We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

On 10/14/2010 4:31 PM, Alex wrote:
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

An infestation like that with little ones in the home is truly scary.
We had them in Florida, but very few coming into the house. When they
did come indoors, it seems they did so only in spring. The came in when
we had sweets or butter on the counter, but also headed for the kitchen
drain. They followed a long trail, coming in through small gap in patio
slider, through a kitchen cabinet and up the phone cord onto the
counter, across counter and into sink and drain. They will go anywhere
there is a trace of food. We used Amdro outdoors and brand-x liquid
bait (sugar/boric acid) indoors, with good results. You might contact
your county extension service for advice...would address the matter with
haste and special concern for the babies.

On Oct 14, 5:03*pm, wrote:
On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:31:01 -0700 (PDT), Alex
wrote:

We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. *It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. *I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation.

Spray is largely useless on ants. Bait them.

Most poisons I tried for ants were worthless. The last time I had my
house treated for termites the exterminator used Termidor and I havent
had an ant problem since n the yar or house. The exterminator says
part of the sucess is due to just about everyone in the neighborhood
using Termidor for temite control.

Jimmie

Jimmie

On Oct 14, 3:31*pm, Alex wrote:
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. *It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. *I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. *So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). *I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. *We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. *Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. *I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. *The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. *We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. *Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. *I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. *He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. *We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. *The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... *I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. *But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. *So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? *I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. *The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? *We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. *The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. *It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... *And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

Is your house on a slab with the pipes going thru the slab, or on a
crawl space. If crawl space, have you gone into it and looked for
where the ants are originating. Until you eliminate them from under
the house, anything you do inside the house will just make them move
to another entry point.

"Alex" wrote in message
...
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

Snip

We are in Central Texas as well, and fire ants are a real problem all over
the area. We have not had them invade the house though. We have a slab
foundation, so that probably helps. We have had dozens of fire ant mounds
on the lot after the occasional rains (we have about one and a quarter
acres). Over a couple years, we have pretty well gotten rid of them using
Amdro (sp). We just sprinkle a couple teaspoon full on each mound and don't
disturb the mound in any way. They apparently take the food into the mound
and feed some to the queen which makes her sterile. So, it doesn't kill the
ants, it just makes the mound so no more ants are reproduced, and they die
off naturally.

Obviously, this is not a quick fix, but I would think that if you have ant
mounds around the house, that doing this on a regular basis for about a
month and periodically as you see new mounds, that it would take care of
your problem. Hope this helps.

Bob-tx

On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:31:01 -0700 (PDT), Alex
wrote:


A .22 rifle will cure the problem for good. The smell will linger for
awhile but that's life!

J

On 10/14/2010 9:43 PM, hr(bob) wrote:
On Oct 14, 3:31 pm, wrote:
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

Is your house on a slab with the pipes going thru the slab, or on a
crawl space. If crawl space, have you gone into it and looked for
where the ants are originating. Until you eliminate them from under
the house, anything you do inside the house will just make them move
to another entry point.

No way in hell would I go into a crawl space with an infestation as the
OP described....fire ants attack en masse, before you know they are on you.

I've read stories, a couple of times IIRC, of nursing home patients in
Florida being found with fire ants all over them. Not something to mess
with when there is an infant in a home with a severe infestation.

On 10/14/2010 9:47 PM, Bob-tx wrote:


"Alex" wrote in message
...
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

Snip

We are in Central Texas as well, and fire ants are a real problem all
over the area. We have not had them invade the house though. We have a
slab foundation, so that probably helps. We have had dozens of fire ant
mounds on the lot after the occasional rains (we have about one and a
quarter acres). Over a couple years, we have pretty well gotten rid of
them using Amdro (sp). We just sprinkle a couple teaspoon full on each
mound and don't disturb the mound in any way. They apparently take the
food into the mound and feed some to the queen which makes her sterile.
So, it doesn't kill the ants, it just makes the mound so no more ants
are reproduced, and they die off naturally.

Obviously, this is not a quick fix, but I would think that if you have
ant mounds around the house, that doing this on a regular basis for
about a month and periodically as you see new mounds, that it would take
care of your problem. Hope this helps.

Bob-tx




We used Amdro in our condo lawn, prior to which we could not do
landscaping or work on irrigation repair. Applied properly, Amdro was
taken up almost immediately - sprinkle around mounds without disturbing
the mound and we watched the ants take it to the nest. Interesting to
watch ) Amdro instructions advise broadcasting, but we found fire
ants almost always nested along/under pavement (patios, walks, pavers)
and one application rid the lawn of problems for about a year. From
what I've read, it sounds like Texas has a lot more trouble and heavier
infestations than Fla., perhaps because it is drier.

wrote in message
news
On 10/14/2010 9:47 PM, Bob-tx wrote:


"Alex" wrote in message
...
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath

We have a house on a slab in North Texas - near Dallas - it's an older
house, and we moved in about 7 years ago. Before we moved in, I gave the
entire inside of the house a good spraying of Home Defense or something like
that, and on the outside of the house I put down a liberal dose of the
granules that you can put on your lawn with a broadcast spreader or you can
spread them around the perimiter of the house. But those remedies arr
relatively short-lived - they'll kill what's there, but there's not a real
long kikk effect (not more than 3 - 6 months).

What I believe made the biggest difference was putting some of that white or
blue roach powder (it's good for ants, too) around any area that I could get
to where a pipe comes up through the slab - behind bathroom cabinets, under
the kitchen sink, under kitchen cabinets, behind the clothes washer, behind
the fridge, and behind the stove, etc. - as long as it stays dry, it seems
to keep the crawling things at bay - we haven't seen but a couple of ants in
the 7 years we've been in the house. You can spray the powder into areas
where you can't see - like into the hole in the back of the bathroom cabinet
where the water pipes come in to service the sink.

I have recently seen very good results with Terro, too - it seems to work
inside and outside - it's a bait that they take back to the nest, but
suprisingly, it, too is based on borax - like the roach powder.

On Oct 15, 10:53*am, "AngryOldWhiteGuy"
wrote:
wrote in message

news
On 10/14/2010 9:47 PM, Bob-tx wrote:

"Alex" wrote in message
....
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath

We have a house on a slab in North Texas - near Dallas - it's an older
house, and we moved in about 7 years ago. *Before we moved in, I gave the
entire inside of the house a good spraying of Home Defense or something like
that, and on the outside of the house I put down a liberal dose of *the
granules that you can put on your lawn with a broadcast spreader or you can
spread them around the perimiter of the house. *But those remedies arr
relatively short-lived - they'll kill what's there, but there's not a real
long kikk effect (not more than 3 - 6 months).

What I believe made the biggest difference was putting some of that white or
blue roach powder (it's good for ants, too) around any area that I could get
to where a pipe comes up through the slab - behind bathroom cabinets, under
the kitchen sink, under kitchen cabinets, behind the clothes washer, behind
the fridge, and behind the stove, etc. - as long as it stays dry, it seems
to keep the crawling things at bay - we haven't seen but a couple of ants in
the 7 years we've been in the house. *You can spray the powder into areas
where you can't see - like into the hole in the back of the bathroom cabinet
where the water pipes come in to service the sink.

I have recently seen very good results with Terro, too - it seems to work
inside and outside - it's a bait that they take back to the nest, but
suprisingly, it, too is based on borax - like the roach powder.

We have small black ants that always want to come in the house. They
will setup a nest almost anywhere in just a day or two. Under a
potted plant on the deck, anything. I bait with homemade bait mixture
using karo and borax. The formula is all over the web. Sometimes you
have to tweak the borax amount. Less takes longer to kill them but
too much and they will avoid it. They take it back to the nest and in
a few days that's the end of them. I just put a blob on a square of
cardboard and put it as close to the entry point as possible. Once
they find that as a food source they don't wander around anymore, they
just go back and forth to that. In a couple days they stop showing
up. If sugar doesn't interest them you can substitute peanut butter
for the karo. All ants will go for sugar or protein. It's super
cheap too.

"Alex" wrote in message
...
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

Three things that worked for me. Amdro, the little square bait modules, and
boric acid mix.

All can be had at HD or similar. I got a deal on about 8 24 oz bottles of
sealed Amdro the other day for $2 a bottle. It works good.

The square little things are good, too, but you have to be careful because
little kids and pets will chew on them. Same thing, they take it back to
the nest, and it kills the nest.

Boric acid is cheap, and you mix it with various substances like sugar,
honey, and such to make your own little bug bombs. Effective, and
relatively safe.

Sounds like you have disturbed the hillside and provided soft ground for
incoming new queens to dig a den.

Fighting ants is going to be a constant battle, so just figure out what
you're going to use, and USE IT ON A REGULAR BASIS. You may only get a
perimeter around the house, and out twenty feet the hills start. There's a
new flight of them frequently with new queens hatching out.

HTH

Steve

Heart surgery pending?
Read up and prepare.
Learn how to care for a friend.
http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

In article
,
lj wrote:

On Oct 15, 10:53*am, "AngryOldWhiteGuy"
wrote:
wrote in message

news
On 10/14/2010 9:47 PM, Bob-tx wrote:

"Alex" wrote in message
...
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath

We have a house on a slab in North Texas - near Dallas - it's an older
house, and we moved in about 7 years ago. *Before we moved in, I gave the
entire inside of the house a good spraying of Home Defense or something like
that, and on the outside of the house I put down a liberal dose of *the
granules that you can put on your lawn with a broadcast spreader or you can
spread them around the perimiter of the house. *But those remedies arr
relatively short-lived - they'll kill what's there, but there's not a real
long kikk effect (not more than 3 - 6 months).

What I believe made the biggest difference was putting some of that white or
blue roach powder (it's good for ants, too) around any area that I could get
to where a pipe comes up through the slab - behind bathroom cabinets, under
the kitchen sink, under kitchen cabinets, behind the clothes washer, behind
the fridge, and behind the stove, etc. - as long as it stays dry, it seems
to keep the crawling things at bay - we haven't seen but a couple of ants in
the 7 years we've been in the house. *You can spray the powder into areas
where you can't see - like into the hole in the back of the bathroom cabinet
where the water pipes come in to service the sink.

I have recently seen very good results with Terro, too - it seems to work
inside and outside - it's a bait that they take back to the nest, but
suprisingly, it, too is based on borax - like the roach powder.

We have small black ants that always want to come in the house. They
will setup a nest almost anywhere in just a day or two. Under a
potted plant on the deck, anything. I bait with homemade bait mixture
using karo and borax. The formula is all over the web. Sometimes you
have to tweak the borax amount. Less takes longer to kill them but
too much and they will avoid it. They take it back to the nest and in
a few days that's the end of them. I just put a blob on a square of
cardboard and put it as close to the entry point as possible. Once
they find that as a food source they don't wander around anymore, they
just go back and forth to that. In a couple days they stop showing
up. If sugar doesn't interest them you can substitute peanut butter
for the karo. All ants will go for sugar or protein. It's super
cheap too.

Go to your local drug store and purchase Boric Acid powder. Mix 1
teaspoon in a cup or two of sugar. Apply 1 tablespoon of mixture in a
few containers in your basement preferably along the sill.
Out side place under a flat rock. End of story. May have to repeat
the outside if rains washed it away.
Inside protection lasts for years. I also place a eyedropper of oil
of pennyroyal on the sill once a year spring. Don't use pennyroyal in
living area as it smells great but soon becomes cloying and it lasts.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden
http://www.informationisbeautiful.ne...l-supplements/

Looks lik eyou posted and have not yet returned. But, if you do follow up,
the posts that say don't use pesticide sprays and do use bait are what you
shoould follow. Spraying kills some of them but it causes the nests to
disperse and quickly form new nests. Bait doesn't cause the same "new nest"
reaction. And spraying defeats the effectiveness of baits. So, bait only,
and do NOT do a combination of bait and pesticide sprays.

Alex wrote:
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

On Oct 14, 3:31*pm, Alex wrote:
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. *It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. *I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. *So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). *I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. *We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. *Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. *I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. *The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. *We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. *Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. *I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. *He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. *We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. *The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... *I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. *But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. *So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? *I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. *The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? *We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. *The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. *It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... *And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

Fire ants tend to swarm at night right after a rain. (I have no idea
how they develop wings so fast). When they're swarming they are
attracted to lights in the house and will come in around windows &
doors, anywhere they find a crack. So if you can't find a obvious
entry point for them, this may be a possibility. I spent many nights
this summer with the main lights off and using shaded desk lamps after
I got infested like you describe.

On Oct 16, 9:57*am, "RogerT" wrote:
Looks lik eyou posted and have not yet returned. *But, if you do follow up,
the posts that say don't use pesticide sprays and do use bait are what you
shoould follow. *Spraying kills some of them but it causes the nests to
disperse and quickly form new nests. *Bait doesn't cause the same "new nest"
reaction. *And spraying defeats the effectiveness of baits. *So, bait only,
and do NOT do a combination of bait and pesticide sprays.


Hey guys --

Original Poster here , sorry for taking so long to reply back. We're
now 5 weeks after our first outbreak, and the ants are still here. We
went almost a week with only seeing one or two which I thought were
stranglers, but turns out this evening we had a line of ants forming
in both bathrooms.

Our house is on foundation, and I do think they're coming in from the
bathtrap under the garden tub in the master bath, so I'm planning on
taking the front of the tub off to see what it looks like. I'm
waiting to hear from the builder to see how to best do it so we don't
mess-up the tub, but hopefully it just pops off --not sure. I've also
been in contact with our bug guy and I hope we can arrange a time for
him to be here when I remove the side of the tub.

What makes me sick is since day one of being in the house I've sprayed
ortho home defense outside the house plus sprinked amdro 3-4 feet
around the house almost monthly plus I keep the grass cut and trimmed
so I feel like I've been diligent in trying to keep the house bug free
but to no avail. Originally it was more so to fight the spiders, but
honestly I've seen zero ants or anything else in the yard in over a
month. The ants are coming from inside or under the house there's no
question about it.

It's like being a prisoner in your own home, and always having to keep
our guard up. Every night I walk around the house with a flashlight,
and even after a week of not seeing much this evening I saw them back
in droves in both bathrooms. It's quite frustrating...

I'll post updates as I talk to the builder and bug guy, but if
anyone's had fire ants like this I'd love to hear what you did. I've
talked to others in our neighborhood, and they've mostly had sugar
ants which these are definitely not.

Take care,

Sam Alex

On 10/19/2010 11:40 PM, Alex wrote:
On Oct 16, 9:57 am, wrote:
Looks lik eyou posted and have not yet returned. But, if you do follow up,
the posts that say don't use pesticide sprays and do use bait are what you
shoould follow. Spraying kills some of them but it causes the nests to
disperse and quickly form new nests. Bait doesn't cause the same "new nest"
reaction. And spraying defeats the effectiveness of baits. So, bait only,
and do NOT do a combination of bait and pesticide sprays.


Hey guys --

Original Poster here , sorry for taking so long to reply back. We're
now 5 weeks after our first outbreak, and the ants are still here. We
went almost a week with only seeing one or two which I thought were
stranglers, but turns out this evening we had a line of ants forming
in both bathrooms.

Our house is on foundation, and I do think they're coming in from the
bathtrap under the garden tub in the master bath, so I'm planning on
taking the front of the tub off to see what it looks like. I'm
waiting to hear from the builder to see how to best do it so we don't
mess-up the tub, but hopefully it just pops off --not sure. I've also
been in contact with our bug guy and I hope we can arrange a time for
him to be here when I remove the side of the tub.

What makes me sick is since day one of being in the house I've sprayed
ortho home defense outside the house plus sprinked amdro 3-4 feet
around the house almost monthly plus I keep the grass cut and trimmed
so I feel like I've been diligent in trying to keep the house bug free
but to no avail. Originally it was more so to fight the spiders, but
honestly I've seen zero ants or anything else in the yard in over a
month. The ants are coming from inside or under the house there's no
question about it.

It's like being a prisoner in your own home, and always having to keep
our guard up. Every night I walk around the house with a flashlight,
and even after a week of not seeing much this evening I saw them back
in droves in both bathrooms. It's quite frustrating...

I'll post updates as I talk to the builder and bug guy, but if
anyone's had fire ants like this I'd love to hear what you did. I've
talked to others in our neighborhood, and they've mostly had sugar
ants which these are definitely not.

Take care,

Sam Alex

Fire ants have been known to nest in electrical panels and other odd
places...eliminate food, water and shelter. If you've identified their
trail, bait should be placed alongside the trail. Caulk where they
enter/leave the bath....more likely they are coming to the trap for
water or food. Dump some poison in the trap, caulk along baseboards and
elect./plumbing entries. Got pets? Pet food is major attractant, and
crumbs usually available. Also, with small children, food crumbs and
spills more common.

On Oct 20, 4:25*am, "
wrote:

Fireantshave been known to nest in electrical panels and *other odd
places...eliminate food, water and shelter. *If you've identified their
trail, bait should be placed alongside the trail. *Caulk where they
enter/leave the bath....more likely they are coming to the trap for
water or food. *Dump some poison in the trap, caulk along baseboards and
elect./plumbing entries. *Got pets? *Pet food is major attractant, and
crumbs usually available. *Also, with small children, food crumbs and
spills more common.

We keep a clean house even without the ants, but since the outbreak
we've been especially careful not to leave any crumbs. Only once did
a trail form in the living room going to some food our daughter
dropped, but outside of that they seem to be hitting the bathrooms
with on single item being attacked.

I've been closing up any spaces where they've come in, but it seems as
soon as I close or treat one area they just find someplace else. We
talked to the builder today, and the foreman is coming by today to
show us how to remove the side of the garden tub. I'll have my wet/
dry vac in hand to vacuum up any mound or ants under there, plus I'll
have a bucket of Amdro to spread out under the tub and around the sand
trap. Also the front bathroom bathtub/shower backs up to a closet, so
I'm going to get a plumbing access door and put in the closet so I can
occasionally check out behind that tub and treat as needed. We've
also had an outbreak in the kitchen, but I hope the ants were just
following the pipes from the master bath since after the bug guy
dusted under the sink we've not seen any more there.

So that's my plan... The yard has been bug free for a while now, so
hopefully if we can kill what's under the house there won't be any
more problems. I'm keeping my fingers crossed anyway What's nuts
is I've not heard of anyone in our neighborhood having this kind of
problem, nor have I seen any articles or posts like mine. Is this
just an isolated 'worse case' scenario with fire ants? Even before
the outbreak we've heeded all the warnings treating outside, keeping
floors clean, keeping yard cut, etc, so honestly I can't think back to
anything we've missed that would've brought on this invasion other
than just bad luck and the builder not treating for ants before laying
the foundation (they did confirm they treat for termites but not
ants).

Anyway, there's my tale of whoa I'll post updates as we
investigate under the tub plus some pictures if there's anything worth
seeing.

Sam Alex

On Oct 14, 3:31*pm, Alex wrote:
We have a crazy problem with fire ants in our 6 month old house. *It
started out a month ago when we found the garbage in our master bath
covered in fire ants. *I sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the tub
then walked outside to find where they were coming in, but no trails
going up the foundation. *So the next day we found more in our closet
and in the second bathroom (which backs up to master bath). *I sprayed
in there and the ants migrated to the bedrooms hitting our kids and
ours then the laundry room.

I sprayed each room as I found ants and called a local exterminator to
come help since all this time I hadn't seen a single fire ant coming
into the house in the foundation or any nests near the house. *We had
some fire ant beds in the yard, but none near the foundation.

The bug guy came out and dusted the attic, sprayed the house and yard,
and baited the yard (this is now a week since the first outbreak in
the master bath) and for about a week this seemed to do the trick. We
saw some stragglers which was to be expected, but nothing big for a
few days. *Then two separate days we had a line of ants going into our
living room from an exterior wall. *I sprayed more Ortho and checked
outside, and as before nothing... no ants coming into the foundation
were seen. *The day after this they moved into the attic and were
coming out of a near by air duct which was just freaky!

I called the bug guy again and he came out and put gel bait outside
the house above the foundation and said they were probably attracted
to the moisture in the air duct which is why they went up there. *We
continued seeing them coming out sporadically for a day or two, but I
put some Ortho on a paper towel and rubbed it against the vent which
seemed to stop them.

We were then bug free short of a few in the bathrooms at times for
about another week then our kitchen was hit, which is on the complete
opposite side of the house from any other area that's been hit to this
point. *Our sink sits on an island surrounded by two pillars that go
floor to ceiling, and literally hundreds of fire ants were coming out
from a small hole where the countertop, wall, and backsplash met and
were attacking the sink. *I wasn't sure if they were coming from that
attic or what, but the bug guy said he's pretty sure they were coming
up from the pipes in the foundation. *He dusted in the hole then
behind the sink where the pipes come up plus in both bathrooms. *We
haven't seen any ants in the kitchen, but on Monday we had an invasion
in our front bathroom from under the baseboard that's opposite of the
toilet, sink, or tub. *The bug guy had told me not to use Ortho since
it could counteract what he put down, so I just soaked the floor in
Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner and that did it... *I haven't seen any
more there since that night.

Since then we've seen a few in the other bathroom plus some dead ones
in the living room where both the bug guy and I have sprayed, so I
think they're still trying to come in. *But the thing that sucks is
still I've seen zero ants in the yard or on the foundation. I walk the
house inside out several times a day, and outside seems to be doing
great.

So my only conclusion is they're either in the attic or in the
foundation, but I'm leaning more towards the foundation. *So with that
is there any chance in getting rid of them??? *I'm literally to the
point of cutting holes in the walls to expose the pipes and where they
enter the house so we can cover it in ant bait or poison in hopes that
does the trick. *The dust the bug guy put down was just sprayed behind
the cabinets, but I want to bait the things so they'll take any poison
back to the nests and kill the suckers.

Has anyone ever heard or seen such a fire ant invasion? *We're in
Central Texas so fire ants are common, but I've never heard of them
this bad. *The bug guy said he was dumbfounded and would have someone
with more experience with fire ants come out, but in the mean time I'm
at a loss on what we can do. *It seems these little turds can
literally come out of any place in the house at any time, and with a
3yo and new born that's scary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions... *And sorry for such a long
post, but hopefully this gives anyone with experience with pest
control some pattern's I'm missing.

Sam Alex

I tried to resist but it was just too much to ask......

FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE!

On 10/20/2010 12:03 PM, Alex wrote:
On Oct 20, 4:25 am,
wrote:

Fireantshave been known to nest in electrical panels and other odd
places...eliminate food, water and shelter. If you've identified their
trail, bait should be placed alongside the trail. Caulk where they
enter/leave the bath....more likely they are coming to the trap for
water or food. Dump some poison in the trap, caulk along baseboards and
elect./plumbing entries. Got pets? Pet food is major attractant, and
crumbs usually available. Also, with small children, food crumbs and
spills more common.

We keep a clean house even without the ants, but since the outbreak
we've been especially careful not to leave any crumbs. Only once did
a trail form in the living room going to some food our daughter
dropped, but outside of that they seem to be hitting the bathrooms
with on single item being attacked.

I've been closing up any spaces where they've come in, but it seems as
soon as I close or treat one area they just find someplace else. We
talked to the builder today, and the foreman is coming by today to
show us how to remove the side of the garden tub. I'll have my wet/
dry vac in hand to vacuum up any mound or ants under there, plus I'll
have a bucket of Amdro to spread out under the tub and around the sand
trap. Also the front bathroom bathtub/shower backs up to a closet, so
I'm going to get a plumbing access door and put in the closet so I can
occasionally check out behind that tub and treat as needed. We've
also had an outbreak in the kitchen, but I hope the ants were just
following the pipes from the master bath since after the bug guy
dusted under the sink we've not seen any more there.

So that's my plan... The yard has been bug free for a while now, so
hopefully if we can kill what's under the house there won't be any
more problems. I'm keeping my fingers crossed anyway What's nuts
is I've not heard of anyone in our neighborhood having this kind of
problem, nor have I seen any articles or posts like mine. Is this
just an isolated 'worse case' scenario with fire ants? Even before
the outbreak we've heeded all the warnings treating outside, keeping
floors clean, keeping yard cut, etc, so honestly I can't think back to
anything we've missed that would've brought on this invasion other
than just bad luck and the builder not treating for ants before laying
the foundation (they did confirm they treat for termites but not
ants).

Anyway, there's my tale of whoa I'll post updates as we
investigate under the tub plus some pictures if there's anything worth
seeing.

Sam Alex


I lived with fire ants in Florida for quite a while, so know their bite
well ) From what I've read, they are a far more serious problem in
Texas....because our condo grounds had quite a severe infestation, my
hubby and I began researching methods to eradicate. Found Amdro worked
wonders....hubby was the handyman/building manager, so we did lots of
work, like repairing sprinklers. After treating with Amdro, they seemed
to disappear for about a year. They were never an indoor problem, as
far as I know. We found that they infested areas along pavers, patios
and walks. Probably nests were more protected from rain in those
places. We never broadcast Amdro - it took very little, sprinkled
around mounds, to get rid of the mound.

You might have been lucky enough to have had construction workers leave
behind food...never know what you'll find inside walls. Be sure to have
annual termite inspections...fire ants like to dine on termites and
other bugs.

On Oct 20, 1:49*pm, "
wrote:
You might have been lucky enough to have had construction workers leave
behind food...never know what you'll find inside walls. *Be sure to have
annual termite inspections...fireantslike to dine on termites and
other bugs.

That's what I'm afraid of... Another house in our neighborhood is in
the process of being built, and with the bathtub side still off I
could see all sorts of soda cans and garbage thrown under the tub.
Surely these would've been cleaned out before sealing it up, but if we
remove the side of our tub and find things like this I'll be calling
the builder asking for compensation for the pest control.

Sam

At my church, I found a couple soda pop bottles in the sewer vent
stack. A design of bottle I'd not seen in 20 or so years. Glass
bottle, with foam wrap. 16 ouncers.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Alex" wrote in message
...

That's what I'm afraid of... Another house in our neighborhood is in
the process of being built, and with the bathtub side still off I
could see all sorts of soda cans and garbage thrown under the tub.
Surely these would've been cleaned out before sealing it up, but if we
remove the side of our tub and find things like this I'll be calling
the builder asking for compensation for the pest control.

Sam

On 10/21/2010 11:44 AM, Alex wrote:
On Oct 20, 1:49 pm,
wrote:
You might have been lucky enough to have had construction workers leave
behind food...never know what you'll find inside walls. Be sure to have
annual termite inspections...fireantslike to dine on termites and
other bugs.

That's what I'm afraid of... Another house in our neighborhood is in
the process of being built, and with the bathtub side still off I
could see all sorts of soda cans and garbage thrown under the tub.
Surely these would've been cleaned out before sealing it up, but if we
remove the side of our tub and find things like this I'll be calling
the builder asking for compensation for the pest control.

Sam



I don't know how builder warrantees work, but I would sure take
photographs and document dates carefully. Wouldn't hurt to write a NICE
business-like letter to the builder, certified mail, and state the
issues clearly. Mention fire ants and newborn baby living in your home.
Is your pest control person licensed, insured and good rep? Certainly
the county extension service must have LOTS of experience and
information about fire ants - in Texas, they are a major problem for
livestock.

On Oct 22, 8:46*am, "
wrote:
I don't know how builder warrantees work, but I would sure take
photographs and document dates carefully. *Wouldn't hurt to write a NICE
business-like letter to the builder, certified mail, and state the
issues clearly. *Mention fireantsand newborn baby living in your home.
* Is your pest control person licensed, insured and good rep? *Certainly
the county extension service must have LOTS of experience and
information about fireants- in Texas, they are a major problem for
livestock.

I'll have a camera on hand when we remove the cover from the tub, so
everything will be documented... but more so to show others who might
be facing this problem what we've gone through. This has been the
most frustrating thing I've had to face in a long time.

As for contacting the county extension service, what services can they
offer? I visited the website for our local office, but I wasn't sure
what to ask if i contact them other then asking for general advice to
see if we're on the right track.

An update on our ant problem for anyone following this or running into
a similar problem.

The bug guy came by this morning and we removed the side of the garden
tub in our master bath, and as we thought/hoped there was a THICK and
fast moving line of fire ants coming from the sand trap into the
walls, probably about 1/2 inch wide.. Crazy!!!! The bug guy used
Termidor foam and layered under the tub and shower (which is next to
tub) then he poked a small hole in the baseboard of a close behind the
front bathroom tub and sprayed in there as well. This morning we
found ants coming from the pipes in the laundry room, so he did a
small hole behind the washer and put Termidor in there as well.

With this plus his dusting behind the bathroom and kitchen sinks
during his last visit I really hope that nips the problem. I'm just
glad we found where the were coming from because if we would've
cracked open the tub and found nothing I'm not sure what we would've
done. This has been a stressful ride, but I hope it's about over.
The bug guy said we'll see some ants but as the Termidor breaks them
down from the inside-out they shouldn't act right -- which I just
found an ant walking in circles and twitching in the laundry room so
that's good.

Anyway, hopefully our ant saga is about done. Take care --

Sam Alex

OP Here --- It's been three weeks since the bug guy came and sprayed
the sand traps under our two tubs and shower with Termidor, and we
were ant free until a few days ago. On Sunday while cleaning our
front bathroom I found one fire ant, then another, and another, and
since then I've killed maybe 15-20 ants in the bathroom. No trails,
just a trickle of ants from either where the sink or toilet pipes come
into the house through the foundation. The bug guy dusted behind the
sink a while back, but he's coming back out on Friday morning to
hopefully spray Termidor into the wall where both pipes come through
the foundation. And if he doesn't mind I'll have him do the same for
the other bathroom sink and kitchen sink. After this hopefully all
our foundation pipes will be treated with Termidor which has worked
thus far.

My biggest question now is how often should I expect to go without
seeing more ants, because no chemical lasts forever, and if they found
their way in one they'll get in again. Quite frustrating knowing
these pests can pop-up anytime, and I just wish there was some way to
seal the pipes permanently so they couldn't get in. Anyone know how
to kill them under the foundation? My fear is that the ant trails are
now in place under our house, so it's just a matter of new colonys
finding their way inside as the chemicals get weaker. I've not seen
one ant mound or even an ant in our yard in months, so I know they're
living solely underground. What the heck??? Is our house built on a
super colony or something?

Thanks --

Sam Alex

On Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:58:01 -0700 (PDT), Alex
wrote:

OP here again with another update.

We went through January, February, and much of March seeing very little activity, just a couple of ants in all, but now that it's getting warmer we've started seeing more. In walking around our neighborhood I've seen other houses have the sand traps filled in with concrete so I've talked to our builder who has said they'll come out and fill in both sand traps with concrete which should hopefully stop our influx of bugs.

So a note to those with either an inside bug problem or having a house built -- have your sand traps filled in under all bath tubs! It'll save you plenty of grief

Sam Alex
o
Spray with ant killer? I just sprayed one section of the trail of some
ants my kitchen, 3 feet out of a lot more, and they disappeared for
almost a year, over a year maybe. They have scouts and the scouts
have standards.

replying to Alex, Shah wrote:
Hi Alex,

We are having exact same problem in our house. We are in Central Texas too.
how did you remove Fire ants from your house?


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ny-577951-.htm

In article ,
says...

replying to Alex, Shah wrote:
Hi Alex,

We are having exact same problem in our house. We are in Central Texas too.
how did you remove Fire ants from your house?

Best thing to do is get some of the powdered fire ant bait and put it
out. They carry it to the nest and they all die. Especially the egg
laying queen.

Can anyone explain what a "sand trap" is? The OP mentioned it a couple of times, but I know of the term only as relating to bad golf shotsg.

On Sun, 5 Mar 2017 21:20:51 -0800 (PST), wrote:

Can anyone explain what a "sand trap" is? The OP mentioned it a couple of times, but I know of the term only as relating to bad golf shotsg.
From the plumbingsupply webpage:

These sand and sediment interceptors are designed to separate and
retain sand, gravel and similar materials, in addition to any oil,
grease, gas or diesel fuel-laden waste material. This is accomplished
through the principle of gravity and flotation separation. The
separator's eight chambers, with varying passage elevations, trap
virtually all solids which separate from water under gravity
conditions. Larger and heavier materials are retained in the first
compartment, while smaller and lighter materials are trapped in other
compartments. Oil, grease and similar materials will be retained at
the surface of some or all eight compartments. Any gaseous fumes will
be collected between the top of the water and the bottom of the cover
and vented through the 4 individual 2" threaded vent connections.
These sand / sediment interceptors are constructed of fabricated steel
and have an acid resistant coat for durability.