# ISO- HELP: Black ant infestation!



## CWS4322 (May 27, 2012)

Help--I have black ants all over one room in my house. I have no idea where they came from except I have been patching some dry wall in that room. I have a dog so am concerned about using a poison/spray. S/one said cornmeal, but I want them gone now. They are not sugar ants and they are not carpenter ants. I tried bleach--they swim through that. HELP!!! Vinegar? What? For now, I have "barriers" of white shaving cream at the door and along the base boards. Shaving cream works, but I want them gone. Plain white shaving cream + hydrogen peroxide works great on blood stains. I always have some white shaving cream in the house for laundry. Works good on immobilizing ants until another measure can be taken (so I have discovered tonight--didn't know that until I tried it). It doesn't stain or bleach color, washes up easily.


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## Dawgluver (May 27, 2012)

Terro Ant Killer has worked for me.  It's liquid borax.  Goop on little cardboard squares, near points of entry.  Vinegar will deter them, but it will take awhile.

They are nasty beasties!  Good luck!


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## CWS4322 (May 27, 2012)

I have powdered Borax for laundry as well. Can I just make that into a liquid or will the powdered form work as well? I have immobilized 80% of them with shaving cream. Now, to figure where they came from....


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## Dawgluver (May 27, 2012)

Yes, you need to find where they're coming in.  Borax paste should work, mix the dry with a bit of water, maybe put on small pieces of cardboard or wax paper.


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 27, 2012)

They won't cross abrasive sink cleanser (Ajax). I learned that from RV usage. With RVs you sprinkle a barrier around your wheels and your leveling jacks. It works.

And what you need to do is go outside and find where they're coming from and spray ant killer on their hive entrance. You'll never get rid of them until you go to the source.

I have a dog too. Just keep him/her inside for a few hours and don't go crazy with the spray. A little spray at the hive entrance, and ignore the trails leading to your house. The army thins out and disappears without hive support.

And remember it's just a battle, not the war. You'll never win the war. All you can do is win each battle.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

I have to say, the shaving cream has worked very well. I do have to deal with the problem, but the solution for tonight worked and will try both suggestions. I will have to tell the story of 6 cans of shaving cream and 20 bottles of hydrogen peroxide to clean the blood from a dog that was bit and bleeding from an artery out of my van sometime (a/k/a how I learned how effective shaving cream and hydrogen peroxide were for cleaning blood stains). And hence, why I always have both on hand.


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## Claire (May 28, 2012)

Oh, good grief.  Buy a package of ant traps.  You put them where you think the ants might be coming in and exiting.  they are only about an inch or so square.  The ants go in then take the poison back to their friends, and w/i a day, gone.  I always have pet friends, and of course they are attracted to their food.  I just put them where the doggies or kitties can't get them.  I've never had a problem last for more than 24 hours after placing them.


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## buckytom (May 28, 2012)

sometimes you have to look at the bright side. 

you have well shaved ants with the whitest whites that would make the navy proud!


sorry, i can't be of any help.  why not put down one of those whole house barrier sprays. they're supposedly safe as soon as they're dried.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

I will definitely be doing s/thing tomorrow--I was trying to find something I could do tonight to "rein in" the infestation before it took over the whole house. Thanks, everyone.


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## buckytom (May 28, 2012)

they're building tiny ships as we speak...


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

buckytom said:


> they're building tiny ships as we speak...


And I'm armed and dangerous with my can of shaving cream--go ahead, make my day you little 6-legged brats! You have no idea the weekend I've had...


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## Addie (May 28, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> And I'm armed and dangerous with my can of shaving cream--go ahead, make my day you little 6-legged brats! You have no idea the weekend I've had...


 
Put the girls to work. They love to eat bugs. Make them earn their living.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

Addie said:


> Put the girls to work. They love to eat bugs. Make them earn their living.


They are so fussy about the bugs they eat--they'd probably prefer the shaving cream!


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## Steve Kroll (May 28, 2012)

We have two dogs and I don't like using poison, either. But I've had to resort to using Black Flag before and just keep the dogs away from the restricted area for a day. Once the ant problem is cleared up, just clean the area up well.

(By the way, CWS, I tried to PM you but your inbox is full.)


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## sparrowgrass (May 28, 2012)

Mix your borax with corn syrup--that is how Terro is made.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

sparrowgrass said:


> Mix your borax with corn syrup--that is how Terro is made.


That I can do. I caulked the area where we removed the baseboards and have not seen any ants for about 2 hours. Now I have to clean up all the shaving cream!


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## jabbur (May 28, 2012)

I have both a dog and a cat.  We use diatomaceous earth to rid us of ants.  We sprinkle it around the foundation every spring and haven't had an ant in the house since we started.  It's a natural substance, not dangerous to pets.  You can find it in the garden sections of the hardware stores.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

jabbur said:


> I have both a dog and a cat.  We use diatomaceous earth to rid us of ants.  We sprinkle it around the foundation every spring and haven't had an ant in the house since we started.  It's a natural substance, not dangerous to pets.  You can find it in the garden sections of the hardware stores.


I provide DE for the girls' dirt baths. It helps to keep lice and mites away from chickens. I buy it in the 25 lb bag. The girls love taking their dirt baths. In the winter, they have a DE "sandbox" inside placed in a spot where the sun shines through the window. They love having baths year-around. I left the last bag I bought at the farm, but will put it on the list of things to bring back next trip! DE is great stuff. Supposedly fleas don't like it either.


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## bakechef (May 28, 2012)

apparently people are taking food grade DE saying it cures what ails you, I would have to do a little more research before I digested the stuff, LOL

Yeah, I've heard the DE works great for insects and is one of the best things for bedbugs.


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## Dawgluver (May 28, 2012)

bakechef said:
			
		

> apparently people are taking food grade DE saying it cures what ails you, I would have to do a little more research before I digested the stuff, LOL
> 
> Yeah, I've heard the DE works great for insects and is one of the best things for bedbugs.



I wouldn't eat it!  

DE works for slugs too.  You do need to reapply after rain.


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## Alix (May 28, 2012)

If you don't want a sticky mess then mix equal parts icing sugar and borax and sprinkle around doorways, windows, any point of entry you see and they will take it back to their home. Bye bye ants. 

They hate Dawn dishsoap too. It doesn't kill 'em but they run away from it.


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## bakechef (May 28, 2012)

I've had really great luck with Terro ant baits (they are borax).  Borax seems to be slow acting, so they can take it back to the nest and die, and the other ants will die from eating them or getting it on them.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

The plan is thus: caulk any gap behind the drywall patch and the floor behind the baseboard (this was a dampness issue, so according to what I've read, a place carpenter ants like). Use Zodiac FleaTrol along the walls (supposedly it works on ants, and I happen to have some on hand), mix up borax and corn syrup, put that on cardboard squares and hope they take it home. Although, I still must say, zapping them with a dollop of shaving cream stopped the  ones that were invading in their tracks. Any that are silly enough to come investigate why their buddies didn't return, will bring back goodies to the queen and her workers. Bah! This I didn't need! Thanks all for your help. I can't put out the Ajax because of the girls. But the wood pile that is outside of this room will be moving.


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 28, 2012)

Just one thing about ant psychology: they don't care of their buddies don't come home, nor will they send missing ant investigators.  They make 'em faster than you can kill 'em. All they care about is buddies who come home bearing gifts (food). When that happens they send more and track them back to the food source.

You've identified the most important problem and solution: fill the holes so they can't some in. Even if you did nothing else that would eventually solve the problem.

Once you have plugged the holes you can spray the remaining invaders with Windex or Lysol and clean them up with paper towels.


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## Merlot (May 28, 2012)

Sounds like you are on the right track but just for the record I also used Terro ant baits at the beginning of spring, I havent seen another ant since the day I put them out, about 2 hours into it.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

Merlot said:


> Sounds like you are on the right track but just for the record I also used Terro ant baits at the beginning of spring, I havent seen another ant since the day I put them out, about 2 hours into it.


+1


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Just one thing about ant psychology: they don't care of their buddies don't come home, nor will they send missing ant investigators.  They make 'em faster than you can kill 'em. All they care about is buddies who come home bearing gifts (food). When that happens they send more and track them back to the food source.
> 
> You've identified the most important problem and solution: fill the holes so they can't some in. Even if you did nothing else that would eventually solve the problem.
> 
> Once you have plugged the holes you can spray the remaining invaders with Windex or Lysol and clean them up with paper towels.


Because I clean with steam, I don't have those products (Windex or Lysol) in the house. I do have rubbing alcohol...


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 28, 2012)

Steam would do a pretty good job of "cleaning" them.


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## buckytom (May 28, 2012)

it also helps to press their teeny uniforms...


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Steam would do a pretty good job of "cleaning" them.


The steam would scorch them...oh, I can see where this is going, chocolate-coated ants!


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 28, 2012)

Well, scorching was the idea. It gets them dead. I presume your steam cleaning has a vacuum function.

Steaming has an additional benefit: it will destroy their scent trails. Without the scent they won't know how to follow the trail to the source of the food.

Ants are exploring as much territory they can get into all the time. There's probably always a few ants patrolling your house if they can get in at all. (That's why you need to plug any entrance holes.) If they don't find any food they explore somewhere else. If they find food they follow their own trail back to the hive, and bring more ants on the trail they blazed. The trail gets thicker and thicker.

The other important thing with ants is to never leave any food or food residue they can find. (Including food spills or splashes.) If their scouts don't find any food they will have no interest in returning with the army.


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

I have several steamers--handheld, steamer only, and steam and vac. I obviously don't like mopping floors or doing windows. The one I was thinking of using was the steamer only with the floor cleaning option, but zapping them with a jet of steam and then steaming the floor afterward with the floor attachment.


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## taxlady (May 28, 2012)

bakechef said:


> apparently people are taking food grade DE saying it cures what ails you, I would have to do a little more research before I digested the stuff, LOL
> 
> Yeah, I've heard the DE works great for insects and is one of the best things for bedbugs.


I would be scared to ingest diatomaceous earth. It kills insects by cutting there thoraxes. Those diatoms are sharp little buggers. I don't want tiny scrapes or holes in my intestines.


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## buckytom (May 28, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> If their scouts don't find any food they will have no interest in returning with the army.



wait, i thought we were talking about the navy.


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 28, 2012)

buckytom said:


> wait, i thought we were talking about the navy.


You're confusing ants and cockroaches!


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 28, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Help--I have black ants all over one room in my house.


Do you realize that THIS is the most popular topic on the forum today?


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

Ding! Ding! Ding! Gagnons! Winner! What's my prize?


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## buckytom (May 28, 2012)

a naval themed ant farm?


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 28, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Ding! Ding! Ding! Gagnons! Winner! What's my prize?


I think the forum members should make you eat chocolate ants!


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## taxlady (May 28, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I think the forum members should make you eat chocolate ants!


Ick. I have eaten chocolate covered ants. It did not improve the chocolate and I had little legs and antennae in my teeth. Ptui.


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 28, 2012)

taxlady said:


> Ick. I have eaten chocolate covered ants. It did  not improve the chocolate and I had little legs and antennae in my  teeth. Ptui.


I have never knowingly eaten an insect but I am not so naive to realize that insect parts are in many of our foods as pollutants.

Maybe eating insects is part of the same thing as "I can eat chilis with 10,000,000,000 Scovilles!"


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## CWS4322 (May 28, 2012)

Wait a minute--what kind of prize would it be for me to eat chocolate-covered ants if I couldn't share them with the entire DC family? Would that not be a bit selfish?


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 29, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Wait a minute--what kind of prize would it be for me to eat chocolate-covered ants if I couldn't share them with the entire DC family? Would that not be a bit selfish?



You can have mine.


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## sparrowgrass (Jun 9, 2012)

And mine.  I am generally not a squeamish person, but just the thought of eating bugs is enough to make me lose my appetite.


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