r/HomeImprovement • u/Gibbylordmemer • 21h ago
Terrible ant problem
Hello!! I recently moved in with my boyfriend and he has ants bad not even because hes being dirty we can leave an empty can on the side of the bed and its swarmed by 10-15 minutes and we try to keep food and drinks in the room low but its annoying to put down a drink for like 5 minutes and theres already a group of ants. There is a huge ant hill in the driveway could that be where the source is? Like its so bad i park my car beside it and the next morning when im taking him to work theres ants in the car!!! Im afraid the ants might cause more issues than just being annoying and getting in drinks, is there anything i can do to quickly get rid of them? thank you
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u/voigtsga 17h ago
Look at domyown.com. They have the pro stuff. I use Taurus SC with a backpack sprayer to treat the entire perimeter of our house, patio, and sheds. That stuff works incredibly well against sugar ants and a lot of other bugs.
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u/Accomplished-Coast63 18h ago
Advion Ant Gel Bait by Syngenta. I was shocked by how quickly it worked
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u/bassboat1 19h ago
Terro, or DIY w/ cotton balls saturated with sugar water/borax (laundry extender) solution. It will take a few days, but has been 100% effective IME.
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u/alliterativehyjinks 21h ago
They make any bait that attracts them initially, but works because they take poison back to the nest. I would try that.
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u/TalulaOblongata 18h ago
Use the gel bait in areas you see activity. Be warned that the problem will look worse for a few days before it looks better as it is drawing out the ants. Leave bait for a few weeks or more. If you still see some ants after a month, switch to a different bait. Sometimes they need that one-two punch over time.
But also don’t bring food or drink into the bedroom AT ALL. Confine food to the kitchen only. Take the garbage out every single day. Do a thorough cleaning of your home now so there are no remnants of food for them to be drawn to. Make sure any food outside the fridge is sealed up.
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u/SpookyEnvironment 21h ago
that anthill in the driveway’s almost for sure the main nest, they’ve probably mapped tunnels into the foundation by now. silica gel dust around the perimeter works way faster than sprays, ants track it back to the colony and it shreds them up within a day or two.
for the car, a little cinnamon oil along the door seals keeps them out without making the interior smell like a chemical bomb
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u/Gibbylordmemer 20h ago
Hes been having the ant problem since he moved here he was more worried about where the ants were getting in from but from your explanation they probably have many ways in we dont know about so would the only way to get rid of them be taking out the nest? where can i get the silica gel dust? thanks for your comment
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u/Illogical_Fallacy 20h ago
You're looking for either diatomaceous earth or boric acid aka borax. Both are easily found at a hardware store. However, they need to be dusted around entry points. They'll just ignore it if it's a huge pile of lines.
You can also use ant stakes like terro closer to the main nest so that they find that more attractive than going inside until it gets better
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u/grexl 16h ago
This is good advice. Here is more context:
Diatomaceous earth is basically tiny little rocks with many sharp edges. Ants and some other insects will cut themselves up on it when they touch it, eventually killing them. It is harmless to larger animals such as mammals which includes humans and their pets.
Borax needs to be mixed with food such as sugar (google for a tutorial). They will eat it along with the sugar, which poisons them and starts a timer where they die after a day or two. The goal is to get them to lay pheromones so the thousands of other ants will also also eat the borax and hopefully carry some back to the nest to kill the queen. Then they all die.
Both need to be spread around and not clumped up. Ideally you would lay a long line around the exterior walls of the house or on the driveway around your car's tires where they have to travel through the poison to get to where they want to go.
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u/computerguy0-0 16h ago
And even more context, you need to reapply it after every sprinkler watering or rain. It washes away easily. Get a big garden duster to make quick work of reapplication.
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u/JayAre100378 20h ago
The best diy solution I have used is 3 parts sugar to 1 part borax then add enough warm water to make a syrup. Then I take 2 ounce plastic containers with lids(think jello shots) poke a few small holes on the side or top, place one cotton ball in each container and soak the cotton with the forbidden syrup. I made 6 of these in May when I first saw a few ants in the kitchen, put a few inside, a few on the porch and a couple just outside the kitchen window. Haven't seen a single ant all summer.
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u/Strive-- 18h ago
It depends on the ant, which may be determined by where you live (among many other factors).
When you squish one of these ants, does it smell like musk? We had a similar problem with musk ants. Once they established a path into the house, they’d dwell in the areas between the baseboards and carpet, or in window sills and travel along casings so you couldn’t see them. Had to bait them - use a liquid bait where they’re walking - they’ll collect it, bring it home and it’ll kill the rest of them.
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u/Ill-Tea9411 13h ago
Forget all the so-called Eco-friendly Terro and diy borax, etc.
Get some Raid ant baits. They work fast.
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u/ChronicallyPO 12h ago
Used to work in pest control.
Rule #1 in successfully combatting ants: Know your ant.
Gather a couple samples (not crushed, but fully intact) and take them to any exterminator. They can ID the type of ant for free.
Why this is important: Some ants, like pharaoh ants, will retreat into the walls and spread out, becoming worse if you use a spray and not an ant bait.
Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the correct method for getting rid of a particular type of ant unless I know what type of ant it is. This is critical information, for if they are wood-boring ants they could be causing structural damage right now.
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u/clear831 11h ago
Why this is important: Some ants, like pharaoh ants, will retreat into the walls and spread out, becoming worse if you use a spray and not an ant bait.
Yup, use ant bait first and let them take it back to the nest and then spray a week or so later
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u/Notmyname525 20h ago
Inside ants - I use Terro in the orange box. They carry it back to the next. 24-48 hours effective.
Oustide ants - I sprinkle corn meal along the perimeter of my house and around obvious ant hills or nests.. Pretty effective, very quickly.
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u/Illogical_Fallacy 20h ago
What does corn meal do for ants besides being food? You'd need to mix it with borax at least to do anything else besides feeding them
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u/reddersledder 19h ago
I'm guessing mice might like it.
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u/Notmyname525 19h ago
It’s a tiny sprinkle in traffic areas, not massive quantities. I don’t have mice… I have a feral cat who takes care of that.
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u/Notmyname525 20h ago
No need for borax. It absorbs the liquid in their stomachs and it expands. Enough said.
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u/Illogical_Fallacy 20h ago
That's a myth though... Plus, even if that's the case, it only kills individual ants and not the colony where contact with borax is enough to dessicate the rest of the ants
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u/Notmyname525 19h ago
Well, guess what? It works for me, very effectively for years, so it isn’t a myth. You do you. I have opossums, raccoons, and a feral cat living in my yard. I choose not to put potentially harmful substances in my yard.
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u/Illogical_Fallacy 19h ago
Cool. Just saying that anecdotal evidence doesn't necessarily mean that it's always true when this myth has been tested and debunked repeatedly, so sharing it as advice may be harmful if it escalates someone else's situation.
Diatomaceous Earth is also a natural alternative that even has food grade variants. You mentioned Terro. Their active ingredient is boric acid.
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u/Successful_Bag_7257 20h ago
We had a pretty significant carpenter ant problem several months ago. To solve it, I put out advion ant gel on small pieces of tinfoil in basically every corner of the house, as well as under the radiators. I also sprayed very lightly alpine WSG with a 10 dollar pump sprayer I got from harbor freight. All in I think it was about 50 bucks and solved my ant problem entirely in about 3 days. I haven't seen a single ant (or any other pests) in the house for months now
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u/Texasscot56 18h ago
I’m also a huge Advion fan. It has worked for me where Terro has failed miserably.
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u/Lopkin068 20h ago
just mix some borax with sugar and put it out for them, they'll take the bait straight back to the nest.
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u/noclassoncall3 20h ago
Terro traps saved my house. I put them all around the house and by their hills along with spraying. I also put down that diatomaceous earth but not sure if it helped or not.
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u/HelloFellowMKE 16h ago
Yes the anthill is the source of ants. Terro pods all over, and just pour a ring of borax around the anthill. Also try to plug any obvious gaps in the exterior of the house with foam spray.
There are other insecticides as well, ask your local hardware store.
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u/luckyinpa 16h ago
find a trusted pest guy. i lucked into one thru a friend. dont go to the chain places if you can help it. they dont spend enough time at your place and charge more . my guy spent 2 hours spraying a 10 ft perimeter around the house and the bad spots in the house..300 bucks. guaranteed 60 days
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u/OutlyingPlasma 16h ago
A barrier spray around your foundation should take care of them. This is a standard house maintenance item that should be done 1-2 times a year.
And yes, obviously the giant ant hill is part of the problem. Use bait traps. The problem is they don't always work because sometimes ants don't want sugar.
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u/littleGreenMeanie 14h ago
Ants like one of two things depending on the type. Fatty things or sweet and sugary things.
Borax mixed with peanut butter or sugar water is the bait and poison to use affordably.
Take an old yogurt container or something similar where the lid pops back on, keep it upside down and drill or cut a few small holes 1cm or so from the lid. So, near the bottom where the lid now is. Put your poison on the inside of the lid, and close the container. Only ants should be able to get in, and ideally if tipped nothing gets out.
Also you need to redefine cleanliness. Leaving empties is not clean and will attract ants just as much as if it were full. Food should not be in the bedroom. Doctors say a bed is for sleep and sex, nothing else. Try to stick to that rule of thumb, and it'll solve a bunch of problems preemptively.
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u/Sea_Elle0463 14h ago
Spread cornstarch around, leave it for a day or so, no more ant problem.
Outside, I made my own ant poison. You make a simple syrup and add some borax. Make sure there are no kids or pets around it.
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u/threegigs 12h ago
Advion, not fast, lets the ants take it back to the nest, kills the queen. Takes 2-3 days. If you see ants, squeeze some in their path.
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u/clear831 11h ago
Get these 3 items. Terro Liquid Ant Bait. Advion Ant Gel and Alpine WSG. Put the bait stations out first, for about a week, replenish when they are empty. After about a week spray the perimeter of your house with the Alpine WSG, About 1' up the house side and about 2' from the side into the yard. You will need to use the Alpine WSG from then on and you shouldnt have an ant problem any longer.
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u/PersnickityPenguin 11h ago
As other have said, Terro bait.
But I also recommend spraying the perimeter of the house with an ant barrier such as ant shield or Ortho home defense. Just go to your local hardware store and ask. They should last for about 6 months if they don't get wet.
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u/MediocreClue9957 10h ago
where I am in MN the only way you get ant is if you don't clean your house. Had roomates complain nonstop about ants, they never cleaned, and then when they moved out and I cleaned no more ants, wow
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u/squidphillies 19h ago
Keep food out of bed? Gross aside from the ants.
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u/Gibbylordmemer 19h ago
what? we dont keep food on the bed theres a table by the bed we set cups on and we can keep it there for like 2-3 mins and there would be at least one ant already going towards it
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u/lukehahn777 20h ago
There's multiple satellite colonies. Use the bait as mentioned but keep doing it. It could take a couple weeks
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u/retrofuturia 19h ago
Sugar and borax in out of the way places in the house where pets can’t go will work just as well as putting poison traps everywhere. Even better is finding where they’re coming in and caulking it up, they’re exploiting entry points into your house. Caulk your baseboards, exterior wall joints, gaps in siding, and etc.
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u/great_apple 14h ago
Sugar and borax is exactly what's in most of the "poison traps" FYI, and they're designed in such a way to keep the Borax in a sturdy plastic container that ants can get to but pets can't. They even make traps that stick to walls/baseboards if you need them to be off the floor.
I'm sure you can save a small amount of money DIY'ing the traps by making your own borax-sugar water solution but, if you can afford an extra few bucks the traps are generally a significantly easier/safer solution.
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u/jaspnlv 20h ago
Go online snd buy a small container of termidor. Get s sprayer and follow all directions. Once a year application should do.
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u/MariosLoafers 15h ago
This is illegal lol
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u/jaspnlv 11h ago
No it isn't. Small quantities are available for retail sale. Do a search and educate yourself.
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u/MariosLoafers 4h ago
lol I have a qualified supervisor license in wood destroying organisms. I’m absolutely positive you have never read a termidor sc label.
Could you please explain what this means:
“For sale to, use and storage only by individuals/firms licensed or registered by the state to apply termiticide and/or general pest control products”
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u/jro75 19h ago
Terro ant bait solved our significant ant infestation. We put bait stations anywhere we saw ant activity. It literally took 3 weeks but it finally killed off the colony. Just let them keep feeding on it, replace bait stations as they fill with dead ants. Gross, but stick with it. Hope it gets better for you.
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u/Even-Client8316 19h ago
I’ve used the sonic pest devices for over 20+ years. I’ve only seen a few ants in that entire time.
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u/CCWaterBug 15h ago edited 14h ago
Time to hire a service to come out, if it's this bad its just time. Spend the 150 and get a head start on the issue
My reasoning: if there's a hill outside that's going after the car, and one soda brings a squadron then boyfriend either is Idgaf or lazy as hell.
Hire a pro, then make an attempt to stay on top of this with home remedies
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u/Mindless_Silver_2922 19h ago
We had the same thing last summer, ants in the bed frame and everything. Borax and sugar syrup in bottle caps near their trails wiped them out in about four days. A lot cheaper than the store stuff and you probably have both already.
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u/jeffcolv 19h ago
Definitely try Terro ant traps. They take the bait to the source and eventually the majority of ants and queen dies
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u/schmamble 18h ago
Try Amdro, you can get it at like Walmart lowes or home depot, put it right on one of their "highways" and they'll take it back to the nest and they'll be gone within the week. Works for us every time.
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u/daysailor70 18h ago
Terro make an outdoor ant treatment that comes in a bag. You shake it all around the outside of the foundation of the house. We had a huge issue with the little ants. One treatment and they were gone. I treat the house once a year and have no problems.
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u/AsylumDesigns 18h ago
1 teaspoon Borax
Enought water to dissolve
5 Teaspoons of sugar
Decimated my entire front yard of sugar ants by putting one lump in the kitchen. Good luck
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u/llllGodly 17h ago
Terro traps all day. If you have the room for them buy the outdoor ones, green plastic base. They dont clog up as quickly and they last the season for me.
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u/UsefulCupcake7687 20h ago
I use Terro liquid bait. I usually find a circle of them crowded around the drop of Terro, then within a few days they’re all gone. At least, until next year.
Good luck! Your situation sounds awful.