[Jenny]

We've had a problem in our house for quite a while now... We have sugar ants and we just CAN'T get rid of them! We've sprayed wherever we can outside, but we can't use any pesticide inside the house because of the birds and can't use any gels or anything because of the dogs :doh: Anyone have any tips on what we can do? They get in the bird's cages, and lately I've found them in the food, and it makes me sick because I feel helpless and they could carry so many bad things...

 

[Ella]

Oh no, ant problems are awful! Especially with animals, mainly birds, which are so sensitive to chemicals.

I just hate knowing that they could have been in the food I eat, and they could carry so many diseases....

I know someone who HATED ants, but had pets so couldn't use chemicals.

Instead, they would follow the trails of the ants (which were outside) and pour hot water into the colony. I'm pretty sure it didn't work :lol:, but I thought it might be worth mentioning.

Once, when I had a huge lot of them, I found a bird-safe idea online, and I took my birdies and all the pets into my outside sleepout, while I sprayed the house for ants (using fly spray). After about 5 hours (just to be safe) I took them all back in. The problem didn't go away completely, but after a few more times I got rid of them.

I suppose if things get to bad, you can hire a pest exterminator, but they can cost a lot of money.

I can't help you much, but I know how annoying ants are! :yesnod:

Hopefully someone else can help a little bit more.

 

[Storm]

Here is a link I found http://www.thefrugallife.com/ants.html Good luck

 

[Jenny]

Thanks guys! I've got a couple ideas, I'll let you know what works!

What doesn't work:

Whole Cloves
Bay Leaves

 

[nanay]

I just thought of this, but have no idea if it will work or not.

It works on spiders, so maybe people who hate spiders would want to know about this even if it won't work on ants.

Hedge apples

If you place hedge apples around your house, spiders will disappear. Don't know if they leave or die. I suspect they just leave.

But I don't know if hedge apples grow in Florida. They have another name, but I can't remember what it is.

Also, I guess I don't know if hedge apples are poisonous or not, but if they are, you couldn't take a chance on putting them anyplace where your dogs or birds could get them.

I guess I posted before I knew all the information, but maybe someone else will know more.

 

[ParrotletsRock]

I used terra ant drops last summer. I spotted tiny little ants by my door and placed a square of paper there with one drop on it. Later it was covered in ants and by evening there was not one ant left and they never came back. They carry it back to the coloney and it wipes out the whole nest. All you would have to do is make a small trap out of a plastic dish with a lid. Make a small hole in the side of the dish that the ants can get in but not the dogs. Place your ant bait in there and place where you see the ants. Then do NOT kill the ants ..leave them to go back to the nest with the ant killer.

 

[Jenny]

That's a good idea... We were using the Tero stuff and it helped, but it didn't get rid of them... I swear, they are the ants from hell and just wont DIE! :smash:

 

[Sensfan]

You could send them here Jenny. They'd freeze to death. :lol:

 

[Jenny]

Well, I tried putting a bit of petroleum jelly around the legs of each cage, so they can't climb up in it? Seems to work so far! :thumbsup: