Ants in my...well, fricking everywhere!

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
[quote author="Astute Observer" date=1211405088]These are 4 inch, brown, and fly pretty well.</blockquote>
That is exactly the kind I caught the day before yesterday, since then I checked 3 or 4 times during the night, sneaking into the kitchen turning the lights on and then checking with a flashlight everywhere, but either that thing was really a lone wolf who got in somehow... or these monsters can really hide somehow - although I wouldn't know where, I have access to almost every place they could hide, the only place I cannot check is under the kitchen cabinets next to the stove .... I am still worried, though, I guess I keep my nightly checks up for a while...
 
Apparently Irvinites are not the only ones with ant problems lately. Here are <a href="http://www.diylife.com/2008/06/05/all-natural-ant-control-and-prevention/">two</a> <a href="http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/06/06/how-to-get-rid-of-ants-safely-and-without-an-exterminator/">articles</a> I recently stumbled across on how to deal with your ant problem yourself.
 
It's that time of year again...



Tried a new (non-toxic) trick this year - tea tree oil. So far, it's working. In any cabinet the critters got into, I placed a cotton ball half soaked with the oil. For any paths, I gently wiped the path with a cotton ball half soaked with the oil. I think they don't like the smell of the oil (unfortunately, neither do I, but I will take it over ants).
 
[quote author="EvaLSeraphim" date=1248361587]It's that time of year again...



Tried a new (non-toxic) trick this year - tea tree oil. So far, it's working. In any cabinet the critters got into, I placed a cotton ball half soaked with the oil. For any paths, I gently wiped the path with a cotton ball half soaked with the oil. I think they don't like the smell of the oil (unfortunately, neither do I, but I will take it over ants).</blockquote>
Where do you get it?
 
I got mine at Trader Joe's in the cosmetics section. I think it is "Desert Essence" or something like that in a smallish clear bottle with a green label. It's sort of expensive (~$6 per bottle).
 
I sprayed the outside of my place a few months ago, the garage lining, the front door, windows, along the outside of my house, etc. Bought this Terro spray in a large tub.



I haven't seen a single ant in my entire place so far.



Black Widows, however, seem to be hanging around the front door, so they're probably eating all the ants.
 
I had an ant problem for months at my old house until my neighbor gave me a packet of this:



<a href="http://www.fastpestcontrol.com/ant_control.html">Chinese Ant Poison</a>



I set this stuff in bottle caps arount ant trails and soon, millions of ants came out of their colony to partake in the feast, including rarely seen large soldiers, winged females, and even some young queens that ususally never come out of the colony. Then the carnage began. The ants turned on each other and literally tore each other to pieces. When the holocaust was over, my house was littered with ant parts. The ants never came back in the 2 more years I lived at that house.



I don't know if this weapon of mass destruction is EPA approved or if it is a contraband product of China's chemical weapons program but it is the BEST ANT KILLER EVER.
 
[quote author="High Gravity" date=1248390467]I had an ant problem for months at my old house until my neighbor gave me a packet of this:



<a href="http://www.fastpestcontrol.com/ant_control.html">Chinese Ant Poison</a>



I set this stuff in bottle caps arount ant trails and soon, millions of ants came out of their colony to partake in the feast, including rarely seen large soldiers, winged females, and even some young queens that ususally never come out of the colony. Then the carnage began. The ants turned on each other and literally tore each other to pieces. When the holocaust was over, my house was littered with ant parts. The ants never came back in the 2 more years I lived at that house.



I don't know if this weapon of mass destruction is EPA approved or if it is a contraband product of China's chemical weapons program but it is the BEST ANT KILLER EVER.</blockquote>
Haha My mom used this at her house. It was crazy, dead ants all over the place.
 
Had an ant infestation in my favorite outdoor potted plant, needed to get rid of the ants without poison and without killing the plant, this worked for me.



1. Let pot get extremely dry after not watering for several days, to drive the ants & their eggs deep underground.

2. Pour buckets of water onto the pot until it's completely flooded with standing water.

3. A zillion ants swarm out of the pot. Couldn't get them all, but squashed all the big ones (queens? who knows) I could find for half an hour. Yes, it was icky.



That seemed to do it, there were fewer and fewer ants until there were no ants at all. Some other bug (predator? who knows) took over the pot and since then, no more ants.
 
I'm beginning to think from reading here and another recent experience that Irvine is infested with ants (more so than other places). Does anyone think this is true? I remember many years ago when a friend bought in a new development in Newport Coast, the ants were so unbearable that they had to move out for a while shortly after moving in. They had ants coming out of the electrical outlets and when pulling up a small corner of their carpet, they discovered that they were basically living under a layer of ants. I really don't know much about ants, we have a few here and there but nothing like what it seems you are dealing with in Irvine.
 
We had an ant infestation when we moved into our apartment which was brand new at the time. I was told it was because of the construction digging. Guess they just wanted to get back at us for digging up their homes underground.



After a few months they were gone. We really didn't do anything other than spray them with windex when in sight. Funny thing, a few years have past and all of a sudden they came back for 1 day last week and know they are gone.
 
Invasive Ants Territorial When Neighbors Are Not Kin

<A href="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/8716">http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/8716</A>



[quote author="tmare" date=1248404924]I'm beginning to think from reading here and another recent experience that Irvine is infested with ants (more so than other places). Does anyone think this is true? I remember many years ago when a friend bought in a new development in Newport Coast, the ants were so unbearable that they had to move out for a while shortly after moving in. They had ants coming out of the electrical outlets and when pulling up a small corner of their carpet, they discovered that they were basically living under a layer of ants. I really don't know much about ants, we have a few here and there but nothing like what it seems you are dealing with in Irvine.</blockquote>
 
We've had them coming in for the first time ever. I actually wanted to pull up this thread because they have been bugging us this week. They got in the toaster oven...yuck. Cleaned that all up, but every time I turn around there are a couple of individuals on the counters. Definitely going to give the tea tree oil a shot
 
[quote author="Shooby" date=1248389523]Black Widows, however, seem to be hanging around the front door, so they're probably eating all the ants.</blockquote>


Correction: They are most likely <a href="http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2009/05/28/oc-brown-widow-spider-invasion-might-muscle-black-widows-aside/7979/">Brown Widow spiders</a>. Black Widows do their best to be out of sight, or at least hide in dark places. Brown Widows however are infesting OC. They are resilient, will make a home on anything that is slightly above the ground like a patio chair leg, shrub, a wall, patio light, BBQ, etc. Unlike Black Widows, they are not territorial, and they will share space with other Brown Widows. Supposedly they are not as poisonous as Black Widows, but I don't know anyone who has been bitten by one. They are no where near as aggressive, and they like to play opossum when threatened. I have plenty to go around my house, but they don't eat enough ants to keep them around. If they killed the rabbits... maybe, then just maybe I wouldn't kill them off with non-organic toxic chemicals, but they are every where and they need some serious toxic chemicals to kill them.
 
[quote author="graphrix" date=1248452122][quote author="Shooby" date=1248389523]Black Widows, however, seem to be hanging around the front door, so they're probably eating all the ants.</blockquote>


Correction: They are most likely Brown Widow spiders. Black Widows do their best to be out of sight, or at least hide in dark places. Brown Widows however are infesting OC.</blockquote>


Really? If you think we can't distinguish between the spider on the left (black) and the one on the right (brown) how do you hope to instill in us a meaningful understanding of derivatives markets, the entirety of the foreclosure process, and the nuances of cash vs. retail arbitrage?



I'm with Shooby on this one, kimosabe.



<img src="http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/files/2009/05/brownandblackwidows.jpg" alt="" />



To bring this thread back to the ants, I re-recommend Newport Exterminators . We're now at three years ant-free.

<strong><a href="http://www.newportexterminating.com">www.newportexterminating.com</a></strong> or (714) 424-0717



<strong><a href="http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/forums/viewthread/2143/#50423">(reference)</a> </strong>



-Deuce
 
They are definitely black widows. We killed one and googled it. It has a red hourglass on it's belly, and it definitely black, not brown.
 
[quote author="High Gravity" date=1248390467]I had an ant problem for months at my old house until my neighbor gave me a packet of this:



<a href="http://www.fastpestcontrol.com/ant_control.html">Chinese Ant Poison</a>



I set this stuff in bottle caps arount ant trails and soon, millions of ants came out of their colony to partake in the feast, including rarely seen large soldiers, winged females, and even some young queens that ususally never come out of the colony. Then the carnage began. The ants turned on each other and literally tore each other to pieces. When the holocaust was over, my house was littered with ant parts. The ants never came back in the 2 more years I lived at that house.



I don't know if this weapon of mass destruction is EPA approved or if it is a contraband product of China's chemical weapons program but it is the BEST ANT KILLER EVER.</blockquote>




Any place to pick this up locally?
 
[quote author="No_Such_Reality" date=1251680015][quote author="High Gravity" date=1248390467]I had an ant problem for months at my old house until my neighbor gave me a packet of this:



<a href="http://www.fastpestcontrol.com/ant_control.html">Chinese Ant Poison</a>



I set this stuff in bottle caps arount ant trails and soon, millions of ants came out of their colony to partake in the feast, including rarely seen large soldiers, winged females, and even some young queens that ususally never come out of the colony. Then the carnage began. The ants turned on each other and literally tore each other to pieces. When the holocaust was over, my house was littered with ant parts. The ants never came back in the 2 more years I lived at that house.



I don't know if this weapon of mass destruction is EPA approved or if it is a contraband product of China's chemical weapons program but it is the BEST ANT KILLER EVER.</blockquote>




Any place to pick this up locally?</blockquote>


I ordered it from that website, took about 10 days to get here from Taiwan i think. Just comes in a plain white envelope. I havent used it yet since i havent seen many ants recently, but want to have it on hand for when any colony's pop up. The last ones we had somehow disappeared on their own. Im anxious to use it though.
 
[quote author="qwerty" date=1251693824][quote author="No_Such_Reality" date=1251680015][quote author="High Gravity" date=1248390467]I had an ant problem for months at my old house until my neighbor gave me a packet of this:



<a href="http://www.fastpestcontrol.com/ant_control.html">Chinese Ant Poison</a>



I set this stuff in bottle caps arount ant trails and soon, millions of ants came out of their colony to partake in the feast, including rarely seen large soldiers, winged females, and even some young queens that ususally never come out of the colony. Then the carnage began. The ants turned on each other and literally tore each other to pieces. When the holocaust was over, my house was littered with ant parts. The ants never came back in the 2 more years I lived at that house.



I don't know if this weapon of mass destruction is EPA approved or if it is a contraband product of China's chemical weapons program but it is the BEST ANT KILLER EVER.</blockquote>




Any place to pick this up locally?</blockquote>


I ordered it from that website, took about 10 days to get here from Taiwan i think. Just comes in a plain white envelope. I havent used it yet since i havent seen many ants recently, but want to have it on hand for when any colony's pop up. The last ones we had somehow disappeared on their own. Im anxious to use it though.</blockquote>


Come on over to my house of you want to experiment. They are everywhere!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top