Any suggestions for getting rid of ants?

[SiobhanClancy]

Those little teeny ghost ants are suddenly all over in the kitchen. I don't want to use insecticides or anything that would be toxic to a pair of curious young cats.

[sabbat hunter]

1. vinager

i have heard that washing cabinets down with a mild vinegar solution and putting drops of vinegar near where the ants are coming in, will help keep them away for a while. it will put a mild smell that should throw the ants off track and not harm the little kitties.


anyone else ever hear of using vinegar like this?

peace
david

[helleborient]

5. Yes, and soap can, too...

But it gets very time-consuming and frustrating.

If you are adamant against the traps, I would say go with the vinegar.

[helleborient]

2. I'm no fan of toxic chemicals in the house...

And I have cats, too.

But...the ant traps seem to be pretty safe around the cats, and they do tend to work well.

Some ants are attracted to fats (grease, oil, etc.) and others are attracted to sugar. Different traps work with different ants it seems. I had an infestation where I had to try two different kinds before they worked, but they did. And no problem with the cats.

The traps apparently work by having the ants carry portions of the bait back to the colony and poisoning the colony in its home.

[populistmom]

3. Yes, yes, yes

Equal parts sugar and borax works great, but it's NOT safe for pets so make sure pets can't get access to it.
Another one is instant grits. The ants eat the grits and then basically it expands in their gut and they blow up. Messy, but safe for pets.

Edited because I forgot one. Dish soap. Make a line of dish soap over where they are coming in and they won't cross it. That works if you know where they're coming in obviously. However, you can put it in front of cabinets or where ever you don't want ants to go.

[section321]

4. Windex.

If they find something worth eating, they light up a trail that other ants follow.

The ammonia in the Windex will eliminate the trail.

[qb]

6. We used a citrus-based spray that's supposed to be pet-safe

I can't remember what it's called, but spraying around points of entry did the trick.

[SiobhanClancy]

7. Thank you all for the great ideas:)

They all sound great::

[LibInternationalist]

8. I've had good luck with traps...

just put them somewhere the cats can't get to -- in a cabinet, under an appliance or something (We have two cats, and haven't had any problems)

[trotsky]

9. Chemicals can be very safe & effective.

Terro is outstanding on sweet-eating ants. Just put a drop or two on a piece of paper, then put the paper out of reach of animals. It is a slow-acting poison, the ants take it back to the nest to feed the young, so it's very effective at solving the problem longer-term.

Also, if your cats do not go outside, you can get a stronger outdoor spray and spray ALL AROUND your house, where the foundation meets the ground, and up the foundation wall to the siding. Ants have to come from outside, so if you poison every path into your house, they're S.O.L. I did that this year, and had NO ants - not a one - in the house.

[geniph]

10. Move!

No, just kidding. I hate those itsy-bitsy ants though - they'll appear out of nowhere one day, then suddenly there's ten million marching through the house. Uck. First line of defense - make sure there is NOTHING for them to eat, not one dropped cheeto or blob of jam on the floors or counters. Wash floors and baseboards (I usually make a special effort to drown any marching ants while I'm doing so). Powder carpets with borax powder and vacuum after about 15 minutes (keep the cats off the carpets until you vacuum). If your cats are indoor only, then you can spread a thin line of ant dust all the way around the foundation of the house and doorsills on the outside. Put ant traps under refrigerators and washing machines (dryer vents are a notorious entrance for ants, and it's nasty to find ants in your dryer). I've been told that most ants DETEST cucumber and will avoid areas with thin slices of cucumber scattered around, but I'd imagine that would attract fruitflies and slugs, which are just as bad.

Freaking things. If I could train my stepsons to clean up their spills of food and stop leaving food on the goddam floor (I'm forever finding open bags of Doritoes on the family room floor, and that's Ant Central), maybe we could get rid of them for good. (A couple of times, we've put away a bag of chips without realizing it'd been infested. Nothing like finding your kitchen cupboards FILLED with ants to give you a real loathing for ants.) Luckily, they haven't yet found the bowls of cat food. If they do, I won't be able to free-feed the cats, which will cause a feline revolt.

[FlaGranny]

16. Cat and dog food dishes can be put into larger

dishes which have water in them. The ants won't be able to get to the food.

[revree]

11. Windex and coffee grounds.

I swear they both work wonders.

[ScrewyRabbit]

12. I once used salt water

Fairly concentrated. It seemed to kill the ants and cover up the trail.

[izzie]

13. I always sprayed the foundation of house a few times a year

and picked up animal dishes off the floor. Been told it will not work but it always worked. 5 $ can of bug spray right along where foundation and house meet.

[VOX]

14. Take the battle to them -- outside the house.

You have to go on the offensive, or they'll just keep coming in. Check the outer perimeter of your house, see if you can locate their trails, hills, etc. If you can, you're in business.

If you find their trail, just spray all along it with Raid (or whatever). If you find a hill, spray a little water on it, wait until they're good and stirred up and above ground, then blast 'em with the bug spray.

Sorry to sound so cruel, but when you've lost hundreds of dollars worth of groceries to these little buggers, it means war!

Good luck --

[FlaGranny]

15. If you use it regularly

Rain Clean PineSol works great. Put a little in a spray bottle and fill it with water and spray in areas where ants congregate. Ants (and bugs) hate it. I got rid of those little tiny ants with it. It smells good too.

[rucky]

17. Safer Soap

active ingredient: Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids...49.00%

Just clean your kitchen with it.

[this_side_up]

18. mix equal parts of

white sugar, yeast and borox. Yeah, 20 Mule Team borox; does
anyone remember that old guy on the tv commercial

Put in jar lids or something and put them in areas where
the animals can't get to it.

What I've read is that the sugar and maybe the yeast
attract them (food) and the borox helps to kill them unless
they blow up after eating the yeast.

Do not put any water in the mixture as then the yeast
won't work.