I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Thanks.

Steve

"Steve G." wrote:

I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Thanks.

Steve
Amdro. Used according to directions is very inexpensive, even though
a bag may cost more than a can of spray. Other than that, make a bait
with boric acid and fake maple syrup. Check for past posts on the
subject in MCFL.

In article ,
Steve G. wrote:
I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

The spray only kills the ants you spray; it doesn't go back to
the nest and deal with the colony.

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Ammonia doesn't kill them, it just confuses them.

I just dealt with an ant problem using a mixture of honey and
boric acid powder, in roughly equal amounts, placed in a couple
of plastic caps from juice bottles (64 oz Ocean Spray bottles,
not small bottles). Put a layer of honey about 1/8" (3mm) deep
in the cap, then add enough boric acid powder to make a paste.

Place in or near the ants' paths; occasionally add a few drops
of water to keep it soft. It'll take a week to ten days (have
to get all the new hatchlings) but then they're gone.

Thanks.

You're welcome.


Gary

--
Gary Heston What do you call two SUVs colliding?
Poetic justice.
A worthwhile endeavour:
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/c...jects/CTDSites

(Gary Heston) wrote in news:128clc6aefg7e49
@corp.supernews.com:

In article ,
Steve G. wrote:
I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

The spray only kills the ants you spray; it doesn't go back to
the nest and deal with the colony.

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Ammonia doesn't kill them, it just confuses them.

I just dealt with an ant problem using a mixture of honey and
boric acid powder, in roughly equal amounts, placed in a couple
of plastic caps from juice bottles (64 oz Ocean Spray bottles,
not small bottles). Put a layer of honey about 1/8" (3mm) deep
in the cap, then add enough boric acid powder to make a paste.

Place in or near the ants' paths; occasionally add a few drops
of water to keep it soft. It'll take a week to ten days (have
to get all the new hatchlings) but then they're gone.

Thanks.

You're welcome.


Gary


Is "boric acid powder" and "Borax" the same thing? I tried that once and
it didn't seem to make any difference...

-- Bob

Odd Bob wrote:
(Gary Heston) wrote in news:128clc6aefg7e49
@corp.supernews.com:

In article ,
Steve G. wrote:
I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

The spray only kills the ants you spray; it doesn't go back to
the nest and deal with the colony.

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Ammonia doesn't kill them, it just confuses them.

I just dealt with an ant problem using a mixture of honey and
boric acid powder, in roughly equal amounts, placed in a couple
of plastic caps from juice bottles (64 oz Ocean Spray bottles,
not small bottles). Put a layer of honey about 1/8" (3mm) deep
in the cap, then add enough boric acid powder to make a paste.

Place in or near the ants' paths; occasionally add a few drops
of water to keep it soft. It'll take a week to ten days (have
to get all the new hatchlings) but then they're gone.

Is "boric acid powder" and "Borax" the same thing?

Nope.
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=bo...epq=boric+acid

I tried that once and it didn't seem to make any difference...

"Steve G." wrote in message
...
I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Thanks.

Steve

If they are carpenter ants, killing them won't solve the problem. You have
to find the and fix the damp wood that is attracting them. We're going
through this right now...our west wall had water problems that we thought
were fixed. Now the windows need pulled out, framing replaced, and
extermination of the critters during the process, plus finding where the
water has continued to get in. We had no internal evidence of water after
the first repair...

Melissa

Steve G. wrote:
I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Thanks.

Steve

I use WD-40 when I can find the hole that they go into. I wouldn't
spray it all over a room, but in a hole, behind wood, it is very
effective. It seems rather permanent.

On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 04:18:46 GMT, spewed forth :

Amdro. Used according to directions is very inexpensive, even though
a bag may cost more than a can of spray. Other than that, make a bait
with boric acid and fake maple syrup. Check for past posts on the
subject in MCFL.

I second the AMDRO recommendation. The green-labelled formulation
works against most common varieties of ants. Sprinkle liberally
around the outside foundation and indoors wherever you've seen ants.

+++++++++++++

Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET.
This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%.
Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

"Steve G." writes:

I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Is there a visible ant hill outside, where the ants live? I got rid
of an invasion of foraging ants inside a couple years ago by pouring a
few pots of boiling water on their nest outside. After that, any
remaining ants from that nest decided to relocate, and they haven't
been back since.

The boiling water will kill vegetation, too, so watch where you put
it.

-Sandra

Odd Bob wrote:
Is "boric acid powder" and "Borax" the same thing? I tried that once and
it didn't seem to make any difference...



Not the same. You can buy boric acid at most pharmacies. It comes in a fine
white powder. Boric acid is good for more than just ants, btw... it will kill
roaches as well. Whatever walks through it will carry it back into the nest and
kill the rest of them.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Sandra Loosemore wrote:
"Steve G." writes:

I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Is there a visible ant hill outside, where the ants live? I got rid
of an invasion of foraging ants inside a couple years ago by pouring a
few pots of boiling water on their nest outside. After that, any
remaining ants from that nest decided to relocate, and they haven't
been back since.

The boiling water will kill vegetation, too, so watch where you put
it.

-Sandra


There is a product named 'Terro" on the market that others who have
used it swear by, but I haven't used it. Is supposed to be carried to
the nest and kills the queen ant.
Very effctive they say.
Jack

"Steve G." wrote in message
...
I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Thanks.

Steve

What kind of things do the ants invade when they get into the house? Are
they going after sugar type things or grease type things?

Anything that kills the ants on contact is not going to be a frugal solution
since you have to keep using it again and again. You want to kill the
entire colony. There are several ant bait products that work well. If the
ants are going after sugar type things then Terro will work pretty well. If
they're going after greasy things then MaxAttrax works well.


Ms P

In article ,
Odd Bob wrote:
(Gary Heston) wrote in news:128clc6aefg7e49
:
[ ... ]
I just dealt with an ant problem using a mixture of honey and
boric acid powder, [ ... ]

Is "boric acid powder" and "Borax" the same thing? I tried that once and
it didn't seem to make any difference...

No, Borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate; boric acid is
boron trihydroxide.

A quick way to find out about chemicals is to do a web search on the
name of the chemical and the acronym MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).
They'll show the scientific name, common names, and the molecular
formula (H3BO3 the case of boric acid).

Almost anything with hard, sharp crystals (i.e., Comet or Ajax type
powdered abrasive cleaners) will also work; the function of the boric
acid powder is to scratch the exoskeleton of the insects and cause
them to dry out. Boric acid is pretty safe stuff, and will wash away
(unlike the abrasive cleaners).


Gary

--
Gary Heston What do you call two SUVs colliding?
Poetic justice.
A worthwhile endeavour:
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/c...jects/CTDSites

There is a product named 'Terro" on the market that others who have
used it swear by, but I haven't used it. Is supposed to be carried to
the nest and kills the queen ant.
Very effctive they say.

'Terro Ant Killer III" is the full name. It works wonders. I am pretty
sure that it is just a mixture of corn syrup and boric acid, but when I made
my own I did not get rid of the ants. With Terro they are gone.

David Teichholtz wrote:
There is a product named 'Terro" on the market that others who have
used it swear by, but I haven't used it. Is supposed to be carried to
the nest and kills the queen ant.
Very effctive they say.

'Terro Ant Killer III" is the full name. It works wonders. I am pretty
sure that it is just a mixture of corn syrup and boric acid, but when I made
my own I did not get rid of the ants. With Terro they are gone.

Another vote for Terro (learned of this on misc.kids) -- just amazing
stuff.

Caledonia

"Steve G." wrote in
:

I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

Thanks.

Steve

http://www.fortworthgov.org/DEM/ecc_badchalk.htm

Although illegal, this stuff is a wonder drug. One small circle or a line
across where ants have a trail and they disappear within minutes. I would
wear gloves and make sure children are not able to get ahold of it as
they may confuse it with chalk.

--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein

(Gary Heston) wrote:

the function of the boric
acid powder is to scratch the exoskeleton of the insects and cause
them to dry out

Boron is an element that interferes with the metabolism of insects,
which is why people have reported positive results with both borax and
boric acid. You may be thinking of diatomaceous earth. I did the web
searches a few years back (before Google was broken) because I was
curious about people reporting that borax was working.

Steve G. wrote:
I am house sitting this year and the house (and walls outside)
have been invaded by ants. They form lines and march all day
and night. I did buy some cans of Raid Roach & Ant Spray and
Ant Spray but after it dries, they return almost immediately!

Is there a frugal (home-maid) solution someone could suggest?
The Raid is expensive and does no good anyway. I was thinking
about ammonia but not sure if it is dangerous.

i bought a gallon of bayer bug and pest killer, and a pump sprayer- the
kind you fill, pump the handle to pressurize, then pull the trigger to
let it stream out.

every time i notice ants, i walk the perimeter and spray. so far its
been about a year, and no ants.

Gary Heston wrote:

Almost anything with hard, sharp crystals (i.e., Comet or Ajax type
powdered abrasive cleaners) will also work; the function of the boric
acid powder is to scratch the exoskeleton of the insects and cause
them to dry out. Boric acid is pretty safe stuff, and will wash away
(unlike the abrasive cleaners).

diatomaceous earth used in some pool filters will also work, supposedly.

In ,
SoCalMike spewed forth:
Gary Heston wrote:

Almost anything with hard, sharp crystals (i.e., Comet or Ajax type
powdered abrasive cleaners) will also work; the function of the boric
acid powder is to scratch the exoskeleton of the insects and cause
them to dry out. Boric acid is pretty safe stuff, and will wash away
(unlike the abrasive cleaners).

diatomaceous earth used in some pool filters will also work,
supposedly.

diatomaceous earth and pool filter DE are different, the latter has no
pesticide value.
As for diatomaceous earth, I've had excellent results with fleas and ants as
well as other pests. You can dust your pets with, put it in their food(for
internal parasites) and around their food outdoors to keep the ants out of
it.
ymmv

SoCalMike wrote:
Gary Heston wrote:

Almost anything with hard, sharp crystals (i.e., Comet or Ajax type
powdered abrasive cleaners) will also work; the function of the boric
acid powder is to scratch the exoskeleton of the insects and cause
them to dry out. Boric acid is pretty safe stuff, and will wash away
(unlike the abrasive cleaners).

diatomaceous earth used in some pool filters will also work, supposedly.

I finally controlled all the bugs, including ants coming into my home
by
circling the perimeter with watered down Termidore. You can get it on
the net.

On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 00:44:35 -0000, (Gary Heston)
wrote:

No, Borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate; boric acid is
boron trihydroxide.

Well... Diboric pentoxide. But it doesn't matter,
because either will revert to orthoboric acid when dissolved.
True boric acid exisits only in solution with water, and is
orthoboric acid.


A quick way to find out about chemicals is to do a web search on the
name of the chemical and the acronym MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).
They'll show the scientific name, common names, and the molecular
formula (H3BO3 the case of boric acid).

That's a liquid solution. (H3BO3)

B203 + 3(H20) -- 2(H3BO3)
But H3BO3 = B(OH)3

Depends on how you look at it.

But it gets worse even worse:
http://www.chemicalland21.com/industrialchem/inorganic/BORIC%20ACID.htm

A similar situation exists when CO2 dissolves in H20...
we get carbonic acid. Its decomposition at atmospheric pressure,
due to the high vapor pressure of CO2, is what gives carbonated
beverages their "fizz". But chemically, it's also carbon monoxide
dihydroxide, or carboxyl glycol.

It can get even more ridiculous.

I'm sure most readers have seen the DHMO website? :-)

http://www.dhmo.org/



--
-john
wide-open at throttle dot info

~~~~~~~~
The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining
- JFK
~~~~~~~~

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 03:07:22 -0700, ~^Johnny^~
wrote:

Diboric pentoxide.

Oops! It's late. No, it's early.

Should read : Diboric trioxide, of course.

I hate typos worst when they're not misspellings.
I had phosphorus on the brain from another thread,
and I confabulated (had a brain fart).

--
-john
wide-open at throttle dot info

~~~~~~~~
The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining
- JFK
~~~~~~~~

ChairMan wrote:

diatomaceous earth and pool filter DE are different, the latter has no
pesticide value.
As for diatomaceous earth, I've had excellent results with fleas and ants as
well as other pests. You can dust your pets with, put it in their food(for
internal parasites) and around their food outdoors to keep the ants out of
it.
ymmv

I surprised you didn't notice the Precautionary Statements label which
reads.

HAZARDS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS

which states "Use adequate ventilation and avoid breathing dust."