relatively safe as it is not airborne nor liquid, and any residue will easily be vacuumed up once ants have taken their "leave"

If you are very nervous, simply keep you child away from home over an afternoon while the ants have their party and you should be fine.

It doesn't work with those BIG black or BIG red soldier ants though.

[ovenman]

I use ARS ant killer. It comes in a small sealed bag and a plastic box with holes in it. Place it near the entry point (or alternatively along the path) of the ants, and they will go nuts over it.

I've also used that stuff successfully a few times.

[lingnoi1977]

Talcum powder.

Ants are tracking insects. Talcum powder, or any powder for that matter throws them off track.

Sounds silly but it works.

[skybluestu]

Read recently that wiping surfaces with a white vinegar/water solution helps too.

[chris5346]

hello,

i just gotta say how good the ARS in the small green plastic box works - i put half of packet up stairs and the ants came flooding from the roof and day later no ants anymore .also put remained outside where ants were.

i put talc around the skirtings which is also good and vinnegar cleans tiles a treat .

the chalk can put around the windows but you need loads and difficult to get good coverage if walls not perfect - can put on the floor but washes away and a bit of a waste of time and money.

crandite i put outside which maybe helping but i think maybe a waste of money ?maybe it stops ants from outside coming in abit.

for my the ARS was a winner because ants in the roof and i wud never have been able to have done much to stop the problem.

result,

chris

[xen]

Apparently a good way of getting rid of ants and other insect pests according to friend of mine is to collect the ants and put them in an blender and make a paste of them , then thin the paste down i guess with water and spray where the ants are. Apparently they don't like the thought of their brothers and sisters being sprayed around the place in such a manner . He says it works for snails too. He also advises that you use a blender dedicated for only that purpose as using it for a milkshake later would not be advisable.

MMMMMmmmmmmmm ant flavoured milkshake .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder if it would for telemarketers tooo .......................................................................

[SuperstarStatus]

In Bangkok I would get a big bottle of my Baby Powder and just DUST the whole wall they where on and floor, then that COOLING sensation kicks in and they start shaking and curling up, then they don't come back for a good 2-3 weeks.

[JimShortz]

The simple answer (and the only truly effective answer) is using a Boric Acid based killer. Essentially you add a small amount to a sugar and water solution (google boric acid ant killer for advice on hot to make the solution) and dribble it on the ant trail or where you have ants entering the house. You will then see lots of ants feasting and apparently not dying - in fact it often looks like you are being invaded! Fear not, you don't want them to die until they go and feed your yummy mixture to their queen - the more that come to feast the better... After 2 to 3 days your ant problem should be solved. Through doing this I have NO ants in my house, at all! Previously I had many varieties... I also ensure I keep them out of the house by baiting with the boric acid solution around the outside of my house (on small plastic trays to stop the mixture soaking into the concrete).

I bought my boric acid in half kilo tub (a lot - enough to share with friends, as I do!) for a few hundred Baht from a chemical supplies shop on Suthep Road in Chiang Mai (opposite the hospital, with lab glassware in the window).

The recipe I use is 1 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup hot water, 6 teaspoons of boric acid powder. This seems to work beautifully, although after some time it will dry out on the plastic trays that I use to bait the ants. I then wash the sugar solution off and apply fresh.

Here's some advice from others: http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__3114034

PS Boric acid is apparently about as toxic as table salt; don't eat it in quantity... but not any real danger to pets, etc...