Can anybody offer a solution for getting rid of carpenter (and fire) ants once and for all? We have been working with a pest control service since November and now have a much worse problem than we had when they started treating the house. They have been here at least every two weeks since we hired them and each time they say it'll be the last time we'll need them. I started with a few ants in an upstairs bathroom and now have tons of them in every room of the house - in all our shower stalls, the microwave, the oven, the cabinets - everywhere. It's really getting to me since I have an 18-month old that spends her entire life sitting on the floor. I've already had to take her to the Dr. for fire ant stings and am constantly brushing the large carpenter ants off her clothes. Can you help??
Try to put (this is no joke) nutrasweet (aspartame) in and around entrance points. I am not kidding I used this on a fire ant pile outside and it was bizare but the pile died in a few days. All you do is sprinkle it and spray a light mist of water on it. The water "activates" it. It might make them come in worse for a bit but they will eventually not be there anymore.
This acts as a bait.
I am not sure how this works with fire ants, but with the carpenter ants it is a great thing! I am from MI and we have huge carpenter ants there and one year they came into my cubboards. My grandmother told me about an old wives tale that really works! After killing the ants that were already in, I put bayleafs in every cubboard on every shelf. I never had another problem! We just moved here a few weeks ago and that was one of the first thing I did, all my cubboards in the kitchen and all my towl cubboards have bayleaves. People may look at you funny when getting something out, but they wont scream because an ant looked them in the eye! - Kat
Ok, we have the same problem. We got "Hot Shot Home Insect" from Home Depot and it kills them on contact. We spray it at night so it has time to dry because we have a two year old and when we get up the next morning there are a bunch of dead ants laying everywhere. We can't find the source of where they are coming from so I am consitantly having to clean up ants. I look at is atleast they are dead and can't bite my son. Hope this helps let me know if you get any suggestions that are interesting. I am open to try anything.
We had the same problem. I couldn't let my kids play on the floor. I had to keep all my food in zip lock bags. They were EVERYWHERE. I put up with it for over a year with pest control services coming every week. I finally found a pest control service that told me when it's as bad as this, it's because they have colonies set up in the walls and attic space. So just spraying around the house isn't going to work. We had remove everything from every cabinet and closet in the house move all the furniture away from the walls. Cover everything. They removed all the outlet and wall plates and vents and bombed inside the walls and attic as well as the house. We had to be out all day and overnight. Afterwards we had the carpets cleaned and never saw another ant again. The company that did it sold a couple of years ago so they aren't around anymore. You might try calling around and asking about this procedure. Good luck. I know how miserable it is.
K. - what company are you using? Ants require bait - killing them only produces more ants as you can see. You can go to a LESCO service center - there is one at Jupiter and 14th in the industrial center near the train tracks - and they sell the baits you need. Tell them about your problem - the guys know their stuff. You deserve a credit from the companyyou are currently using. If you do not want to treat yourself, call a pest control company that you are referred to by a satisfied customer.
I don't have any advice, but if you find anything out, please share. I live in an apartment. I am constantly fighting the ant brigade. We are some of the cleanest people around, I clean all the time, but the ants just keep coming. My sister had the same problem, but found out that there was an ant hill right outside their house. Once they eliminated the hill, their problem went away. Have you searched for ant hills?
Good luck,
B.
Single mom of 1 year old son and 3 year old daughter
Wow K., this sounds bad. I would be freaking out too...I hate ants, particularly fire ants. Where I grew up we didn't have fire ants.
If your pest control service is "spraying" in your house, they are doing you a disservice. Ants only go away when the colony is killed. This is done by putting bait down and having the ants take it back to the queen. Unfortunately, it takes a little while for that to happen-it's not immediate.
I love my pest control service (I have them treat my home quarterly). They are family owned, very customer friendly and most importantly knowledgeable. Give them a call and just get a second opinion on what your current pest control people are doing and see whay they say. Here's the info:
AAA Quality Pest Control
###-###-####
Good luck.
K.
OMG! We had ant problems as well..seems to be under control now, but there was a time when Terminex was here every week. They finally had to drill holes in the walls and drop the bait in there. So far so good..Are you using Terminex?
WoW~ I had this happen about 6 Months ago! Come to find out they where under our foundation. I had them in my kitchen island, master closet it was horrible. I had Frisco and The Colony pest controll come out and he did a Amazing job no more ants! He has come out to a few of my neighbors houses as well and found a solution to everyones issues! I would totally call him. ###-###-####! Good Luck!
You will have to have quarterly pest control service in Dallas. Just make sure whoever you get a contract with they cover all type of ants. My quarterly service does not cover fire ants and I pay extra for them to treat outside every year. I use Curtis Pest Control and you can view their website at http://www.curtispestcontrol.com/
we had the same thing. i guess lots of homes have had this problem in the area in the past year...since the drought began. i've grown-up in this area and NEVER had it like we have in the last year. i'll check with my husband and write you back tomorrow. he did all the research and treated the ant problem relentlessly for about 3-4 months...until the last was gone. he still treats any pile that he sees coming back in our yard. we actually had 3 different kind of ants...though i believe the carpenter ants were the worst for us too. it sounds like you've got a mound, maybe more than one, in your walls. anyway, i know you don't care to hear that..you just want the solution. i'll try to find out all the sprays and treatments that he used...as it did finally work. many blessings - L.
What company are you using? Our house was infested when we first moved in. I mean seriously in our beds every night, EVERYWHERE! Get the ant baits at Lowe's and put them in the closets of the rooms where the ants are. CHANGE THEM DAILY. Ask someone to help you choose the right ones. They taste sweet to the ants and trap them inside. Ask them for any other remedies. MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOUR CHILD AWAY FROM THE BAIT TRAPS. They will control it until you get someone that can/will treat the problem which is the mounds outside or even under your house. We use HomeTeam Pest Control and they will come out everyday if they have too. This problem is common in this part of Texas (We are in Little Elm just Northeast of Plano). I hope this helps and I hope you get it taken care of soon. Ant's are awful!
