Ants!!!

[vampcow]

ARUGH...

I came home last night and noticed an ant in the bathroom....

then another...then another...so I decided to follow them...and saw they were coming in from a crack under the bathtub on the floor...

sigh...

I can't stand bugs in my apartment...and I can't call my landlord since he's off for the next few days....

soo any advice on how I can rid myself of this ant problem? (it isn't a swarm just one ant to many in my opinion...my fiance isn't fazed by it since its only a couple of ants but it is bugging me to no end.) My dad suggested getting some raid for ants and spraying it along the crack until I can call the landlord and have him fix it, But I am worried about my cats...won't raid hurt them?

 

[mews2much]

I have a huge ant problem also.
We have tried what everyone in the group sugested but still have them.
I know how you feels.
I am going to buy ant cups today and see if they work.
I am also going to try something taht people here said to use.
I know it starts with a d and they said its safe around cats.
I dont get it they are coming out of my keyboard.

 

[-_aj_-]

my mams friend has a massive infestation and she vacuumed them up and that got shot of them especially in those hard to reach places

 

[yosemite]

I use and have great results from using Diatomaceous Earth. You can either get it online or at a nursery. I got mine from our local nursery but it has to be human/food grade to be safe for the kitties. I had ants coming in a small hole at the doorway into our kitchen. They were coming in in flocks so I just poofed some into the hole and they were gone within an hour. I also put in along the doorsills and windowsills in the summer.

 

[catmom2wires]

Those are carpenter ants and that means there is a nest somewhere in the frame of the building. They were just coming out in search of water.

Be sure and tell your landlord ASAP as they'll need to be remedied in the walls and attic, etc. They can do a lot of damage, so the sooner they are dealt with, the better.

Cally

 

[vampcow]

ok this is just grossing me out....

Its weird because they aren't going anywhere else just around the bathtub....and I can CLEARLY see where they are coming from.

I don't think they are carpenter ants (my parents have those) since they are TINY and black like an 8th of the size of carpenter ants in my parents house.

My sister suggested that I try and put cinnamon around the cracks until I get a chance to call my landlord. Apprently she had the same type of ant and they hate cinnamon.

but I am scare of having an exterminator in my house because of the cats.

 

[carolpetunia]

If they're only coming in through those particular cracks, can you just caulk 'em up?

 

[vampcow]

I could...and i can since my father made sure that each of his kids can do household repairs...BUT when I called him for advice he told me i should have the LANDLORD handle it since under my renters agreement he is responsible for those issues. Espeically since the crack runs the whole length of the tub. (we really need a new bathtub).

Pest control showed up at all our doors on Christmas eve but since no one was informed they were coming no so one let them in or were home TO let them in...so obviously this is a problem my landlord is familiar with but did not bother to tell any of the tenents since my neighbors knew nothing about pest control coming.

If he had let us know that our building has an ant problem I would have let Pest Control in. BUt as a rule I don't let people in or even answer the door if i am not excepting anyone. ESPECIALLY services like pest control or such because i live near a maxium secruity prision its better to be safe then sorry.

 

[nanner]

Christmas Eve?! They came on Christmas Eve?! And the landlord didn't give anyone any warning about it?

Geesh. I hate stuff like that.

And I hate ants. Before I had a cat, I used Tarro - but now I wouldn't dare put it out, what with having Larry.

With Tarro, they would start clustering around it, eating it, and bringing it back to the nest, and it would kill the queen. It was sort of interesting watching this line of ants going back into the hole and more coming out....like a little assembly line.

Eventually I got tired of waiting for the Tarro to work, and just blasted the hole with spray bug killer - that did the trick.

But I can't do any of that now - I'd be terrified of poisoning Larry. The cinnamon sounds like a good trick. Or that Diatomaceous Earth stuff sounds pretty good.

 

[butzie]

Windex will take care of the ants. Really. Just spray it on them and on the trail. You may have to do this for a day or so, but they will all die. Trust me on this. The exterminator told me about it. Works like a charm and it's not toxic.

 

[laureen227]

make sure it's the food-grade diatomaceous earth. i got mine at a local feed store - loads of it, will probably last me forever.
it's good for any insects w/hard exoskeletons - roaches, ants, etc. also won't hurt the cats [as long as it's the food-grade stuff].

 

[vampcow]

I mentioned to my fiance the suggestion about the windex and the next thing i know he is RUNNING across the apartment windex in hand screaming DIE ANTS DIE!!!

he said the the cinnamon is detracting them from coming up. (apparenly it works with the small black ants since they HATE sugar) Which I did notice...and he has been spraying with windex. So i guess we will haveto see what happens. Regardless the landlord is getting a call.

But I do have to say not only is the cinnamon scaring away the bugs it is also scaring away the cats!! THey usually lay on the bathroom floor because its warm but not since I put down the cinnamon...hmmm is cinnamon a scent that cats hate as well??

 

[fastnoc]

forget all these ridiculous home remedies.

Pour gas on them and light them on fire! problem solved!

P.S. get your security deposit for the apartment back first.

 

[vampcow]

Originally Posted by fastnoc

forget all these ridiculous home remedies.

Pour gas on them and light them on fire! problem solved!

P.S. get your security deposit for the apartment back first.

THAT is hysterical and a quick and effective solution!

 

[tofu]

I've had really good luck with cinnamon. I use to live with a bunch of guys and they were all really messy so we would have ant problems. They use to come around my fish tanks because of the water source (I'm talking hundreds here) and I didn't want to use any harsh chemicals because of the fish. So, I sprinkled cinnamon around the base of each of my tanks as well as where they were entering the house from.