I've seen lines of tiny black ants that don't bite crawling in trough t crack in one of my windows. I see a few of them crawling on my computers. I also see them eating bits of food. Once I left a zebra cake wrapped in plastic (It wasn't sealed though) the next day I put it in my lunch box with out thinking and I found a ton of these ants eating my lunch. This has been going on for like, 3 months. How do I get them out of my house without getting a pest control specialist?? Also will they hurt my computer?? Please Help.Log In
We had problems with ants this spring. Here is what I did to deal with them. 1. My dog was spilling his food out of the dish and they were liking it. I removed all of the food sources that were sitting out. Put things in plastic containers etc. Made sure food containers for recycling were put outside. Cleaned up what I didn't think needed cleaning. 2. I bought an inside/outside spray (a big jug) and sprayed all around the outside foundation, doors and windows. 3. I bought a liquid food bait. You put it down in areas where they are. Don't kill them. Let them carry the food back to the next and it will eventually kill them. It has borax in it which they take back to the next and it ends up shredding them from the inside. 4. Walk about the outside of your house and if you have rotten pieces of wood etc move them away from your house. It doesn't happen over night. It can take awhile. The liquid food thing took a week or two before they disappeared.
Yes, borox works as does baking soda or baby powder. In fact, most powders work. Also, spraying your surfaces with citronella essential oil diluted in some water works wonders. I think they do not appreciate the aroma. All the best...I doubt they would harm your computer. (-:
The remedy that I found most amazing bordered on science fiction, boron was put on a little honey and let the ants take the mixture, boron, once introduced into the nest, it acts as a chemical weapon that destroys fungus that ants reared in the nest and apparently are vital. And look even more amazing that I finally found the invention marketed and the description tag and precisely acted. Live to see. I bought it and it worked even if they did not give me not to disgust. So: Boron + Honey (Mixed)
I've read a couple of tips that involved drawing chalk lines around the border of your home as the ants won't cross chalk. Also, for the ants that are in the home, you pour down some cornmeal and leave out some water. They will eat the cornmeal and drink the water and that will cause them die. So, then all you'll have to do is clean them up after a few days.
All good tips. I use a big jug of the spray around the house, windows and doors. Look for a nest close to the house, swipe the floor, make sure there are no crumbs on the floor, good reason to not eat in the bed.
Another tip, get some caulk. If ants are coming through cracks, then caulk the cracks. It is worth it because you will keep bugs away; plus, you will be weatherizing your home. You can get caulk from Amazon, dollar stores and hardware stores.
amazon sell some very cheap products. One of them called "ant repellent bait station" for only $3.49 it comes with two ant traps. Its effective for longer than three months and for use in the home. Hope this helps ya!!
Kristoffersava has already given you the home remedy I would use - I used to have an ant (and general creepy crawlie) problem every summer. I bought special plugs that you simply plug into various electricity outlets around your home - these send electronic pulses around the walls and floors of your house - the bugs HATE these and will look for somewhere else to go immediately. I swear it is like a miracle, I have not seen a bug or spider in my home for a long time.
The most important thing is to remove the food source. Vaccuum daily. If they smell food they are going to come in to try to bring it to their house!
Few simple things that can also work are drawing a line around your window using a chalk. Ants usually don't cross this line. Mixture of baking soda & powdered sugar also does wonders. Place it at strategic places & you will see in a couple of days the ants have reduced if not disappeared. Lot of time we see these ants coming in from a crack, place some coffee powder there, and you will never see them return.
I read about and tried this trick and it worked for me. Get a spray bottle and fill it with soapy water and spray the area where the ants are coming from. I had ants on my walkway and did not want them getting indoors and when I used the soapy water it seemed to work. Also, do not leave food hanging around on the counters, no sense in giving them food
