The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime. They
are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will

Chief Two Eagles wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:38:15 -0500, Wilfred Xavier Pickles wrote:

The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime.
They are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but
doesn't repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't cause
serious problems for pets, etc?

How about a pet anteater?

Chuckle...

For OP, I find the Amdro (or is it "n"; I can _never_ remember) ant
killer effective in the "don't need applicator license" aisle.

Diazinon is no longer available at all in the US afaik and hasn't been
for several years (pushing 10 now???).

The Amdro bait is pretty effective at actually being carried into the
hills and eliminating colonies which is the key to control in areas. It
also does deter them from areas in which there is some scattered it
seems--I notice on sidewalks particularly if there's a den started in a
crack they'll continue to congregate at the entrance until they're done
in but they avoid the former trail areas it's scattered around like the
plague. But, they're conditioned to clean the debris from around the
den and the workers will carry it out and around and in a day or so a
small den will almost always be eliminated completely. Sometimes a
really large den may come back to small activity in a week or so, but a
second application will then get the newcomers. Speaking of which, I
noted while mowing around the equipment lot yesterday a couple big 'uns
I need to go get...

--


--

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:48:23 +0000, Chief Two Eagles wrote:
Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't cause
serious problems for pets, etc?

How about a pet anteater?

:-) I wonder how far they can swim? Maybe the OP needs a moat around
their property.

On Jun 22, 10:16*am, Jules Richardson
wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:48:23 +0000, Chief Two Eagles wrote:
Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't cause
serious problems for pets, etc?

How about a pet anteater?

:-) I wonder how far they can swim? Maybe the OP needs a moat around
their property.

I've been usingthese guys for a couple years now and I'm happy with
them. www.domyownpestcontrol.com

On Jun 22, 9:38*am, Wilfred Xavier Pickles
wrote:
The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime. They
are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will

I had a friend with ants in her garage who didn't want to use poisons
because of her cats. I suggested sprinkling dried chrysanthemum
petals. Apparently they contain natural pyrethrum which kill insects
but are harmless to pets. She bought some from a website and it
worked.

Paul

Wilfred Xavier Pickles wrote:
The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime. They
are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will

I've never heard of a product that repels ants, and the best way is to
remove food/water sources. The best all-around product I have used for
ants is bait composed of sugar and boric acid...there are lots of brand
names and it takes only small amounts. If there is a particular entry
point, leave bait next to the trail. Whether up north or in Florida,
they seem most invasive in the spring....usually gone in a day or two.
Storing sweets or greasy stuff openly is an invitation to ants and when
the ants come in it's usally a reminder to do a thorough
cleaning...greasy stove, spills, crumbs, pet food available, etc.

I would never use an all-over insecticide to try to eradicate ants from
a yard...they have beneficial purposes outdoors and they belong there.

dpb wrote:
Chief Two Eagles wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:38:15 -0500, Wilfred Xavier Pickles wrote:

The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime.
They are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but
doesn't repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't cause
serious problems for pets, etc?

How about a pet anteater?

Chuckle...

For OP, I find the Amdro (or is it "n"; I can _never_ remember) ant
killer effective in the "don't need applicator license" aisle.

Diazinon is no longer available at all in the US afaik and hasn't been
for several years (pushing 10 now???).

The Amdro bait is pretty effective at actually being carried into the
hills and eliminating colonies which is the key to control in areas. It
also does deter them from areas in which there is some scattered it
seems--I notice on sidewalks particularly if there's a den started in a
crack they'll continue to congregate at the entrance until they're done
in but they avoid the former trail areas it's scattered around like the
plague. But, they're conditioned to clean the debris from around the
den and the workers will carry it out and around and in a day or so a
small den will almost always be eliminated completely. Sometimes a
really large den may come back to small activity in a week or so, but a
second application will then get the newcomers. Speaking of which, I
noted while mowing around the equipment lot yesterday a couple big 'uns
I need to go get...

--


--
We began using Amdro when my husband was the handyman for our
condo...lots of outdoor work and loads of fire ants. Amdro sprinkled
lightly along paved areas (patios, pavers, sidewalk, seawall, etc) would
eliminate them for about a year. At least to the extent we didn't get
swarmed when we worked on sprinklers. It's pretty interesting to watch
them try the bait and then tell their friends ) Should be applied
when a couple of days of dry weather is expected and gently so as not to
disturb the nest. I've never tried it for other varieties of ants. The
label directs that it should be broadcast on an entire lawn, but that
was never necessary for us.

wrote:
....

If they will eat Amdro it works fairly well but if it has been used
much around your area they will not eat it anymore. ...

I've never seen that after 10 years or so...but that, of course, is
application as noted above on specific colonies/hills, not broadcast
over an entire area. That would, over time if continued, undoubtedly
breed either avoidance and/or resistance. Not a smart thing to do...

--

Wilfred Xavier Pickles wrote:

The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime. They
are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will

Have you tried Raid Ant and Roach killer?
Find the next and smoke bomb it.

--
LSMFT

I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.
I don't like to interrupt her.

On Jun 22, 10:29*am, dpb wrote:
wrote:

...

If they will eat Amdro it works fairly well but if it has been used
much around your area they will not eat it anymore. ...

I've never seen that after 10 years or so...but that, of course, is
application as noted above on specific colonies/hills, not broadcast
over an entire area. *That would, over time if continued, undoubtedly
breed either avoidance and/or resistance. *Not a smart thing to do...

--

Nor I if you use fresh Amdro. But I have seen them completely ignore
Amdro that has been opened and sitting for a year or two. Evidently
it loses its attractiveness to them.

KC

KC wrote:
....

Nor I if you use fresh Amdro. But I have seen them completely ignore
Amdro that has been opened and sitting for a year or two. Evidently
it loses its attractiveness to them.

Wouldn't know; it never lasts that long...

I'm sure whatever is the bait portion would loses it's volatile
components. I don't know about its toxicity degradation w/ time.

Unless that goes away, it seems to me that since they pick the granules
up and transport them away from the nest openings as debris when it's
scattered it would still be of some benefit even if they don't glom onto
it. Watching, it seems to me that that's sufficient contact to kill,
the only real need for the bait on a den is to get some carried inside
to the tenders and particularly, hopefully, to the queen to end that
particular colony permanently.

--

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:38:15 -0500, Wilfred Xavier Pickles
wrote:


The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime. They
are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will

_Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth_ Found at a farmer supply store. It
is NOT the same as DE used for pool filters.

When ants walk on the tiny fossils it cuts the exoskeleton and they
dehydrate.

see also "Diatomaceous Earth - Organic pest control"

On Jun 22, 9:38*am, Wilfred Xavier Pickles
wrote:
The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime. They
are everywhere.

They congregate around my back door or get into the detached garage, it
bothers me. In the lawn I don't much mind.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will

I recommend highly Googling "Leiningen vs The Ants". It's a short
story of one mans encounter with army ants. Its the first item that
comes up. Once you start to read it it will be hard to stop.

Joe G

wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:29:21 -0500, dpb wrote:

wrote:
...

If they will eat Amdro it works fairly well but if it has been used
much around your area they will not eat it anymore. ...
I've never seen that after 10 years or so...but that, of course, is
application as noted above on specific colonies/hills, not broadcast
over an entire area. That would, over time if continued, undoubtedly
breed either avoidance and/or resistance. Not a smart thing to do...

It happens eventually. When I first moved to Florida in the early 80s
Amdro was the go to solution for fire ants. The extension service even
sold it at a reduced price but eventually it just stopped working.

I have a package of Amdro that is probably 5 or 6 years old. Use it
about once a year now, works great. I no longer treat our condo yard,
but just patios and walkway nearest to us. Seems to be the custom for
fire ants here to move into the building in the spring...one neighbor
said she had them coming from her kitchen drain, but they probably were
going TO it, which one nasty infestation was doing in my condo. We are
ground floor with slider right next to kitchen, so if any food is stored
on counters, they will find it. Most people I know in Fl. keep all that
stuff...bread, cake...in the fridge. We have also had long dry spells
in Florida, and lots of pests will move indoors just looking for water.

For that matter, I have not seen a sugar eating ant around here in 10
years. You can leave a sugar cube on the counter for months and they
won't touch it.

They love Publix coffee cake, bread, butter )

I worked my way through all the proteins baiting them with each thing
they were eating until they simply ran out of things in my house that
they would eat so they don't come in anymore.

Ants have not been here for a million years by being dumb.

"Wilfred Xavier Pickles" wrote

The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime. They
are everywhere.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Yup. Good old fashioned southern treatment. Works great and won't harm
pets, kids, environment etc.

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the mound
and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Will break down into basic organic material of no harm to the grass (in
fact, in time it's a weak fertilizer that will help build topsoil though you
won't use enough to notice that). When it rains, after all is dry, reapply
for a bit until all ants are gone. Once no more signs, occasionally treat
perimeter of yard.

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:37:25 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

Yup. Good old fashioned southern treatment. Works great and won't harm
pets, kids, environment etc.

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the mound
and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Agree.

But no self-respecting southern ant would eat instant grits

"Oren" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

Yup. Good old fashioned southern treatment. Works great and won't harm
pets, kids, environment etc.

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the
mound
and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Agree.

But no self-respecting southern ant would eat instant grits

Well, he's from Missouri. Just t'aint the real south there and it's a good
way to use them instant sorts up when your Idaho born hubby comes back with
a 5 lb sack of the pestiferous things and looks confused when you issue a
few 'southernisms at his head'. I reckon they make the instant type to kill
ants and yankees. Didn't kill the yankees (tough critters) but kept 'em
away from the real stuff so the price is low. Hehehe they H'aint be knowin
what they be missin!

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:04:41 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

"Oren" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

Yup. Good old fashioned southern treatment. Works great and won't harm
pets, kids, environment etc.

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the
mound
and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Agree.

But no self-respecting southern ant would eat instant grits

Well, he's from Missouri. Just t'aint the real south there and it's a good
way to use them instant sorts up when your Idaho born hubby comes back with
a 5 lb sack of the pestiferous things and looks confused when you issue a
few 'southernisms at his head'. I reckon they make the instant type to kill
ants and yankees. Didn't kill the yankees (tough critters) but kept 'em
away from the real stuff so the price is low. Hehehe they H'aint be knowin
what they be missin!


"Why, them's Griyuts, Honey"

Griyuts: What no Southern breakfast would be complete without --
grits. "Ah like griyuts with butter and sawt on 'em, but Ah purely
love 'em with red-eye gravy."

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"Oren" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

Yup. Good old fashioned southern treatment. Works great and won't harm
pets, kids, environment etc.

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the
mound
and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Agree.

But no self-respecting southern ant would eat instant grits

Well, he's from Missouri. Just t'aint the real south there and it's a
good way to use them instant sorts up when your Idaho born hubby comes
back with a 5 lb sack of the pestiferous things and looks confused when
you issue a few 'southernisms at his head'. I reckon they make the
instant type to kill ants and yankees. Didn't kill the yankees (tough
critters) but kept 'em away from the real stuff so the price is low.
Hehehe they H'aint be knowin what they be missin!


Sorry, I was born in New Orleans and I think grits are cat box filler. Yech!
Don't think all southerners eat that crap, 'cause we don't.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will

I have good luck with Amdro, but that's me and that's here. May not where
you are. It is spendy. Finally got the wife to quit using it like powdered
sugar after she went and bought some. "You know what this stuff costs?",
she asked. "Yeah, why do you think I've been telling you to use the small
holes in the shaker instead of the one BIG one?" A few grains per hill, but
like you said, new ones just move in. Isn't the ant thing seasonal, with
them starting new colonies at certain times of the year, or do they do that
all the time. If they do it seasonally, hit them good right before they lay
eggs, and get the whole colony. You might not clear up Missouri, but you
might clean up your little part of the universe.

HTH

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:29:39 -0400, "
wrote:

They love Publix coffee cake, bread, butter )

I worked my way through all the proteins baiting them with each thing
they were eating until they simply ran out of things in my house that
they would eat so they don't come in anymore.


Do the bait thing. Take some of that coffee cake and mush it up with
boric acid about 12-15 parts cake to one part boric acid. (a little
water helps that process) then put the goo in bottle caps around where
the ants are walking. After a while the ants that eat cake will be
gone. They may come back eating something else but eventually they
will be gone if you keep baiting what they are eating. I had that
experience with doughnuts. Pretty nasty when you realize that doughnut
you are eating is full of ants.

Mine got so selective they would only eat dog food the dog had chewed
on. Guess what my last bait was made from ;-)

Let me be the first to ask the dumb question ......... what does boric acid
do to ants?

Steve

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"Wilfred Xavier Pickles" wrote

The state of Missouri (US) belongs to the red ants in the summertime.
They
are everywhere.

I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Yup. Good old fashioned southern treatment. Works great and won't harm
pets, kids, environment etc.

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the
mound and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Will break down into basic organic material of no harm to the grass (in
fact, in time it's a weak fertilizer that will help build topsoil though
you won't use enough to notice that). When it rains, after all is dry,
reapply for a bit until all ants are gone. Once no more signs,
occasionally treat perimeter of yard.

Damn, I knew someone would finally find a use for grits! Thanks.
I'm going to buy a box next time I go to the store.

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:55:00 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:

Let me be the first to ask the dumb question ......... what does boric acid
do to ants?

Not dumb!

It _burns_ (acid) the exoskeleton, when they walk on it. Same with
killin' cockroaches. Dust with it like a Sevin dust around a home
perimeter.

The mixtures used in a bottle cap type bait (jelly for one) will
attract them, when you cannot "dust" an area.

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:44:51 -0400, "h"
wrote:

But no self-respecting southern ant would eat instant grits

Well, he's from Missouri. Just t'aint the real south there and it's a
good way to use them instant sorts up when your Idaho born hubby comes
back with a 5 lb sack of the pestiferous things and looks confused when
you issue a few 'southernisms at his head'. I reckon they make the
instant type to kill ants and yankees. Didn't kill the yankees (tough
critters) but kept 'em away from the real stuff so the price is low.
Hehehe they H'aint be knowin what they be missin!


Sorry, I was born in New Orleans and I think grits are cat box filler. Yech!
Don't think all southerners eat that crap, 'cause we don't.


You must like hominy grits. Yuck!

Nuttin like a pot of bawlt grits -- Dixie Lily brand..

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/...05119bac79.jpg

"Chief Two Eagles" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:44:51 -0400, h wrote:

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"Oren" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

Yup. Good old fashioned southern treatment. Works great and won't
harm pets, kids, environment etc.

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on
every mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their
stomachs where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it
into the mound
and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Agree.

But no self-respecting southern ant would eat instant grits

Well, he's from Missouri. Just t'aint the real south there and it's a
good way to use them instant sorts up when your Idaho born hubby comes
back with a 5 lb sack of the pestiferous things and looks confused when
you issue a few 'southernisms at his head'. I reckon they make the
instant type to kill ants and yankees. Didn't kill the yankees (tough
critters) but kept 'em away from the real stuff so the price is low.
Hehehe they H'aint be knowin what they be missin!


Sorry, I was born in New Orleans and I think grits are cat box filler.
Yech! Don't think all southerners eat that crap, 'cause we don't.

Me eat heap big plate of Maze gritz.

Me plonk you

wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:51:43 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will
I have good luck with Amdro, but that's me and that's here. May not where
you are. It is spendy. Finally got the wife to quit using it like powdered
sugar after she went and bought some. "You know what this stuff costs?",
she asked. "Yeah, why do you think I've been telling you to use the small
holes in the shaker instead of the one BIG one?" A few grains per hill, but
like you said, new ones just move in. Isn't the ant thing seasonal, with
them starting new colonies at certain times of the year, or do they do that
all the time.

That may be part of our problem here. We have a 12 month season. There
is no dormant period so things evolve faster here.
I actually got rid of all my fire ants quite a while ago and white
foot ants moved in. They are particularly nasty since they can throw
multiple queens and other things that makes killing the colony harder.
They also figured out we have ants that will take in workers from
other colonies when their queen dies.
When you add that to ants that maintain a couple different food
streams and abandon one if it starts killing them you can see why
baits are a tough thing to make in any quantity and expect it to keep
working.
Baits are certainly the way to go but if the ants start adapting, be
ready to change the bait.

I don't think it is as much a matter of tolerace to the bait/insecticide
as a balance between different insects that are predators...termites and
carpenter ants seem to alternate (studying our palm trees ) and fire
ants feed on lots of other larvae. Carpenter ants and fire ants both
seem to nest under pavement...dryer? Gopher crickets eat anything and
everything ) My husband and I spent about two years full-time
rehabbing our condo sprinkler system and lawn. It was bloody awful
until we discovered Amdro....you can have a swarm of fire ants on you
and you don't feel it until they begin to bite in unison. I once knelt
on a mound and moved might fast when I felt a bite ... had over 100
bites on my leg. I did nature photography when I first moved to Florida
and it seemed to be a perfect viewpoint when I had my tripod right on
top of a f.a. mound....ouch!

wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:55:00 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:29:39 -0400, "
wrote:

They love Publix coffee cake, bread, butter )

I worked my way through all the proteins baiting them with each thing
they were eating until they simply ran out of things in my house that
they would eat so they don't come in anymore.

Do the bait thing. Take some of that coffee cake and mush it up with
boric acid about 12-15 parts cake to one part boric acid. (a little
water helps that process) then put the goo in bottle caps around where
the ants are walking. After a while the ants that eat cake will be
gone. They may come back eating something else but eventually they
will be gone if you keep baiting what they are eating. I had that
experience with doughnuts. Pretty nasty when you realize that doughnut
you are eating is full of ants.

Mine got so selective they would only eat dog food the dog had chewed
on. Guess what my last bait was made from ;-)
Let me be the first to ask the dumb question ......... what does boric acid
do to ants?

Steve


It is a slow acting poison if you use a small dose.

It also works to keep flea eggs from hatching...that from our vet when
our cat had an awful case of fleas and just before topical treatment was
available.

wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:39:19 -0400, "
wrote:

I don't think it is as much a matter of tolerace to the bait/insecticide
as a balance between different insects that are predators...termites and
carpenter ants seem to alternate (studying our palm trees ) and fire
ants feed on lots of other larvae. Carpenter ants and fire ants both
seem to nest under pavement...dryer? Gopher crickets eat anything and
everything ) My husband and I spent about two years full-time
rehabbing our condo sprinkler system and lawn. It was bloody awful
until we discovered Amdro....you can have a swarm of fire ants on you
and you don't feel it until they begin to bite in unison. I once knelt
on a mound and moved might fast when I felt a bite ... had over 100
bites on my leg. I did nature photography when I first moved to Florida
and it seemed to be a perfect viewpoint when I had my tripod right on
top of a f.a. mound....ouch!

The trick with fire ants is not to hurt them. Jump in the pool or
gently try to knock them off. If you crush one and he releases his
pheromone, the rest immediately bite.

Not here...they are on you in a swarm and bite in unison it seems. No
warning, no creepy-crawly feeling, just sudden multiple stings.

wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:51:43 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


I've been using Diazenon powder to control 'em. It kills many but doesn't
repel 'em. They keep coming back.

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

Thx,
Will
I have good luck with Amdro, but that's me and that's here. May not where
you are. It is spendy. Finally got the wife to quit using it like powdered
sugar after she went and bought some. "You know what this stuff costs?",
she asked. "Yeah, why do you think I've been telling you to use the small
holes in the shaker instead of the one BIG one?" A few grains per hill, but
like you said, new ones just move in. Isn't the ant thing seasonal, with
them starting new colonies at certain times of the year, or do they do that
all the time.

That may be part of our problem here. We have a 12 month season. There
is no dormant period so things evolve faster here.
I actually got rid of all my fire ants quite a while ago and white
foot ants moved in. They are particularly nasty since they can throw
multiple queens and other things that makes killing the colony harder.
They also figured out we have ants that will take in workers from
other colonies when their queen dies.
When you add that to ants that maintain a couple different food
streams and abandon one if it starts killing them you can see why
baits are a tough thing to make in any quantity and expect it to keep
working.
Baits are certainly the way to go but if the ants start adapting, be
ready to change the bait.

Nuke 'em from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

--
aem sends...

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:58:49 -0400, "
wrote:

The trick with fire ants is not to hurt them. Jump in the pool or
gently try to knock them off. If you crush one and he releases his
pheromone, the rest immediately bite.

Not here...they are on you in a swarm and bite in unison it seems. No
warning, no creepy-crawly feeling, just sudden multiple stings.

I bet you killed one right before they all decided to bite. It can be
an accident, just move the wrong way and crush one and the rest are on
the war path.

My tolerance to ant bites has diminished greatly since my heart surgery, and
I think it is from the blood thinner coumadin. The other day, I had to go
to my cabin. I had to get under it to get some stuff out. My left leg has
no feeling zones due to vein harvesting for the heart bypasses. I had a
fire ant bite me, and I could not feel it. Apparently, he was there for
quite a while. I got a 3/4" nice red mound on my shin that oozed clear
liquid for three days, like a spider's bite. It finally scabbed over.
Another on my forearm, and another on my face. I cannot imagine getting hit
by a bunch of them like I knew in the South. I got hit by five yellow
jackets on my leg last summer, and that was no fun. Big welts with clear
oozing fluid for three or four days. The good thing was that I couldn't
feel three of them. Since then, I have heard WD40 and ammonia are good
emergency treatments.

I've been away for about five weeks, and things around the ranchita here
have gotten way out of hand. Foxtails up the wazoo, and lots of ant mounds.
I'll probably be dispensing Amdro tomorrow. I do want to go buy some grits,
though, and do an experiment on two sides of the house. I have two acres to
experiment.

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Steve B wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:58:49 -0400, "
wrote:

The trick with fire ants is not to hurt them. Jump in the pool or
gently try to knock them off. If you crush one and he releases his
pheromone, the rest immediately bite.
Not here...they are on you in a swarm and bite in unison it seems. No
warning, no creepy-crawly feeling, just sudden multiple stings.
I bet you killed one right before they all decided to bite. It can be
an accident, just move the wrong way and crush one and the rest are on
the war path.

My tolerance to ant bites has diminished greatly since my heart surgery, and
I think it is from the blood thinner coumadin. The other day, I had to go
to my cabin. I had to get under it to get some stuff out. My left leg has
no feeling zones due to vein harvesting for the heart bypasses. I had a
fire ant bite me, and I could not feel it. Apparently, he was there for
quite a while. I got a 3/4" nice red mound on my shin that oozed clear
liquid for three days, like a spider's bite. It finally scabbed over.
Another on my forearm, and another on my face. I cannot imagine getting hit
by a bunch of them like I knew in the South. I got hit by five yellow
jackets on my leg last summer, and that was no fun. Big welts with clear
oozing fluid for three or four days. The good thing was that I couldn't
feel three of them. Since then, I have heard WD40 and ammonia are good
emergency treatments.

I would not use any harsh chemicals on bites when there might be a
chance of infection or delayed healing...I use ice on bee stings, for
the pain. Fire ant bites, although rather intensely painful at first,
don't bother me a lot...get a white bump like a pimple and then it goes
away soon. Had a bite once that took months to heal...probably some
kind of spider. It wasn't broken skin, but purplish discoloration under
the skin. If your skin is dry, use lotion like Eucerin or some such...a
little less vulnerable to injury when you protect your skin. Go fishing
and let someone else crawl under the cabin )

I've been away for about five weeks, and things around the ranchita here
have gotten way out of hand. Foxtails up the wazoo, and lots of ant mounds.
I'll probably be dispensing Amdro tomorrow. I do want to go buy some grits,
though, and do an experiment on two sides of the house. I have two acres to
experiment.

Put down enough grits and you might get a crop of rats )

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

wrote

Put down enough grits and you might get a crop of rats )

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an
insult.

Caught a pack rat in my shed yesterday. Am currently in the annual war with
the local rock squirrels. 17" - 21" in length.

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/d...?recNum=MA0197

Steve

"Steve B" wrote
"cshenk" wrtote

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the
mound and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Damn, I knew someone would finally find a use for grits! Thanks.
I'm going to buy a box next time I go to the store.

Grin, and whilst us southern folk are having fun with one another in the
thread, the actual solution as posted is a real one. Really and truely, it
works.

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"Steve B" wrote
"cshenk" wrtote

Anything on the market that effectively repels red ants but won't
cause serious problems for pets, etc?

On a dry day, put a handful of dry grits (can even be instant) on every
mound, also around the house. They eat it, it swells in their stomachs
where they can't expand, and kills them. They will carry it into the
mound and feed the whole pile including the queen.

Damn, I knew someone would finally find a use for grits! Thanks.
I'm going to buy a box next time I go to the store.

Grin, and whilst us southern folk are having fun with one another in the
thread, the actual solution as posted is a real one. Really and truely,
it works.

I will report back, as I am darn sure going to try it. I got sidetracked
today, or I would have done it today. It was so hot here that when I walked
outside, there were NO ants on the surface of the ground.

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

wrote in message

stuff snipped

We are
ground floor with slider right next to kitchen, so if any food is stored
on counters, they will find it. Most people I know in Fl. keep all that
stuff...bread, cake...in the fridge. We have also had long dry spells
in Florida, and lots of pests will move indoors just looking for water.

For that matter, I have not seen a sugar eating ant around here in 10
years. You can leave a sugar cube on the counter for months and they
won't touch it.

They love Publix coffee cake, bread, butter )

And cereal. Even when the inner bag is rolled and clipped. In the summer,
cereal goes into tupperware containers. That's because one day, in my haste
to have breakfast, I didn't notice a few in the cereal bowl and ate some.
Very unique and bitter taste. Had a bad infestation this year, but Raid Ant
spikes spread around the house seem to have done the trick. Green with what
look like white radardomes on the top. (The spikes, not the ants, otherwise
I'd be moving right quick!)

Took a week for them to work, but the kitchen's been sugar ant free. Now
how do I stop tiger crickets from getting into the basement? I think they
are entering through the sump pit under the stairs but the few that I've
captured and subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques have not
revealed their point of entry. (-:

--
Bobby G.

"The United States Does Not Torture!" - GW Bush. (We have people that do
it for us!)

wrote in message
...

Pretty nasty when you realize that doughnut you are eating is full of
ants.

"Clyde, dem's not sprinkles!"

--
Bobby G.

wrote in message
stuff snipped

.... what does boric acid do to ants? -- Steve

It is a slow acting poison if you use a small dose.

It also works to keep flea eggs from hatching...that from our vet when
our cat had an awful case of fleas and just before topical treatment was
available.

When I lived in an old walk up in NYC, I sprinkled boric acid all around the
kitchen floor because the roaches were so thick. They sailed right through
piles of the stuff like they were skiing and it had no visible affect on
them at all. I suspect NYC roaches have some sort of super immunity from
being exposed to every insecticide known to man.

The roach infestations in old buildings like that is unbelievable. They
grow so large you can actually hear them scuttling around. I remember the
shock of turning on the bathroom light one night and seeing the wall seem to
move as dozens scurried for the dark when the light came on.

It's nice to be reminded that at least I don't have to put up with those
nasty little critters anymore. The last time I saw one here was years ago,
and that was a hitchhiker that came in the bottom of a paper bag from the
supermarket. This year, it's stink bugs, tiger crickets, sugar ants and
squirrels. The removal of the red maple out front has seriously altered the
eco-system around the house. Had to Hav-a-hart some squirrels over to the
next town as they were trying to move into the attic after the loss of their
home.

Learned a great trick from the 'net to keep them from damaging themselves on
the way to their new home. Peanut butter and Ambien. Puts 'em right out.
Never had one *not* wake up afterward, although they always look a little
groggy when they arrive at their new homes. Necessary treatment after
having one get loose in the car. That was NOT fun. Tried to climb onto my
head - ran around the inside of the car at warp speed. I grabbed for it and
it bit my thumb but good - it was like getting your finger stuck in a sewing
machine. They don't just bite once, they chew. I felt at least 5 separate
bites within a single second.

That's when we stopped and opened the door and let him exit. The next day,
at my doctor's office I learned that squirrels very rarely have rabies -
phew! - (which is what I was sure I had contracted from the bite). Of
course, he said if I wanted to be sure, I could bring the squirrel to the
health department for testing. I should have realized that I might need the
squirrel for just such a purpose, but when you're being bitten by a
panicked squirrel flying around loose in the car, your only thought is how
to get it out of there. Now.

Since then, I also use strong magnets in addition to the built in trap locks
(gravity based and NOT very reliable!) AND the Ambien treatment for
transport. And they ride in the trunk now, too, in the Hav-a-hart trap
which is placed in a plastic trash bag to contain the poop, pee and squirrel
stink that comes out of them even when they're knocked out cold. Don't know
if you've ever seen an older male close-up. They have immense gonads,
thoroughly out of proportion to their size and they leak icky stinky goo and
poop, even when unconcious. Shocking, but not as much as when a male possum
got caught in the trap and I discovered that they have dual penises. Looks
like the forked tongue of a snake. We first thought we were looking at it
giving birth. It was getting a hard-on, instead, it turned out.

I trap squirrels because one year a squirrel got in before we left for
vacation (had the door propped open to load the car) and did over $3000
worth of damage to the windows and other items trying to get out for two
weeks. We though we had a break-in when we first got home because the rim
of the toilet was covered in dirt, where he would go to drink. Squirrels
apparenlty don't lick themselves clean like cats. Who would break in to
stand on the toilet, I thought, and why didn't they steal anything?

When I got to the kitchen and found a bag of cookies and a box of cereal on
the floor, clearly chewed through, I knew what had happened. The tale of
finding him and evicting him has become a traditional Thanksgiving story at
our house, almost as revered as the time when we lit a fire for the holidays
and flaming birds began flying around the living room.

Anyway, Rocky did not go easily or quietly. Finally had to build a loop
stick to haul him out of the stove where he was hiding. Somewhere I have
picture of Rocky staring out from under the hole beneath the burner. We're
still finding dessicated squirrel pellets on the tops of cabinets and other
odd places.

--
Bobby G.

"GROVER" wrote in message
news:0736ee15-e155-4e87-8585-

I recommend highly Googling "Leiningen vs The Ants". It's a short
story of one mans encounter with army ants. Its the first item that
comes up. Once you start to read it it will be hard to stop.

The HG Wells story was also made into a cheesy film starring (who else?)
Charlton Heston called "The Naked Jungle" (available from Netflix). Some
good nature footage mixed in with an anemic plot and the obligatory red
headed romantic lead (filmed in Technicolor). While Wells wasn't right
about army ants reaching the US by 1960, he was pretty much on target for
the fire ant invasion. I think the most fascinating thing army ants do is
to build living bridges of ants over water barriers. Who taught them that?
(-:

--
Bobby G.


Joe G

clipped

Anyway, Rocky did not go easily or quietly. Finally had to build a loop
stick to haul him out of the stove where he was hiding. Somewhere I have
picture of Rocky staring out from under the hole beneath the burner. We're
still finding dessicated squirrel pellets on the tops of cabinets and other
odd places.

--
Bobby G.



LOL...worst trapped animal I have handled was a gopher tortoise that
moved from my yard to a county park )

When we used our pop-top camper the last time, we forgot there was food
stored. The remarkable colony of roaches that moved in were able to
chew through the wrappers on Ritz crackers. Also chewed up the soles of
my rubber flip flops....can't imagine them being mistaken or used as
food )

We had a colony of roaches move into our place when upstairs neighbor
moved out...they had small children, so probably easier food sources for
the bugs.

I've read about mixing baits for carpenter ants, using sugar and boric
acid. Those articles said that the b.a. must be liquid, they will not
ingest granules.

When topical flea treatment for cats came out, we got it right away.
The vet advised sprinkling b.a. all over the carpet, leave for few days
and then vacuum up to get rid of eggs. Had tried everything prior to
that...powder, shampoo, dips, foggers...the topical stuff got rid of the
flea problem within days, so didn't use the b.a.

I rescued some antiques from a condemned house years ago...old ladies,
plumbing didn't work, pet cats, trash stuffed into kitchen cabinets. I
could hear the roaches running around on the piles of trash. I came
prepared...boots, gloves, rake, shovel ) As soon as I got the
furniture outside, I poured full strength bleach all over it. Nice pie
safe and walnut table ) Cheap way to furnish a home )

clipped
about army ants reaching the US by 1960, he was pretty much on target for
the fire ant invasion. I think the most fascinating thing army ants do is
to build living bridges of ants over water barriers. Who taught them that?
(-:

Might have been my neighbor's kid...I caught him and his friend in my
garden once, showing praying mantis how to mate. )