New Type Of Annoying Ants..

[Cheesekraft]

New to my house/location anyways, and I have never heard of them before, but they are a massive PITA. These are small black ants that group up and hide in places. I first discovered them picking up a playstation 3 controller, THOUSANDS of ants were hiding inside of it, which came as quite a surprise. Now they are staying in small groups in windows and random places (toothbrush, computer, mask). I just killed a group of about ten near my computer, and about five minutes later there is a larger group "checking what happened" in the same spot. I sprayed with some spray, but they are in small groups in many places. I have tried ARS ant food killer, they seemed eat it for a day or two, then no ants would touch the stuff.

I took a youtube video of the ants in the playstation 3 controller, but the quality sucks.

Any ideas on these ants? They are driving me crazy.

[theblether]

I recommend that you get the ants to do the Can Can for you and then post it on Youtube, action videos are always the best.

[STUDMEYER]

I've had good luck with the green ant killer traps. A Friend recommended the green ant poison traps - Put a few out, 2 days later no more ants.

[Greenside]

I've had good luck with the green ant killer traps. A Friend recommended the green ant poison traps - Put a few out, 2 days later no more ants.

The actual make and shop where you can get them would be helpful. There are so many varieties around.

[Dante99]

I've had good luck with the green ant killer traps. A Friend recommended the green ant poison traps - Put a few out, 2 days later no more ants.

The actual make and shop where you can get them would be helpful. There are so many varieties around.

The one I have used with good success for many years is ARS Ant Killer. It is a green plastic box about 4.5x7x1cm with clipped corners. The bait is in a foil bag and you only need a little each time. It is sold on a mostly yellow and red 10x16cm card. Close the foil bag tightly after opening to avoid moisture which will cause the bait to get sticky and limit its effectiveness, hard for ants to move a large gooey piece. The ants take the bait back to their nest to store and share. Sometimes I do not bother with the plastic box if I see active ants and just pour a little where they are, then watch them mess around and finally start hauling it off.

Where to get them is a bit difficult because I have found them out of stock often but Tops @ airport plaza has had them and I think Rimping may have stocked them in the past. Sorry no upto date info on where as I stocked up last time and have not looked recently.

I have not had luck with it for the very big black ants and as mentioned above sometimes the ants learn to avoid it but they also forget that lesson.

[ChiangMaiTrue]

The house we rent get every month some liquid sprayed around to keep the bugs away, maybe you should ask them to do the same. This guy is from the Pest Control, organized from our landlord

Edited October 4, 2012 by ChiangMaiTrue

[masuk]

I'd be very wary of pest controllers, either amateur or professional. and would want to know exactly what they'd be putting around where I live.

Look at the problems they had treating some hotel rooms for bed bugs.

Use a pyrethum based spray and be wary of the others. It's in TOPS.

"What is Pyrethrum? Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide extracted from the pyrethrum plant. It is safe to humans, but deadly to insects."

[canuckamuck]

I have a similar problem, but I would call these ants large ants. They are nocturnal so we only see them at night. Any hollow space is a likely hideout for these guys and if you spook them they come out like a flood. A few weeks ago they had made a home in a cooler, we had it in the back of truck and when we took the truck to town to get roll bars put on, the ants came out and covered the truck. The guy at the shop asked if we were raising ants.

[market trader]

I've had good luck with the green ant killer traps. A Friend recommended the green ant poison traps - Put a few out, 2 days later no more ants.

The actual make and shop where you can get them would be helpful. There are so many varieties around.

The one I have used with good success for many years is ARS Ant Killer. It is a green plastic box about 4.5x7x1cm with clipped corners. The bait is in a foil bag and you only need a little each time. It is sold on a mostly yellow and red 10x16cm card. Close the foil bag tightly after opening to avoid moisture which will cause the bait to get sticky and limit its effectiveness, hard for ants to move a large gooey piece. The ants take the bait back to their nest to store and share. Sometimes I do not bother with the plastic box if I see active ants and just pour a little where they are, then watch them mess around and finally start hauling it off.

Where to get them is a bit difficult because I have found them out of stock often but Tops @ airport plaza has had them and I think Rimping may have stocked them in the past. Sorry no upto date info on where as I stocked up last time and have not looked recently.

I have not had luck with it for the very big black ants and as mentioned above sometimes the ants learn to avoid it but they also forget that lesson.

I use these traps also and they have proven very effective for the small ants in my house. I buy them at Big C and Tesco/ Lotus.

[jagi00]

I've had good luck with the green ant killer traps. A Friend recommended the green ant poison traps - Put a few out, 2 days later no more ants.

The actual make and shop where you can get them would be helpful. There are so many varieties around.

The one I have used with good success for many years is ARS Ant Killer. It is a green plastic box about 4.5x7x1cm with clipped corners. The bait is in a foil bag and you only need a little each time. It is sold on a mostly yellow and red 10x16cm card. Close the foil bag tightly after opening to avoid moisture which will cause the bait to get sticky and limit its effectiveness, hard for ants to move a large gooey piece. The ants take the bait back to their nest to store and share. Sometimes I do not bother with the plastic box if I see active ants and just pour a little where they are, then watch them mess around and finally start hauling it off.

Where to get them is a bit difficult because I have found them out of stock often but Tops @ airport plaza has had them and I think Rimping may have stocked them in the past. Sorry no upto date info on where as I stocked up last time and have not looked recently.

I have not had luck with it for the very big black ants and as mentioned above sometimes the ants learn to avoid it but they also forget that lesson.

I bought some in Big C yesterday - lots on the shelf

[STUDMEYER]

I've had good luck with the green ant killer traps. A Friend recommended the green ant poison traps - Put a few out, 2 days later no more ants.

The actual make and shop where you can get them would be helpful. There are so many varieties around.

The one I have used with good success for many years is ARS Ant Killer. It is a green plastic box about 4.5x7x1cm with clipped corners. The bait is in a foil bag and you only need a little each time. It is sold on a mostly yellow and red 10x16cm card. Close the foil bag tightly after opening to avoid moisture which will cause the bait to get sticky and limit its effectiveness, hard for ants to move a large gooey piece. The ants take the bait back to their nest to store and share. Sometimes I do not bother with the plastic box if I see active ants and just pour a little where they are, then watch them mess around and finally start hauling it off.

Where to get them is a bit difficult because I have found them out of stock often but Tops @ airport plaza has had them and I think Rimping may have stocked them in the past. Sorry no upto date info on where as I stocked up last time and have not looked recently.

I have not had luck with it for the very big black ants and as mentioned above sometimes the ants learn to avoid it but they also forget that lesson.

I bought some in Big C yesterday - lots on the shelf

the little green ant traps. There is only one kind of little green ant trap.

Tip: Cut a very small hole in the bait bag - or else you may accidentally over fill the trap.

Also, just use a little at a time, Im still using the first bag on 6 traps.

[elektrified]

Been having the same problem. Unusual looking little black ants. They mostly show up in the kitchen (by the tens of thousands). They stay very close together and form a 'carpet' or 'beard' over things like bags of rice or bags of dog food, or the entire corner of the kitchen from floor to ceiling. Very difficult to get rid of. Some locals in the village said they only come every few years when there will be very heavy rains. Don't know if that is true as it has not rained much recently.

[Cheesekraft]

yes those sound like the same. I believe they build little hives they evacuate to outside, at least there are a few near where they are coming inside. I really hope they don't start showing up in the tens of thousands... thousands is too much already

[Konini]

yes those sound like the same. I believe they build little hives they evacuate to outside, at least there are a few near where they are coming inside. I really hope they don't start showing up in the tens of thousands... thousands is too much already

We used to get them very badly in Australia, you have to trace their trail to find the nest and boil the kettle. Of course they just build another nest, but it keeps the population down for quite a while. And there's always a chance that they'll build the new nest next door. For around beds and kitchen cupboards, I have a nice straight line of ant chalk - they won't pass it under any surfaces, I've occasionally entertained myself after a few drinks watching them out on the balcony; up to the line then turn back - careful if you have a dog, cat or little one, it's pretty toxic stuff, and the ones coming out of China would be even more so. Once a year, I go around just above the skirting boards and wall/ceiling joints, balcony, windows and doors - the whole apartment - and top up on the kitchen hiding it in the tile grout a couple of times during the year. We've had no trouble with them since the first few weeks we were here and discovered the magic chalk. Waking up with ants in the bed was worse than finding them in the kitchen cupboards - the next day I was ready to leave but was told about ant chalk. Not sure if it would work on these unusual types though, ours were just common ants.

[Cheesekraft]

I definitely agree, finding them in bed is the worst, with them running on the computer monitor and on my body during the day almost as bad. Lining everything with ant chalk sounds like a great idea, I have been trying out the ARS ant killers, and they don't seem to like it. The first day I put it out a lot of ants were interested, but now they are just avoiding it. I fear the ants are faster learners than me..

[PoodMaiDai]

There is a kind of ant called a "crazy ant" that does not walk in a pattern, they all go all directions, but they eat ELECTRONICS in addition to other things! I had them once in an older apartment that I left empty for a month while I went home. Came back and they were inside my remote, in my radio, in my desktop computer, and in my DVD player. Google them, they are awful. Easy to kill, but you don't want them eating that stuff. I don't even know how it's possible they can eat it.

[Cheesekraft]

wow, definitely going to do a search, they were certainly inside of a PS3 controller by the thousands, EATING them?! Thats crazy.

[PoodMaiDai]

wow, definitely going to do a search, they were certainly inside of a PS3 controller by the thousands, EATING them?! Thats crazy.

So they say. I couldn't tell if they were actually eating on the electronics or not, but online info says they do. I'm thinking it is maybe glue or resin that holds parts together that may attract them to the electronics. I wish I would have recorded video of my invasion years ago when this happened, because it really has to be seen to be believed. Was the craziest thing. The same apartment also had ants that would materialize from what seemed like thin air to eat jing jok turds that stuck to the wall. One minute nothing is there, the next there is a swarm. You go use the loo and come back and they are all gone, no trail or anything. Was always entertaining.

[PoodMaiDai]

Another thing the crazy ants will do, is use their dead to build bridges over ant poison powder. It's remarkable. They are a highly evolved breed of ant and I've thankfully only come across them once here.

[MilesCh]

Activity on this thread is quite old My laptop screen has many of these little buggers shooting around and I believe the keyboard as well. A year or so ago I used Chaindritr water base flying insect killer and repeatedl sprayed the table and chair base and wires to the computer and componants which seemed to work for awhile. Now we have moved and again are infested. Any tips would be appreciated -- I fear using a water base spray or any spray directly to the computer scereen or it's sides.