Ants

[Bill Dufour]

There are sugar ants and grease ants. Different tastes need different baits to work.
Bill D

[Warren Lake]

Emailed her daughter with some questions, thanks for all input so far.

[Jason Roehl]

Having had to deal with pest control professionals at work for a number of years now, I’ve learned a few things. Ants can go in cycles—they may want sugary foods for a time, and they may want protein-rich foods. If a bait made of one of those isn’t working, try the other.

I use a couple different ones—Advion (indoxacarb) works well indoors. I did get some from the exterminator at work, so there’s that, but it comes in a syringe, and you just lay a 1/16”ish x 1” strip in the path of the ants. Outdoors, I use a granular bait that contains abamectin, like Advance 375A. If I know of a nest, I’ll sprinkle it liberally in that area, otherwise, every couple years, I’ll do a light sprinkle all the way around the foundation of the house about 2’ wide. The exterminators I know have also recommended Niban, but I’ve not used that one.

The thing about modern insecticides is that many of them are completely non-toxic to humans. They contain enzymes or proteins that target and disrupt specific biological processes in insects that are not present in humans. They’re also typical made in a very, very low concentration of the active ingredient so your risk of exposure is miniscule unless you’re directly ingesting it. If you have a spray designed to leave a residue, don’t spray a fine mist, but use a stream or large droplet setting on your pump sprayer nozzle. Don’t eat it or use it on food-contact surfaces.

When it comes to ants, don’t ever spray them, particularly if you find a nest. Survivors will simply move the nest (and there will always be some survivors when you spray). You may end up with a nest in a worse location.

[Stan Calow]

After a few years of it, I gave up and called the pros. Terro worked, but they were already inside the house by then - looking for water was the exterminator's explanation. He sprayed a long-lasting pesticide around the outside perimeter and doors and windows, and it works well. Better living through chemistry.

[Mel Fulks]

After a few years of it, I gave up and called the pros. Terro worked, but they were already inside the house by then - looking for water was the exterminator's explanation. He sprayed a long-lasting pesticide around the outside perimeter and doors and windows, and it works well. Better living through chemistry.

that’s what they call an “ant deceased dent” in English class

[Jim Koepke]

Ants can be interesting. Candy is driven crazy by ants. We do not have many in our area that enter the house. Outside I have seen four or five different species of ants, from small black ants, redish ants and large carpenter ants.

When we lived in the San Francisco bay area of California we would often have ant invasions. Most of the ants in our area then were Argentine Ants. They can have some rather large colonies.

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant

Some of the largest biological masses are made up of Argentine Ants.

jtk