I had ants, but NOT ANYMORE

[DMGO]

For the past several weeks, I noticed a few small ants (I think they were Sugar ants) in the kitchen, near the microwave, and near the dishwasher. SO, I went to Home Depot, and looked for bug spray. One guy, who actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about, said not to get any spray, but rather this product called "Terro", which is a liquid that I should place on small pieces of cardboard, near where the ants are seen. It was about $4. He said in about a week, they would be gone. OK. So, I got the stuff, and did what he said, and there are NO MORE ANTS. This stuff is just liquid Borax; the ants came running to get the drops on the cardboard, and, supposedly, take it back to their nest, and hopefully, it would kill the whole nest. THIS STUFF REALLY WORKS. And NO spray....

 

[Nords]

We probably go through a quart of that stuff each year...

 

[calmloki]

Enjoy your four days off. If they are as resilient as Oregon ants they shall roll the stone from the door and rise, rise again.

The old Terro was the good stuff - think it had arsenic or some dread chemical in it, don't remember now. In the anti-bug vein, borax is pretty good stuff, fairly benign, but the powder gets under the edges of the wee bugger's shells and drys them out - fatally. You can buy borax powder at the pharmacy, where it is sold for making eye-wash. or as the brand "Roach-pruf", which is just powdered borax. Put it in a cheap plastic picnic catsup container and "puff" the dust around baseboards and the perimeter of the area you want protected. Much better than spaying Raid on your cutting board...

 

[DeborahB]

We have used Terro liquid ant baits inside -- it's probably the same stuff you are using but it comes in little plastic things they walk into. The ants take it back to the nest and they go away... We've used some kind of granules outside.

 

[Martha]

You can make your own. For ants that like sweet, mix borax/boric acid with jelly. For the grease eaters mix the borax/boric acid with peanut butter.

 

[braumeister]

Had a terrible ant problem some years ago during a prolonged rainy season, and the Terro worked really well. They never came back.

 

[powerplay]

Terro is working for me. I used the liquid baits like thinker25 mentioned. I find that I have to keep at it though or they will be back.

 

[Koolau]

Oooops! Misread "ants" for "aunts". But seriously, they are a fact of life in the land of ever-summer. Everything "works" sort of. Nothing works for long. The best "treatment" is daily floor sweeping for any crumbs and dusting same off of counter tops. We always get a few "scouts" even with these precautions. Heavy duty sprays work for a few weeks (the ones that say they are good for a YEAR! - Yeah, right!)

Guy spends a year in stir. First week he finds an ant. Takes him 3 months to teach the ant to roll over. Then after 3 more months, he teaches the ant to shake hands. Three more months and the ant learns to get up on his hind feet to beg. Final 3 months the con teaches the ant to bark like a dog on command. The con figures his future is secure.

Upon his release the con takes his ant into a bar and says. "Hey bar tender, see this here ant?" Bar tender replies "Yeah, we got a lot of 'em around here." as he squashes the little critter under his thumb.

 

[calmloki]

You can make your own. For ants that like sweet, mix borax/boric acid with jelly. For the grease eaters mix the borax/boric acid with peanut butter.

BTW - Martha is correct - boric acid is what I was thinking of. As to it's difference form borax, I found this, which may or may not be correct..
"Borax is the tetra sodium salt of boric acid. Being a salt it's acidity is gone".

Boric acid is what I've used.

 

[Martha]

I've used borax effectively and searching the net quickly I see it used in homemade bug killer remedies.

 

[M Paquette]

The real trick in dealing with the ants in the kitchen is getting them into the pot.

Chocolate Covered Ants​

Yield – 12 Chocolates


Ingredients –
100 Live Black Ants (avoid red ants, they're too spicy)
1 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped out
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Butter, melted
12 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate

Procedures -
Using a medium size pot as a double boiler, heat two cups of water and place a bowl over it. Add chocolate and turn heat to low, heat until chocolate is melted. In another mixing bowl, add vanilla seeds and egg yolks, beat until smooth, add sugar and butter. Fold in ants carefully. Take care not to smash them. They stay more flavorful and retain extra moisture if intact.
Note: The chocolate should never be heated over 100 degree's F.
Use a digital thermometer to check the chocolate. Carefully fold the egg mixture into the chocolate. Use a teaspoon and immediately place a half teaspoon of the mixture onto wax paper or place in chocolate molds. Refrigerate to harden.
The chocolate covered ants can be refrigerated for up to three weeks. The chocolate helps to preserve their freshness.

 

[Nords]

I had no idea that epicurean gourmets could determine that red ants are too spicy. And how the heck did they learn to tell the difference between fresh ants and spoiled ants?

 

[DMGO]

The real trick in dealing with the ants in the kitchen is getting them into the pot.

Chocolate Covered Ants​

Yield – 12 Chocolates


Ingredients –
100 Live Black Ants (avoid red ants, they're too spicy)
1 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped out
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Butter, melted
12 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate

Procedures -
Using a medium size pot as a double boiler, heat two cups of water and place a bowl over it. Add chocolate and turn heat to low, heat until chocolate is melted. In another mixing bowl, add vanilla seeds and egg yolks, beat until smooth, add sugar and butter. Fold in ants carefully. Take care not to smash them. They stay more flavorful and retain extra moisture if intact.
Note: The chocolate should never be heated over 100 degree's F.
Use a digital thermometer to check the chocolate. Carefully fold the egg mixture into the chocolate. Use a teaspoon and immediately place a half teaspoon of the mixture onto wax paper or place in chocolate molds. Refrigerate to harden.
The chocolate covered ants can be refrigerated for up to three weeks. The chocolate helps to preserve their freshness.

Thanks... Next outbreak, we will try this recipe....Hope it's not TOO soon....

 

[kyounge1956]

For the past several weeks, I noticed a few small ants (I think they were Sugar ants) in the kitchen, near the microwave, and near the dishwasher. SO, I went to Home Depot, and looked for bug spray. One guy, who actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about, said not to get any spray, but rather this product called "Terro", which is a liquid that I should place on small pieces of cardboard, near where the ants are seen. It was about $4. He said in about a week, they would be gone. OK. So, I got the stuff, and did what he said, and there are NO MORE ANTS. This stuff is just liquid Borax; the ants came running to get the drops on the cardboard, and, supposedly, take it back to their nest, and hopefully, it would kill the whole nest. THIS STUFF REALLY WORKS. And NO spray....

Does it say on the package whether Terro works on wasps and bees? I have some variety of them setting up housekeeping inside the deck sticking off the back of my townhouse. I don't want them there, but I'd like to use less-toxic means to get rid of them, if I can.

 

[Redbugdave]

Hey Paquette...That's the same recipe I use with our roaches! You need to give them a try, too! The big ones taste the best.

 

[M Paquette]

Hey Paquette...That's the same recipe I use with our roaches! You need to give them a try, too! The big ones taste the best.

Crunchy style!