How can I get rid of sugar ants, I have them in my kitchen and bathroom?
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I've had those ants a few times over the years. It always seems no matter how clean you keep your kitchen (or elsewhere) they still seem to come. But, I've been able to get rid of them for years at a time by doing the following.
Get a cheap bottle of boric acid powder (a very mild and safe form of ant control you can get at places like Home Depot and Lowes in the pest control section next to the gardening supplies). Also get a small container of mint jelly from the grocery store (I found it at Albertsons grocery store).
Mix two tablespoons boric acid powder per 10 ounces of mint apple jelly. Take a thin piece of cardboard or a doubled over piece of paper and tape it firmly against part of the surface (such as a counter) directly over the pathway the ants are using and make thin rows of the boric acid jelly solution on it, with enough space between the rows for the ants to get between so that as many of the ants have access to the edges of the jelly as possible. Some will get stuck in the jelly, but many will take bits of this stuff back to their nest and feed it to the rest of the colony and queen. You may have to replace the paper or cardboard with fresh jelly daily for 3 or 4 days, and then they'll be gone for good. (By the way, you may actually see more ants in the first 24 hours after you first put the boric acid jelly out, but then it tapers down quickly during the 2nd day because they begin dying as they take the stuff back to their colony.)
The way the stuff works is that it dehydrates them from the inside out.
Buy some Semolina from a food shop. Put it in jam jar lids around your property. Ants love it, but they can't digest it, and they will die. Works well.Also ants hate talcuum powder, the smellier the better.Good Luck!
i like that clear ant gel sold under the combat brand. it comes in a little plastic syringe and you put just a dot of it where you see them. they of course grab the bate and take it home, killing themselves and all their friends and relatives in the process.
i put it down when i first see them. i put it just outside my exterior doors and in the window sillls. i buy a LOT because i put it down as much as necessary and i dont want to run out from spring to fall.
Has the weather been dry in your area lately? They could be looking for water. Or they may be getting in from cracks "around" pipes & plumbing...either way I simpathize. I dealt with sugar ants off & on over the years...and in different places.
My best advise is a double line of defense. Indoors use ant bait. Some stuff called "ant-taro". A couple drops on a small square of cardboard works great. They feed & bring it back to the colony to feed others. Put it "in their way"...i.e. along walls, corners. But it is a poison & should be handled carefully. Plus if you have pets, it could be a threat to their well being.
Now for the safest option yet. I was amazed when I tried it and it worked. Pepper! Just some cheap stuff in bulk size. I just a generic red pepper, but I'm sure a blck pepper would work as well. I put line of it all the way around the house(my ants were coming in from the yard) & I put some around all my base boards& outside doorways. The best part is it is natural & safe for pets. Some use talc, but that could get messy with pets (& cause curios white paw prints all over the house)...Now don't get me wroung, a curious pet will get in a couple of sneezes at first, but who doesn't enjoy a good sneeze once and a while.
I hope that even if you don't use my suggestions, you find a solution that works best for you! GOOD LUCK!!
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