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View Full Version : Small Red Ants On Kitchen Counter



Mel Fulks
09-14-2021, 11:17 PM
Been fighting them for several weeks. Turned out they were not after our food, it was the particle board perimeter edge bottom !
Certainly COUNTER intuitive ! Sanded the fluffy water expanded bottom edge surface , and painted on
yellow glue ,two coats. Never worked in a shop that routinely coated any bottom surface, and they all pushed Corian. I only
made a few counter tops when shop was extremely busy, I do remember the regulars always complaining “ they should have
ordered corian” Now I’m thinking their next thought was “I’ll fix ‘em !” Now Mel has fixed the “fix” I LIKE laminate, and it
was a great addition to Art Deco. Before there was Prozac there was ART DECO !

Jim Becker
09-15-2021, 9:17 AM
It must be the year for ants...we've had multiple onslaughts of tiny ants here at our new home and in a conversation with a neighbor, it appears they have the same little buggers bugging them, as it were. ;) There was an episode at the old property the other day that our daughter had to deal with and that's 10 miles away. Maybe it's a practice run before the locusts swarm the earth... :) :D

Michael Weber
09-15-2021, 10:30 AM
COUTER intuitive. Haha

Jim Becker
09-15-2021, 2:57 PM
COUTER intuitive. Haha

Professor Dr. SWMBO would slap you for that, Michael...but probably slap me first if I showed it to her. :D

Warren Lake
09-15-2021, 3:08 PM
my 90 year old neighbour has those in one area in her TV room. Never been able to figure out why. She is Mrs Natural and so no chance of chemicals with her. When I just went to war with the angry wasps I ran out of the wasp be gone too fast and could not get it into the hive as well as I wanted I switched to Becker Lacquer reducer. Instant results, I had used that a week before on a small nest and it took the out instantly.

Lots of nasty stuff with the cabinet trade but cant use it with her being green. Hell her lawn mower or one of them even has a battery :) Who has a lawn mower with a battery on it, apparently they are putting them in cars now.

Mel always put laminate on plywood even though more work than the other animals. Usually two sheets glued. Finishing on the bottom happened as well even if overkill at that point. On commercial stuff people reach below and made sense to make it feel nice if so.

Jerome Stanek
09-15-2021, 3:47 PM
When I has ants I mixed up a batch of sugar water with Borax in it and that took care of the buggers

John K Jordan
09-16-2021, 9:07 AM
When I has ants I mixed up a batch of sugar water with Borax in it and that took care of the buggers

Those who don't like any poison can put a barrier of Borax around the house a few inches away from the foundation. Works to keep outside ants outside. Must be reapplied after a rain.

I personally go with the ant chemicals. A friend had small ants invading the kitchen for months. I went around the house and sprinkled three different types of any killer. No more ants.

We've had an invasion of fire ant mounds this year. I usually see 2-3 a year but this year I've treated at least 15. I use a combination of two chemicals: Amdro sprinkled around the mound and a little powdered Orthene in a spot in the middle. The latter is nasty stuff.

JKJ

Cary Falk
09-16-2021, 11:22 AM
We had a small black ant problem this year. I tried those ant traps you put on the counters and such. I also sprayed around the house doors and windows. The problem persisted for months. I then bought some lawn spray and those bug bombs. I sprayed the yard, sprayed around the house, bombed the craw space, and continued to use those ant traps. The problem got real bad for about a week and then it all cleared up. I haven't seen an ant for about a month.

Ron Citerone
09-16-2021, 11:38 AM
Terro Ant Bait is my go to for ants. High success rate mostly. 2 years ago I had ants that would not go for the bait and ended up with a chemical spray in the basement that got rid of them.

Ron Citerone
09-16-2021, 11:40 AM
Your killing me with the Counter Intuition here Mel! LOL

Been fighting them for several weeks. Turned out they were not after our food, it was the particle board perimeter edge bottom !
Certainly COUNTER intuitive ! Sanded the fluffy water expanded bottom edge surface , and painted on
yellow glue ,two coats. Never worked in a shop that routinely coated any bottom surface, and they all pushed Corian. I only
made a few counter tops when shop was extremely busy, I do remember the regulars always complaining “ they should have
ordered corian” Now I’m thinking their next thought was “I’ll fix ‘em !” Now Mel has fixed the “fix” I LIKE laminate, and it
was a great addition to Art Deco. Before there was Prozac there was ART DECO !

Mel Fulks
09-16-2021, 2:16 PM
Diatomaceous earth kills them by getting under their scales. It works, but they will walk around it ….like their Mama told ‘em to.You can pick up a bunch of them on thin cardboard, then dump them in. I’ve got the stuff in several places on the counter. First heard about it on a
radio garden thing.

Michael Weber
09-16-2021, 7:50 PM
Professor Dr. SWMBO would slap you for that, Michael...but probably slap me first if I showed it to her. :D
Best keep it on the low down then Jim.

Stan Calow
09-17-2021, 9:46 AM
We use the Terro traps because we have small kids and pets around. But its basically the same active ingredient - borax. I found a small nest in my hardwood kitchen floor once, far away from an entry point. I think they came in with a house plant and decided to stay.