Teeny Tiny Sugar Ants Won't Go Away!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel your pain on this one and like some others recommend Terro. Definatley watch placement with small kiddies and pets but works very well. I would find them in the dishwasher all the time. Also my husband sprayed the yard with some kind of fertilizer/ant killer (Lowes)and we sprayed all around the outside of the house. These things have been brutal this year!

Oh My I'm dealing with the SAME problem. I went to Home Depot and brought all kinds of things and NOTHING has worked. I even went online and tried some homemade remedies and they are still here. I cleaned, scrubbed and even moved dishes from cabinet to cabinet and we still have them. My husband said he thinks there may be a nest behind the wall and the sink, but how do you get to it. I will post if we find out something and please do the same. Oh and I don't keep ANYTHING on my counters anymore.

I have the same problem when it gets dry like it has been around here.

Ant Terro. They sell it at ACE Hardware. Works like a charm.

We use something called Ortho Home Defence Max. Before you go to bed at night, spray it around windows, baseboards and well everywhere. Let it sit over night and clean it up in the morning. After that spray once more around the baseboards and appliances and windows. This should help. It may take more than one treatment but stick with it. It really does work.

We use a natural exterminator, and I think he uses oil of wintergreen. Since then we've never had ants! We use Nature's Own Exterminating.

Had a similar problem - they come into my house when we've had a lot of rain (probably about once every 9-12 months). I haven't found anything to get rid of them on my own, but my pest control put some gel up around the main hiding spot and they were mostly gone in a couple of days and completely gone in a week. The pest control company said they get a lot of calls about it during more "extreme" weather (rain or hot) and cleaning fluid destroys the pheromone trail, but doesn't really do anything to stop them from coming in. Basically they said it has nothing to do with how clean you keep your kitchen! (The good side was that I got my hubby to start putting his cups in the dishwasher as soon as he finished instead of by the sink though!)

I understand your frustration. We had them in our home in California and they even crawled through the seal on our freezer and into our ice tray. In heat they search for water.
The one time we had them here in GA our exterminator used some type of poisoned sugar water solution in small saucer cups. The saucer cups were left out on the kitchen counters and the ants would go back to their colonies with the poison. You may want to check at Home Depot or Lowe's to see if they carry that product. It took a couple of days but it worked.
Good Luck!

I was a tech at a pest control co. I suggest you spray outside of your home around the base and windows. It really has nothing to do with being dirty they are looking for food and water. You may have to break down and spray some baseboard areas inside your house. I however with that description of the problem with them would suggest spraying the outside first.

I had this problem recently too!!! I did everything you did. I ended up buying Roach & Ant spray, plus I set up "ant traps". You just stick them inside corners of cabinets or in corners where they come from and they'll be ALL gone in a couple days!!!!!

We used to get them too. We use Ortho Home Defence MAX. It is safe to use inside you house and out, and last for 3 months. The cost is about $10.00 at Home Depot. I spray around the foundation every few months and then spray inside as needed. It works great! I sprayed it under my kitchen cabinets and the ants came back one time but they died instantly. No more sugar ants YEAH...hope this helps!

I had my pest control people out 3 times for odorous house ants. They smell like chemicals when you squash them... thought they were bionic because they still didn't go away. Bought a can of Raid (smelled like wildflowers not bad)watched where the ants came out of and just sprayed a tiny bit right on the spot. They were gone by the next morning. Took over a month for them to come back. Good luck!

Try using a mixture of white vinegar and water. Got this from All Natural Pest Free Book, by Dr Myles H Bader. Can be ordered 1-800-792.3694. $19.95 plus S&H.

I dont have an answer but I do know a fantastic exterminator that will get rid of your problem regardless of what it takes. Mike Derman, Owner/Operator
Defender Pest Protection
1091 Meadow Brook Drive
Woodstock GA 30188

Phone: ###-###-####
Fax: ###-###-####
Email: ____@____.com
Web site: www.calldefender.com

Good Luck!
B. B

Call an exterminator or get the pump spray from Walmart or somewhere and go all around the outside base of your house and anywhere that you find them inside. They aren't necesarily after food they just come in at certain times of the year more than others. I use an inexpensive brand (I think it's called Ortho something)and it works just fine if I'm not using an exterminator. I had them a month or so ago and called the exterminator. He had to come back a few days later, at no charge for three months, but haven't had any problem since.

When we had this same problem the only thing that worked was repeated applications of poison. The first few times we only sprayed inside, in the kitchen, around the baseboards. But they didn't go away until we sprayed all outside around where our kitchen is. That was the trick for us, spraying outside as well as inside.

Good luck!

Terro worked really well for us, too. I had ants invading my kitchen, and I kept sealing up little tiny cracks around the windows and electrical outlets, between the counter and the wall, etc. I tried several different kinds of things - like spraying with Raid, which seemed to have NO effect - tried the little traps, at least 2 different kinds because 1 was white & the other black.

My husband was very skeptical about the Terro, because it's basically just boric acid mixed into a sugary syrup and it's supposed to be non-toxic to humans (I think) and gentler on the environment. (Mind you, it's not edible - you still want to keep it out of reach of pets & little kids.)

I put a few drops in the middle of an ant trail and within minutes, they crowded around for the feast. It took a couple of days, because other ants would find different paths, but I haven't seen 'em since.

Putting baking soda on the counters worked for me when I lived in TX. I'm not sure why it worked, but someone had recommended it to me.

Try putting Bounce sheets in the window seals or any other place you are seeing them. I had them last year and this worked for me.It also helped to wiped everything with Bleach. This year it's been fruit flies. I'm still working on that one, but I haven't seen one pesky ant this year.

Good luck,
Jolie

Terro Liquid Ant baits. Don't spray anything. Place them on the counter or whereever they are getting to.. or where you can see their trail. Let them go crazy. they will take it back to their colony and it will poison them all. They will be gone by day two. You need to just let them go crazy for the day without disturbing them.

It's the story of the ant and the grass hopper. They're just trying to find food to store for the winter. And they're looking EVERYWHERE!! My lady even had them at her job... which is a hvac warehouse!

Just stomp them, LOL

Windex. I tried it and it works!!!

Hi Jaque!

I read in a book about naturally repelling and killing different bugs that the best way to keep ants out is to find their entry point and if it's not possible to seal it (ie caulk or whatever) then sprinkle a good aount of cinnamon in the area - they hate the smell and won't go near it. That way if the kids or pets find it, it won't matter! I hope you find something that works for you!!

Good Bless!

I'd get some ant baits and place them on the counter top and lower cabinets and where ever you can locate their entry. See if that helps or you can buy this stuff called Hot Shot from Lowes (I think they are the only place that carries it) for under 10 bucks for a gallon and spray that on your baseboards that are exterior walls, the backside of the lower cabinets if they are in there and on the outside of house-windows, doorways and foundation with it. That should do the trick!! Most importantly, you need to find their point of entry and get that taken care of!!!

Good luck!
S.

I had the same problem a few months ago and I got some stuff from Wal-Mart. It is call Terro (i think) and it is a plastic container that has a sugary liquid in it. You cut off one end, the ants come in and eat the liquid and take it back to the bed and it kills all of them. I put three of them out and the ants were gone in a few days.

Probably Argentine Ants. I had them too -- and how! Fortunately, my sister works for a pest control company so I got the problem resolved somewhat quickly. They don't mind not living in ant hills. They could have a colony IN your house! (yuck!) You need to treat both inside and out. IF that's what it is. And it probably is. Check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant

http://doyourownpestcontrol.com/arg.htm

It may be worth it, though, to just get a pest control company to come out (you're not on base are you?) and take care of them. Let them know you have kids you don't want to get anywhere near poison, of course. Good luck! These little demons are very hard to finally get rid of -- it took me a year!

First, follow the trail of ants to their nest. Next, boil a big pot of water and dump it in their nest. Boil another pot of water and dump on each side of the nest. After you do that go inside and spray your counters with 409 and leave it. Don't wipe it down. You'll need to leave it like that until they stop coming inside of your house.

I had that problem, too until I started to do my own termite spraying each year. it is sold concentrated at wal-mart for about $20. buy an empty spray bottle and mix it. spray it around your doors, windows, dryer vent, on the outside. also, for the first time, you might need to get some indoor spray that lasts up to six months. this should fix the problem. the termite spray is very strong and kills the black widows and other pests you won't want to come inside.

Definitely spray outside, but try some vinegar inside. We sparay a half vinegar/half water solution where we see ants, and it seems to at least slow them down, if not get rid of them in that area.

Equal, the deadly chemical sweetner, works great on killing ants.
you can also try boric acid.

I would prefer to give you a natural alternative (especially with your 4 year old), but Terro did work great. Make sure you tell your kids not to touch it or mess with it in any way. It will attract them like crazy, so be ready to keep the little dab on there or else they will go away before the whole colony has eaten the poison. As long as there is food there, it will continued to be taken back. It works great - just make sure your kids don't get near it. J.

Buy that tube of ant killing gel. Don't smush the ants-- they give off something that tells the other ants. So, find the trail if you can. Right around the trail, place a pea size amount --they will eat it. Let swarms come. They take it back to their ant nest/pile and it kills them. You may have to do it twice. Just make sure the kids don't play with the gel.

we had these the only thing that worked was the ant traps that have liquid and food in them. it may take a couple of trys to get um all but that's what worked for us.

If you can find any ant hills, I second the grits idea. I've used it (the instant grits work better, especially when done about a day to a few hours before you know rain is coming) in the past with great success.

Spray around the edges of your windows and doors with an indoor/outdoor pesticide. At Lowe's, you can find a kitchen ant killer. It's made with natural ingredients (I believe it is made by Hot Shot, but don't have any in my house right now to check). This is the best stuff we've found so far for killing them. Also, make sure you clean any trails they are leaving. In other words, if you find them coming from a window or doorway, clean the entire path including the walls and window sill. Ants follow a scented path left by the other ants, which is why they always appear to travel in the exact same line.

Hope this helps!

The ants come in not because your house is dirty as you can tell but they come in looking for water. Any time there isn't any rain and with the mix of extremely hot weather they come in looking for water. That is why you always see them in the kitchen. I myself had this problem. My best advice to you is to buy some ant spray and spray it around your sink....it really does work. If you have an irrigation system try watering your lawn a little bit. This will rid you of having those little ants we all love to hate.

I have always had great success with Terro. Here is the website that shows where you can purchase it http://www.terro.com/store-finder.php Once you have it down, the ants will come to it and it will look like a black blob from all the ants, but after they have gotten some and take it back to the nest, you will never see another ant. Never is a long time, but you won't see any until next year probably. You just have to make sure that your kids know not to eat or touch it and place it where the ants are walking so that they find it fast!

I have not tried this myself because I haven't had the problem but I have heard that if you find their entry way and put a smear of Vaseline over it they will not go past the Vaseline. Worth a try since it is harmless. Just reading over all the responses one of them is bound to work!!

I agree with those who recommended Terro. It worked great for me. I tried to put it near the point the ants were entring the house. I bought the kind in a bottle that you pour onto little pieces of cardboard. You may have to apply it to the cardboard sevral times per day depending on the number of ants you have. Just remember you may have lots more ants at first because they are attracted to it. That's why I tried to place it outdoors or as close as I could to where they were coming into the house. Good Luck!

I have some of what I'm going to mention but haven't tried it yet, but what about Diatomaceous Earth. You can find it at home depot. Although the one we have is food grade and we bought ours from here. Watch this video here...he even shows you ants. My husband takes it internally. http://www.earthworkshealth.com/

J.,
You have to find where they are coming in outside and spray with ant spray at that point on the outside of your house. That is really the only way to get rid of them.

My Dad used to be an Exterminator for most of all my life and we had this issue at the beginning of summer. However, the trick is to spray the outside ALL around. Also we have ant hills in our yard so we also have to treat our yard as well and I apologize for not remembering the name of the stuff you put down like seeding your yard but they sell it at Home Depot-someone there should be able to help recommend something.
As far as taking care of the issue "inside" I would suggest putting some ant baits down. The ones that they carry to their stinking nest and it KILLS em all! I have not tried this in awhile but I heard once GRITS-yes good ole southern grits. They go to eat it and it swells in their tummy and it kills them - I did try this once at my old house with some ants in the garage and by golly it worked but I'm not quite sure if the hubby sprayed too. IT could just be an old wives tale but I know how frustratin those lil boogers are and what desperate measures you are willing to take! lol!

I am L., you try using some table salt, it is the best solution, put it on the counter behind the stove, I guarantee you, you won't see anymore.