Ants-what to do?

Our hallway and kitchen is CRAWLING with ants-any safe ideas (for pets) of how to get rid of the ants?

stamp on em.lol

there is some pet friendly sprays and stuff available though

Oh I really sympathise with you Luke - we had them last year and we couldn't find where they were coming from for ages until we finally traced them to an hole in the skirting board and squirted some ant killer powder down and then they went.

I have heard people say pour boiling water on them but obviously you can't do this in your house. Somebody I know who came home and found them all over her kitchen floor hoovered them all up. You can buy those little boxes that are meant to have ant bait in them but the one we bought didn't do anything at all. We got the B and Q Ant killer powder but you have to trace the nest and squirt the powder in there and then the queen ant will die and she won't lay any more eggs. It does say though only put in areas inaccessible to children and animals.

There are lots of ant powders that are ok to use with pets, just go to a garden centre, you will find one.
dawn.

Read in the Kymythy Schulze book re: raw feeding for dogs,is mix yeast with sugar,the ants eagerly eat it which then expands, causing them to bloat and then they die.Worth a try.You can usually buy yeast if you have a local baker,or I heard someone ask for some over the bread counter at Sainsbury where they slice it,might be the same for most supermarkets,if they bake on the premises.Good luck let me know if it works.

I tried a couple of the pet friendly ant killers and found them useless Luke.I dont get them in house,but umpteenth nests appear in garden which ordinarily wouldnt cause me concern-except they are red ants!

I would use a normal ant killer and just remove kick panels from kitchen units-then squirt in in there so pets cant get to it.

As mentioned in a ant topic a few days ago, I use ant traps - the dogs can't get to whats inside, and they are small enough to 'hide' in places

Another dog friendly ant treatment similar to Zantas is baking soda..

Although I would not recommend a dog eating it, the substance is comparatively harmless and more environmentally friendly than some treatments .

I understand it works because baking powder is alkaline (made of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar )this reacts with the acid found in ants ...

omg we had them every where in this house and i drove me mad it wasn till we changed the carpet we found the nest in my living room i tried ant powder every where out side but obv they wernt out there

On a rainy day, you may see hordes of ants marching into your house. They're searching for dry shelter, food and water, and who can blame them even if they're unwelcome guests? Here's how to ward off these industrious fellows.


Steps:
1. Follow the ant line to its source. It might be a window, molding crevice or floor crack.

2. Form a temporary barrier at the source with boric acid or laundry detergent in powder form.

3. Remove any food the ants have attacked and discard it in a garbage can outside your house.

4. If the ants have invaded the kitchen garbage can, bring it outside, hose it down and wash it with dishwashing liquid and water.

5. Put food the ants have not found in zipper-lock plastic bags or in plastic containers with sealable lids. Or put these items in the refrigerator.

6. Remember that ants can penetrate metal-threaded lids on glass jars. Seal these jars in zipper-lock plastic bags. Glass jars are immune from ants only when sealed with a rubber gasket.

7. Seal all food items in your cupboards, especially sugar, honey, maple syrup, grains, cereals, cookies, jams and breads.

8. Once you've secured the food, vacuum up the ant line, along with a bit of cornstarch, which helps suffocate them inside the bag. Or wash them away with dishwashing liquid, water and a rag if you prefer.

9. Use dishwashing liquid and hot water to wash the area around the ant line and erase any scent of the trail.

10. Seal the area where the ants entered; caulk windows and cracks and weather-strip doors (see How to Fix a Drafty Door). Apply duct tape or petroleum jelly over holes as a temporary fix.

11. Go outside and see if you can determine where the ants entered the house. If they used a branch as a bridge to the house, trim it.

12. Check the area in an hour. If you see any single ants, or scouts, searching the area, squash them. They're scoping out the area for future invasions.

13. If you wish to wipe out the ant population, use ant traps that contain boric acid. The returning ants poison the entire colony. Ants play a beneficial role in gardens, however, so only do this if absolutely necessary.


Overall Tips:
Some natural ant deterrents include crumbled bay leaves, cinnamon, peppermint leaves and cayenne pepper.

If an indoor plant is infested with ants, bring it outside and flood it several times with a hose to remove them.

Insecticidal sprays kill only the ants you spray--a very small percentage of the colony--and won't prevent future invasions. If you use a spray, keep children and pets away from sprayed areas.


Overall Warnings:
Carpenter ants, which are large with smooth backs, burrow into wood and cause structural damage. Keep piles of decaying wood away from the house as this attracts them.

when you have them in bed then you have a problem