So, this is slightly out of area, but I think everyone here might have a good solution, pretty smart crew. I recently purchased a home and "ant season" has begun - red ants in my case, some carpenter. Its pretty bad on one side of the house. My son's upstairs playroom closet is like ant heaven, and they also tend to find their way in to the first floor and basement on that same side, just not as bad as the play room. We have pets and obviously a child, I'm hoping to find some safer ant barrier than just poison (beds of dead ants crawling with live ones.... No thx... ) any ant experts here? 135w UFO LED Micro Grow: http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1308910-135W-Led--Organic-1St-Grow
Use bait stations. they're very effective when used correctly. You want the time release baits so they make it back to the queen(s). Other alternatives are diatomaceous earth, and simple chalk. Vaseline makes an effective barrier, and is safe. I use vaseline to protect my arachnids from ants.
There are so many species of ants, so I don't know if this is a location thing. I dip a q-tip in a mix of peppermint and cinnamon oils and kind of trace a barrier around doors, windows and anywhere else they're getting in. When I forget to do this about once a months I get ants coming in looking for water or something
We've used many different time released traps already: bait stations, raid gel, outdoor liquid terro stakes around the house foundation - poured soapy water through nearby ant hills. The stuff is killing the ants, but they keep coming back. We vacuum up the dead and live ones in his closet twice a day ( I'm talking 50+ ants each time in a small 4 square foot area) Edit : figured I'd mention there is no food upstairs either, we keep the place clean albeit disorganised at times. 135w UFO LED Micro Grow: http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1308910-135W-Led--Organic-1St-Grow