primitives discuss ants in the bathroom moving into the kitchen

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018925850

So.....I went over to Skins's island to see what was up with the primitives.

They're pretty boring right now, discussing things about which they know nothing, making themselves look like the fools and morons they are.

Believe it or not, this was the most cerebral thread I could find over there.

redwitch (13,045 posts)     Mon Feb 20, 2017, 06:56 PM

Ants. We haz them.
 
Upstate New York, 2nd floor apartment. February! Ants in the bathroom. Now moving into the kitchen. Kitty Turbo chases them around and eats them. If I put out ant traps and the ants eat the poison and he eats the ants is he going to get sick?

I don't know what to do!

Help!

underpants (122,847 posts)      Mon Feb 20, 2017, 07:01 PM

1. Terro
 
You can get it at any hardware store. It looks like hand sanitizer. It is supposed to be pet friendly - we've used it but put it behind things or in the nooks and crannies. It's basically sugar water and borax. Kill the queen and the colony dies. The ants take the borax back with them. It works well. 

redwitch (13,045 posts)     Mon Feb 20, 2017, 07:05 PM

4. Thanks, will find some tomorrow.
 
I tried talking to the ants but they just don't care. I don't like killing them, they are such determined little workers.

vlyons (2,212 posts)      Mon Feb 20, 2017, 07:02 PM

2. you need to find the nest
 
follow the ants back to their nest, then sprinkle some any killer poison on the nest and mess the nest up a little with a stick. The other alternative is to bug bomb the rooms, but you have to remove the cat from those rooms for a few hours.

You still have to find and destroy the nest.

redwitch (13,045 posts)      Mon Feb 20, 2017, 07:04 PM

3. I assume they are coming up through downstairs neighbor's aptmt.
 
They are coming up through our bathroom, part of which is over the kitchen downstairs.

LunaSea (1,852 posts)      Mon Feb 20, 2017, 07:14 PM

5. Borax and honey
 
It does not take much of either.

Mix to a paste, put a drop in a bottle cap or something similar.

Make several of these and place along a known ant trail in a place where pets cannot reach.

Give it some time and the ants will do the work for you, they'll collect up the tainted goo and take it right home to mom. When she dies, the colony dies.

Works for most household species, they'll likely be all gone in just a couple of days.

Afterwards wipe down any ant trail paths with vinegar or alcohol. 

<<<has never been especially troubled by ants, but always supposed the best way to get rid of them is by taking out the trash and cleaning up the place.  A solution that probably doesn't occur to many primitives, especially those living in crowded congested blue cities.

[DUmpstruck]

How would any DUmmie know how to get rid of uninvited freeloaders that make a mess out of the bathroom and then go after free stuff in the kitchen?

[I_B_Perky]

How would any DUmmie know how to get rid of uninvited freeloaders that make a mess out of the bathroom and then go after free stuff in the kitchen?

If anyone would know how to get rid of freeloaders it would be the dummies. Ditto for getting on disability and welfare.   

[Dblhaul]

If you keep your home clean and dry you shouldn't have a problem. But then again it is DUmmies we are talking about.

[98ZJUSMC]

redwitch (13,045 posts)     Mon Feb 20, 2017, 07:05 PM

4. Thanks, will find some tomorrow.
 
I tried talking to the ants but they just don't care. I don't like killing them, they are such determined little workers.

[jukin]

I hate to help any DUchebag but diatomaceous earth is about the best inert prevention and killing of any small insect.

[thundley4]

I hate to help any DUchebag but diatomaceous earth is about the best inert prevention and killing of any small insect.

Also safe for pets and people.

[DUmpstruck]

I hate to help any DUchebag but diatomaceous earth is about the best inert prevention and killing of any small insect.

LDB is doomed.

[Karin]

Diatomaceous earth consists of diatoms, a type hard-shelled algae which is a fossilized deposit of microscopic shells created by one celled plants

I agree with the effectiveness.  It leaches out the moisture from the little critters.  I always keep stock on hand.  Perfectly safe for pets and children, it's just shell flour.  I don't know, would this kill the queen ant?  It does retain a residue in your vacuum cleaner.  Recommend, and cheap, too. 

[BlueStateSaint]

I agree with the effectiveness.  It leaches out the moisture from the little critters.  I always keep stock on hand.  Perfectly safe for pets and children, it's just shell flour.  I don't know, would this kill the queen ant?  It does retain a residue in your vacuum cleaner.  Recommend, and cheap, too.

I think that the queen ant would have to travel through the DE to get its' exoskeleton pierced by it, to allow the moisture/nutrients to leech out of it.  Or have the DE brought to it by the worker ants, and then have the DE pierce the exoskeleton.

[VelvetElvis]

How would any DUmmie know how to get rid of uninvited freeloaders that make a mess out of the bathroom and then go after free stuff in the kitchen?

Wouldn't that be fratricide?

[jukin]

I agree with the effectiveness.  It leaches out the moisture from the little critters.  I always keep stock on hand.  Perfectly safe for pets and children, it's just shell flour.  I don't know, would this kill the queen ant?  It does retain a residue in your vacuum cleaner.  Recommend, and cheap, too.

I thought it was so fine that it got in the exoskeleton joints and just made them seize up. Like throwing sand in your motor oil. The queen would have to go through your line of flour to get her. I used in our coach after the dog brought in some fleas and it stopped those little buggers right quick.

[thundley4]

I thought it was so fine that it got in the exoskeleton joints and just made them seize up. Like throwing sand in your motor oil. The queen would have to go through your line of flour to get her. I used in our coach after the dog brought in some fleas and it stopped those little buggers right quick.

DE causes the little buggers to be dehydrated. However it doesn't hurt earthworms or grubs.

[YupItsMe]

Moisture is probably more of a problem than food even.  I just got these little bastards in the wall by my tub.  The sheetrock and the wood underneath had gotten wet.  I believe the Borax trick works, but some ant's want sugar, some ants want protein.   I mixed sugar water and Borax and put it out.  no reaction,   I mixed peanut butter and borax and they went nuts. Hopefully they bring it back to the nest and kill off the rest of them.

[I_B_Perky]

I hate to help any DUchebag but diatomaceous earth is about the best inert prevention and killing of any small insect.

Restaurants use it as a powder to clean their frying oil... or did 30 years ago.  I found out it killed ants by accident one day when a box fell off the shelf and spread that stuff everywhere and I do mean everywhere.  Never had ants at that store again.   

Kills roaches as well.

[Ptarmigan]

How would any DUmmie know how to get rid of uninvited freeloaders that make a mess out of the bathroom and then go after free stuff in the kitchen?

Pests of the same kind.