Ants & Cats! (1 Viewer)

[Dr Griffin]

We popped for an exterminator to treat the outside of the house. It took about a week, but the ants appear (crossed fingers) to be gone.

With the stuff they use, it makes your house and perimeter an insect ghost town, but usually only lasts about a year. I've tried using orange peel and coffee grounds, and some other things, as an ant re-infestation deterrent, and it does extend the time, but eventually they start up again in another spot. I'm thinking of trying the bait stakes next. I had an exterminator come in 2 years ago, but it cost me about $170. I will try some other things before I call them again.
I got rid of our attic mice myself though, with reading up on it. I put mesh plugs over the ends of my downspout extension pipes, and sealed off the corners of the house access points with steel wool. Apparently they will crawl up the corner posts of the house under the siding, but they hate trying to chew through steel wool. I closed off the downspouts with a mesh, because I had seen them going in and out of there, but I'm not sure they were getting in by going up the spouts to the roof. I did find some droppings inside one of the bathroom exhaust fans that vent out the roof.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Diatomaceous earth is the best thing I've found to fight insects. Plus, it has no ill effects on mammals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

 

[Sam Posten]

The cats spill food everywhere and the ants come running.

We have had good luck with the RAID traps until this year. The tiny ants I have now never took the bait. So now I’m on day 3 of Terro and the little bastards are still swarming to it like candy. How long till they stop coming usually?

 

[BobO'Link]

Terro baits can take a week or longer. If possible, find where they're coming in from the outside and put a bait at that location (they make some baits that are on a stake for outside use like that). Also look for the "head" (where they come out of the wall/cracks) of the line inside and bait there. We've had much better success by baiting the entry point(s) to the house than using baits inside. When we've had some larger infestations we've done both just in case. I've gotten to where I'll check the outside of the house in early spring and put a bait stake anywhere I see ants crawling up the foundation.

Terro is, essentially, Borax mixed with a thick sugar water base to attract them. You can make it yourself fairly easily but I like the baits as they're fairly inexpensive and generally work quite well.

 

[BobO'Link]

Diatomaceous earth is the best thing I've found to fight insects. Plus, it has no ill effects on mammals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

Yep. You can spread this around the foundation and it helps keep all kinds of bugs out.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Yep. You can spread this around the foundation and it helps keep all kinds of bugs out.

To be extra cautious, I use the "food grade" variety.

 

[Sam Posten]

Yes, yes. Drink up you little bastards!!!!