How to get rid of ants? ~ Now tons of RED

patandchickens

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IME ground cloves sprinkled in a thin line all around where the ants are coming in will pretty much repel them. It has to be replaced/refreshed whenever the clove-y smell fades but I've had good luck with it. Doesn't kill them, just they go elsewhere. Supposedly clove oil does the same but it's pricier.

Good luck,

Pat
 

Carolyn

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We tried everything--all of the above, we had to resort to using Terro unfortunately-that was the only thing that kept them under control.
 

ludemank

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I have had an on again off again problem with ants. I have used the ortho home deffense spray but I don't like useing chemicals. I have tried the grits on outside fire ant mounds that seemed to help. I have used DM for my goats as a dewormer and for lice/flee control but I have not used it in my house for the ant problem. The problem with that is I have had the ants get on my clothes in my closet and in the dresser! Why are they going after them there is no food or water in these areas! What are they going after? Any ideas? I love DM but I dont want to have it all over my clothes!
 

big brown horse

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ludemank said:
I have had an on again off again problem with ants. I have used the ortho home deffense spray but I don't like useing chemicals. I have tried the grits on outside fire ant mounds that seemed to help. I have used DM for my goats as a dewormer and for lice/flee control but I have not used it in my house for the ant problem. The problem with that is I have had the ants get on my clothes in my closet and in the dresser! Why are they going after them there is no food or water in these areas! What are they going after? Any ideas? I love DM but I dont want to have it all over my clothes!
What is DM? Is that the same as DE?

Are you talking fire ants?
 

PunkinPeep

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ludemank said:
I have had an on again off again problem with ants. I have used the ortho home deffense spray but I don't like useing chemicals. I have tried the grits on outside fire ant mounds that seemed to help. I have used DM for my goats as a dewormer and for lice/flee control but I have not used it in my house for the ant problem. The problem with that is I have had the ants get on my clothes in my closet and in the dresser! Why are they going after them there is no food or water in these areas! What are they going after? Any ideas? I love DM but I dont want to have it all over my clothes!
Are you talking about fire ants in your clothes or some other kind of ant? I know they can feed on plant products, so cotton might be to their liking. They also feed on grease and need protein and moisture sources, so dirty laundry can be attractive to them.

15 years ago or so, i remember living in a house where the ant infestation was so bad that the fire ants were eating holes in my clothes. Sorry to say, i don't know the answer. That was a very old, poorly maintained house, and i moved shortly.
 

ludemank

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Sorry, yes I did mean DE I am not sure what kind of ant they are. They are not fire ants but they do bite and it stings! They get on the clean clothes mainly.
 

PunkinPeep

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ludemank said:
Sorry, yes I did mean DE I am not sure what kind of ant they are. They are not fire ants but they do bite and it stings! They get on the clean clothes mainly.
I wonder if it could have something to do with a fruity smelling detergent or fabric softener?
 

Dace

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Ant update....

So I have put out cornmeal but they do not seem interested in eating it.
I have been having good luck with the ground clove though. Where ever I see them coming thru (wall, floor, back or stove you name it!) I sprinkle a little clove and it stops the flow of them.

Tell me if this means anything to anyone because I can not figure out these little buggers.....they go after an area and then lose interest. Last night I was headed off to bed and my DD says, the ants found the trash. Great, well my brain is already on my pillow so I guess I will deal with it in the morning. When I got up this morning I anticipated a massive mess of ants....I found nothing. Not a one. What the heck?
 

OkieAnnie

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Dace we are going through the same thing with ants this year. We put out the corn meal, they go around it! We tried the cloves, but they just find a different path. They are so bad that my hubby is buying chemicals to spray the exterior of the house, I am sure right now. So very frustrating.
 
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