Need Exterminator For Ants

[seesip]

I have a pretty heavy ant population in a shophouse that needs to be dealt with. Anyone have any experiences with local services? Hoping to find something relatively non-toxic for humans. Thx.

[jsflynn603]

Frankly I would not trust a Thai exterminator to save my life!  Case in point was the seemingly apparent application of Chlorpyrifos at a CM hotel which killed two female tourists, and actually from what I heard actually killed more people than the news picked up on.  Chlorpyrifos is an Organophosphate and is banned universally from indoor use, I think it is banned totally in the US these days.  The point is, that if it was used inside living quarters, how do you know what will be applied in your place will be safe? 

 I'd start by buying some boric acid (ask at a pharmacy) and look here for recipes for non-toxic (unless you try to eat it)ant bait:   <a href='http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/IPM/Household/F1/homeantbait.htm' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://bexar-tx.tamu...homeantbait.htm</a>  There are hundreds of kinds of ants and you will have to experiment to see if they will take it dry, or if you need to use one of the other recipes.  Further, they may not be interested at all though I'll bet it'll work.  If the boric acid confections don't work try:  

domyownpestcontrol.com 

For five years I tried every ant bait, poison, etc on ants, not in my house, so I couldn't use the boric acid concoction, but so widespread on my property that their presence killed all the grass (this in the US, not in CM).  I tried Sevin, and other products, they'd knock them down but never complete the job, and the next year they'd be back in force.  I have bought two products from the above site: Maxforce granular insect bait ($85 but enough for a hectare) it was amazing, 99.99 gone in one week, I find tiny occasional colonies now but suspect they are migrants from neighbors yards.  The bait is sprinkled near where the ants are, they take it into the colony, feed it to pupae who apparently give off a food that is given to the Queen, and it is there that the damage is done, when the Queen is killed.  Ants are very, very smart, if a poison acts quickly, they "get it," and forevermore avoid it.    I also had a problem with Carpenter Ants and bought a gel, again, one week, ants gone, never to return.  You may not be able to have these products shipped to Thailand (or you may, I don't know) but that company knows its stuff and has great products.  If nothing else you might use it as a source and then contact Bayer (maker of Maxforce) to find a Thai distributor.

Edited August 25, 2011 by jsflynn603

[seesip]

Thanks for the info. I ended up using Eco Pest which uses an organic mix that smells a bit like the organic mosquito repellant body spray you can buy around town. The ants all died in 2-3 days (today is day 3) along with some cockroaches too. Too early to tell long term effects but so far so good.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Try : Aswin powder available at Big-C or Tesco Lotus , works perfect for me

[Tokay]

Powder you can get around town really does the trick. They take it back to their colony and they all die off. After a few rounds of this, we have not had any ants for about 8 months now. We're also careful to not let food sit out too long.

If you want to be a little more organic, use distilled white vinegar. Put it in a spray bottle and have at it.

[Crixus]

I would be careful with any company promoting "Eco" or "Bio" products. One such company was doing this and they were using "Permethrin", which is a synthetic pyrethroid and is classed as hazardous and a poison. Any insecticide that kills is not bio. Natural does not equal safe. Nicotine is one of the deadliest, most toxic poisons there is. Oxalic acid is almost as dangerous. The first comes from tobacco plant, the other from rhubarb leaves (and other plants). Also, most "bio" products are not residual and de-grade in a matter of hours rather than weeks!! And that goes for almost all insecticides in Thailand.

Pest Control Companies only have to do a 1 week course through the Thai FDA to be registered here, compared to the extensive training that has to be done in the West. So be aware! Check the companies credentials and ask questions. They should also leave you with a sheet to say what insecticides have been used, as a bare minimum. There are good companies out there, but few and far between. If it is farang company, where did they do their training? Australia, America and South Africa are countries that have similar pests to Thailand.

As for doing it yourself, well it can be done. Yes, boric acid is good but you cannot buy it easily here. It is on the Thai FDA list of controlled substances. Bayer produces a good ant gel, that I have seen in Central supermarket. Speak to Bayer directly and they can tell you where to purchase it. BUT ALWAYS READ THE LABEL! Use any insecticide for ants in small quantities, more is not necessarily better. Especially if you have children and pets. Your cans are good for a knockdown, but again, not a residual insecticide so will not last. Ant chalk is hit and miss. The best solution is sweep the floors morning and night, do not leave food from children or pets on the floor, or leave sweet, sticky utensils on kitchen surfaces. Wash up as you go along as you could leave a cockroach and ant banquet!!

Hope this information has been useful....