Ants? Termites? How to rid?

[leafmould]

they both hate the smell of aniseed, (not sure if star anise works which would be easier to find here) make a strong tea of it and spray that if you don't want the poisons, you could try the essential oil mixed with medical alcohol and then water if can't find the seed, actually that might be stronger or maybe try Pernod or Ricard if you can afford it.

[CBR250]

In Australia the pest exterminators are prevented by law from using the powerful chemicals that work so well. They use mostly pyrethrum based sprays, which as noted may not be effective for termites in ceilings or established colonies under the house.

BUT they also have a system that is used when spray would be ineffective, and that uses tiny amounts of powdered arsenic. They carefully make a very small entry to an active termite tunnel, so as not to scare the termites into deserting that tunnel. Then they puff some arsenic powder in. The worker ants remove this from the path by eating it. When they die, their bodies are taken back to the nest for food. Eventually, the tiny amount of arsenic kills the whole nest. Very safe. You could probably find more accurate info by googling, as it was nearly 20 years ago when I had it done at my house in Australia.

the op.lives in Thailand.nothing is banned.

unless the system that ayg.advises that was laid under the house before the build you will need the pest control.

as I live on a moo-ban this was done and we have the treatment done every yr.

Correct - nothing is banned in Thailand, including highly toxic chemicals. Up to you to decide. But as the op had mentioned a reluctance to poison loved ones the Australian system is a reasonable one for consideration.

[Paulzed]

I'm a little surprised by some of the public displays of ignorance shown here. Termites do not like sugar - ants do. (Termites are not ants.) Adding sugar to a poison will do nothing.

Borax/boric acid are not particularly effective termiticides; bicarbonate of soda most definitely isn't effective at all. (Thought it might ease them if they have acid indigestion after eating all that sugar.)

(Thought it might ease them if they have acid indigestion after eating all that sugar.)

That is if they liked sugar in the first place.

[samuijimmy]

I'm a little surprised by some of the public displays of ignorance shown here. Termites do not like sugar - ants do. (Termites are not ants.) Adding sugar to a poison will do nothing.

Borax/boric acid are not particularly effective termiticides; bicarbonate of soda most definitely isn't effective at all. (Thought it might ease them if they have acid indigestion after eating all that sugar.)

Anything CONSTRUCTIVE to add?

Yes ^ rather an ignorant comment.... I agree, he had nothing constructive to say....

The point was to deal with ants primarily.... reading some web sites it is recommended for use on termites... it's not going to harm anything to try and see....

[samuijimmy]

I would point out that our OP has TERMITES not ANTS.

read the heading again! says Ants and termites!

[samuijimmy]

Get some Borax or Boric acid, mix with sugar and water, make traps, it kills the colony of ants and termites, for months.... easy to do oneself....

Several topics on this on Thai Visa forum.. also do a google search ....

Borax is not so easy to find in Thailand. Does anyone have photo of the box?

I posted a picture on first page.... Probably in some stores the box may be different you just need the name in Thai!

[Eric Loh]

In Australia the pest exterminators are prevented by law from using the powerful chemicals that work so well. They use mostly pyrethrum based sprays, which as noted may not be effective for termites in ceilings or established colonies under the house.

BUT they also have a system that is used when spray would be ineffective, and that uses tiny amounts of powdered arsenic. They carefully make a very small entry to an active termite tunnel, so as not to scare the termites into deserting that tunnel. Then they puff some arsenic powder in. The worker ants remove this from the path by eating it. When they die, their bodies are taken back to the nest for food. Eventually, the tiny amount of arsenic kills the whole nest. Very safe. You could probably find more accurate info by googling, as it was nearly 20 years ago when I had it done at my house in Australia.

the op.lives in Thailand.nothing is banned.

unless the system that ayg.advises that was laid under the house before the build you will need the pest control.

as I live on a moo-ban this was done and we have the treatment done every yr.

Correct - nothing is banned in Thailand, including highly toxic chemicals. Up to you to decide. But as the op had mentioned a reluctance to poison loved ones the Australian system is a reasonable one for consideration.

Not quite correct. I deal with chemicals and I know the registration process very well. Many toxic chemicals including DTT, dieldrin, chlordane, lindane have been banned long time ago and anyone caught importing faced a serious fine. Trust me when I say that the registration process is not an easy process with lots of documents and tests required.

[JesseFrank]

I don't want to stir up a termite's nest here but I do have some positive experience. Your local Mini Mart or 20 Baht store will probably sell small sticks of ant chalk. It's remarkably effective if used sensibly (active ingredient Cypermethrin).

Removed gigantic image, if you can come up with something more reasonable please PM me the link and I'll put it back.

Termites can be controlled very effectively with a product called Termidor (active ingredient Fipronil). Google both items for good information on usage, etc....

If you can't find agricultural / commercial quantities of something containing Fipronil, some pet stores sell a "local Frontline substitute" (anti-flea muti). The big dog strength costs 50 baht for 20ml and the active ingredient is Fipronil.

Good luck ....

Cypermethrin is not effective for termites since they can smell it and walk around it.

Bifenthrin they can't smell and is available at homepro and other stores under the name Stedfast.

Another product, which is mentioned in above post and is effective, is Termidor but I don't know if it is available in Thailand.

Something that is available and is available at Homepro and Global house is Premise from Bayer. It is the counterpart from Termidor

[Rimbuman]

Get some Borax or Boric acid, mix with sugar and water, make traps, it kills the colony of ants and termites, for months.... easy to do oneself....

Several topics on this on Thai Visa forum.. also do a google search ....

For termites you won't need the sugar, you can also make your own bait system.

Buy 1.5 inch pvc pipe with end caps (each bait station needs a end cap). Cut one foot pieces pvc pipe, than drill 1/2 or 3/4 inch holes below halfway of the one foot pipe you cut, put the removable end cap on upper half side of the pipe and make around 10 maybe 15 of these depending on how large of an area you want to cover.

Dig these in the ground evenly around your property end cap side just sticking out of the soil and make cardboard rolls that fit inside and put them in and close with end cap. Best would be to make a metal wire around the cardboard with some hook shape so you can take it out easy.

Once you've done that leave it for 3 or 4 weeks and in the meantime prepare a solution water with boric acid after that carefully check each bait station. If one or more have termites in them you'll see it even if you have never seen a termite before, than carefully sprinkle the boric acid solution and put the contaminated cardboard roll back in the bait station.

Try to do this as careful as you can because you don't want to scare them, you want them to eat your bait. The boric acid will shut down their digestion system so they die, but before they die they distribute your bait in their nest and theoretically the whole colony will die.

The reason you don't want to put the boric acid solution on the cardboard rolls right in the beginning is that you want to make sure there is heavy termite traffic to your bait station so there will be sufficient bait spread around the termite colony.

After a wile you can can put boric acid solution in all your bait stations as maintenance and check periodically.

In the house on ceilings you can spread fine boric acid powder as well behind spots where you hardly come like cupboards, kitchen counter and so on, if there is room you could even cardboard soaked bait mini packs, they also work well.

A last remark, there also people who don't care who dig holes randomly dump cardboard soaked bait packs in the holes and cover them up.

I like the bait station idea better because than I know I got them and it is not that much more work.

This should keep 'em under control.

[Rimbuman]

Get some Borax or Boric acid, mix with sugar and water, make traps, it kills the colony of ants and termites, for months.... easy to do oneself....

Several topics on this on Thai Visa forum.. also do a google search ....

The OP would be very well advised to follow this - It works a treat - Boric acid is hard to find in Thailand. But it is the active ingredient in most ophthalmic solutions such as contact lens solution. Just mix with sugar - works fine.

I can buy it per kilo or 25 kilo bails at the chemicals shop. The point is probably, that it is hard to ask around for you and that is why you can't find it.

[Rimbuman]

I'm a little surprised by some of the public displays of ignorance shown here. Termites do not like sugar - ants do. (Termites are not ants.) Adding sugar to a poison will do nothing.

Borax/boric acid are not particularly effective termiticides; bicarbonate of soda most definitely isn't effective at all. (Thought it might ease them if they have acid indigestion after eating all that sugar.)

You right that boric acid is not that effective by it self because termites don't eat it. Only when stuff that they eat is treated it works.

The powder by it self only works if it's fine enough (fine salt grain is to big) because it should stick on the termite. Termites than will ingest fine particles when they clean them selves. they seem to clean them selves a lot like a cat for example.

[Bpuumike]

I don't want to stir up a termite's nest here but I do have some positive experience. Your local Mini Mart or 20 Baht store will probably sell small sticks of ant chalk. It's remarkably effective if used sensibly (active ingredient Cypermethrin).

Removed gigantic image, if you can come up with something more reasonable please PM me the link and I'll put it back.

Termites can be controlled very effectively with a product called Termidor (active ingredient Fipronil). Google both items for good information on usage, etc....

If you can't find agricultural / commercial quantities of something containing Fipronil, some pet stores sell a "local Frontline substitute" (anti-flea muti). The big dog strength costs 50 baht for 20ml and the active ingredient is Fipronil.

Good luck ....

The chalk is excellent for ants. Not so much that it kills them but just repels them for whatever reason.

Needs to be applied every few weeks or so when it gets rubbed off or 'stale'.

Have not checked it's toxicity so be careful around areas kids and pets can reach. I'm also careful to wash my hands thoroughly after chalking it around the exterior walls, etc.

[pbeieio]

I had a problem with both insects.

Ants are easy, mix borax and icing sugar and leave it for their consumption

Termites need a professional treatment involving destroying the subterranean colony under or close to your house.

They use some nasty stuff, but the treatment involves drilling (25 or so) holes and injecting under pressure the chemicals.

At the time I had fish, rabbits and a dog. No effect on them but for the following 3 weeks there was a horrible smell.

I presume this was the rotting "biomass|" of the termite colony.

You may have to repeat the treatment every 2/3 years as a preventative measure.

[CharlesHH]

OMG, those mud tracks are significant. You have a HUGE problem.

Termites....... break the mud track and do Raid type spray there.

but main battle is to have your floors drilled and poison injected all around. holes sealed, of course.

They will eat your furniture, too.

Get a pro company because this is serious and is likely all thru your home.

Ants.... local treatment, like in your bed and nearby walls/windows, is baby powder. Spread a hand sized band of powder all along edge of bed sheets and on the window nearby. This is a Thai wife fix who does not want to kill the critters, just keep them off of me. Surprise, this works like a charm. Reapply onto change of sheets.

Ants love diabetic people, so if they go after you and not the person beside you, get a glucose tolerance test.

[meatboy]

the last few yrs.we use zypertac 10 mc.5lts.last about 12months,mix with water in our solo pressure sprayer,in the house,under the stairs,under all the kitchen cabinets,around the skirting boards,behind bedroom furniture,as we have a large garden during the rainy season we get quite a lot,walk around the garden and you will see the tell tale signs,fine earth pushed up around a hole,spray some of that down that will sort them out.we had a hornets nest under our guttering it even put paid to them,any ching choks in the house one squirt and they are drunk,its rearly good stuff but make sure you pets are kept clear of it for a few hrs.

[Gandtee]

In Australia the pest exterminators are prevented by law from using the powerful chemicals that work so well. They use mostly pyrethrum based sprays, which as noted may not be effective for termites in ceilings or established colonies under the house.

BUT they also have a system that is used when spray would be ineffective, and that uses tiny amounts of powdered arsenic. They carefully make a very small entry to an active termite tunnel, so as not to scare the termites into deserting that tunnel. Then they puff some arsenic powder in. The worker ants remove this from the path by eating it. When they die, their bodies are taken back to the nest for food. Eventually, the tiny amount of arsenic kills the whole nest. Very safe. You could probably find more accurate info by googling, as it was nearly 20 years ago when I had it done at my house in Australia.

the op.lives in Thailand.nothing is banned.

unless the system that ayg.advises that was laid under the house before the build you will need the pest control.

as I live on a moo-ban this was done and we have the treatment done every yr.

Some things are banned here. Borax for instance. I was told it is effective for killing termites. As with arsenic it is carried back to the termite mound and eventually the queen dies. Unfortunately borax is banned and difficult to obtain. The problem was, or is, that vendors put it into their produce to make it crisp and fresh.

[Eric Loh]

In Australia the pest exterminators are prevented by law from using the powerful chemicals that work so well. They use mostly pyrethrum based sprays, which as noted may not be effective for termites in ceilings or established colonies under the house.

BUT they also have a system that is used when spray would be ineffective, and that uses tiny amounts of powdered arsenic. They carefully make a very small entry to an active termite tunnel, so as not to scare the termites into deserting that tunnel. Then they puff some arsenic powder in. The worker ants remove this from the path by eating it. When they die, their bodies are taken back to the nest for food. Eventually, the tiny amount of arsenic kills the whole nest. Very safe. You could probably find more accurate info by googling, as it was nearly 20 years ago when I had it done at my house in Australia.

the op.lives in Thailand.nothing is banned.

unless the system that ayg.advises that was laid under the house before the build you will need the pest control.

as I live on a moo-ban this was done and we have the treatment done every yr.

Some things are banned here. Borax for instance. I was told it is effective for killing termites. As with arsenic it is carried back to the termite mound and eventually the queen dies. Unfortunately borax is banned and difficult to obtain. The problem was, or is, that vendors put it into their produce to make it crisp and fresh.

Borax is not banned here. I use boric and borax in my production. I also have a formula that has arsenic and used for wood treatment. It is relatively easy to buy if you know where.

[Ragzilb]

What ever you do dont use any sugar, you will get more than you asked for. No CINNAMON is the key, an old but safe way of getting rid of ants.

You dont want to fight 8 million ants, cause in the end you will loose. Cinnamon works, crushed, into powder. will keep most pest away

[meatboy]

What ever you do dont use any sugar, you will get more than you asked for. No CINNAMON is the key, an old but safe way of getting rid of ants.

You dont want to fight 8 million ants, cause in the end you will loose. Cinnamon works, crushed, into powder. will keep most pest away

well I never knew that,so now I know why the wifes family never visit. I put cinnamon in everything.

[ableguy]

Get in a pro, we had this problem and they drilled into the concrete and the walls and pressure sprayed.

The termites will eat anything, am x pilot they ate my log books inc plastic covers, also a. Pair of leather shoes.

Hired the pros to spray monthly for a years contract at 1000 baht a month, never had a problem since.

[Phanganguy]

Wow... Replies range from the bizarre (and wont work) to the positively lethal (for all life in the vacinity.... And, via water courses, to the municipality)!

For a relatively safe, relatively enviro friendly, product.... Google Bora Care... Based on boric acid and obtainable by an importer in bkk.... For a slightly lower tech solution (and somewhat less penetrative and effective) try Timbor....

Both are good to protect wood and also stop mud tunnels on external walls.

For soil treatments baited Termidor (Fipronil) is highly effective....

Forget pumping gallons of toxics under your house every year.... Really not enviromentally sound...

[max72]

You're probably going to find this tough. There's probably a large colony of termites under your house. They've probably got in through a crack in the concrete or a service entrance (e.g. electricity). They can also eat through concrete. You need to eliminate the colony under the house, which is easier said than done. Most treatments here involve spraying into the ground around the house to create a barrier. Once they're inside the barrier such treatment is ineffective.

Within the house they may well have entered the sheetrock. You might be able to see slightly indented tracks in the sheetrock where they've burrowed close to the surface. They may also have established a colony behind the sheetrock. And possibly they have entered the ceiling, which I presume is also made of something the termites find tasty.

In a house I (thankfully) rented, all the kitchen units had to be ripped out, ditto the ceiling, then the whole place drenched in insecticide. Holes were drilled in the floor throughout the ground floor of the house and insecticide injected into the soil underneath, and the holes then sealed with silicone.

I wish you luck.

You're absolutely right.

I have had this problem in my condo for 6 YEARS, man and every time i spray that stuff the termites go away for awhile but after few weeks they always come back.

The building management executes periodical treatments once a month but the problem has never been solved at 100%.

[max72]

You're probably going to find this tough. There's probably a large colony of termites under your house. They've probably got in through a crack in the concrete or a service entrance (e.g. electricity). They can also eat through concrete. You need to eliminate the colony under the house, which is easier said than done. Most treatments here involve spraying into the ground around the house to create a barrier. Once they're inside the barrier such treatment is ineffective.

Within the house they may well have entered the sheetrock. You might be able to see slightly indented tracks in the sheetrock where they've burrowed close to the surface. They may also have established a colony behind the sheetrock. And possibly they have entered the ceiling, which I presume is also made of something the termites find tasty.

In a house I (thankfully) rented, all the kitchen units had to be ripped out, ditto the ceiling, then the whole place drenched in insecticide. Holes were drilled in the floor throughout the ground floor of the house and insecticide injected into the soil underneath, and the holes then sealed with silicone.

I wish you luck.

You're absolutely right.

I have had this problem in my condo for 6 YEARS, man and every time i spray that stuff the termites go away for awhile but after few weeks they always come back.

The building management executes periodical treatments once a month but the problem has never been solved at 100%.