Well, it's that time of the year. Birds are singing, the sun is shining and people are spending more time outside. Unfortunately, this is also the time of the year that ant nests hit their peak. I have a huge backyard, with rocks and stuff everywhere, and there are many ant nests. So here's my question to you guys: What is your tried and true method of destroying ant nests?
I know that for me, what works every time, is boiling water and pouring it on the nest. Because ants have exoskeletons, when the water hits them they are essentially cooked inside their exoskeleton. Not only that, but the water seeps all the way down and kills the queen. My father heard of a new idea the other day that was to put baking soda (or powder, I'm not sure) on the top of the nest. When they take it down, it kills them.
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I dunno about nests, but for a long time I lived in a first-floor apt in minneapolis and had a yearly convoy of ants marching along my kitchen floor from the dog dish to a crack in the baseboarding. At first I tried just stomping them en masse with flatsoled shoes. They just kept coming. I tried putting the dog dish up on a step stool. Ants can climb just fine. Lastly I bought some double-sided wide adhesive tape from Ace Hardware and laid a massive sticky-trap across the floor. Thousands upon thousands of ants became stuck fast to the tape, until the entire surface of the trap was beaded with black ant bodies. Their comrades would march right over the top of them to the dog dish.
Then inspiration struck, and I stuck a wad of putty in the hole and put a piece of tape over it, sealing all around the edges.
I've heard somthing similar to the baking powder or backing soda thing but If you wanted there's tons of stuff you could buy thats more affective these littel things that have food in em you put them near the nest and the stuff they take down is poison to them but it takes awhile to kill so it spreads to the whole nest.
I've heard somthing similar to the baking powder or backing soda thing but If you wanted there's tons of stuff you could buy thats more affective these littel things that have food in em you put them near the nest and the stuff they take down is poison to them but it takes awhile to kill so it spreads to the whole nest.
Ah yes, but another wonderful thing about boiling water. How much does it cost? And, if you run out of it, how hard is it to get?
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true here's one thing I did once (mind you this was at a outdoors camp had to improvise)
there was an ant hill right next to our cabin and the ants would come in all the time it was so annoying so my whole bunk and I found a meteal garbage can and cut out the bottom. We started a fired in the can round the nest and got it goin really good then one of my friends through in like 7 spray deoderant cans he took from alot of people and thre them in. after awhile they all exploded making this HUGE fire ball. the fire didn't die down for a long time after it was over we took off the garbage can and all that was left was a deep smoking hole in the gournd.
Ah yes, but another wonderful thing about boiling water. How much does it cost? And, if you run out of it, how hard is it to get?
I used something along those lines against roaches once, and as far as I can tell it worked. Where I live, they're available in pretty much every supermaket, and don't cost all that much (around $5 for a set of 12 traps).
We found out that our kitchen ants were coming from INSIDE of the countertop. Once, we accidentally left a cup with a tiny bit of fruit juice at the bottom next to the sink -- I came back to the house and ants were ALL OVER the countertop and were swarming the glass.
First, I squished every last one of em.
Then we found the little spot they were coming from, raided it to the point of dripping, and that was the end of the ants.
I've always enjoyed drowning them so I can watch them swim around, which they can do pretty amusingly...until they get tired and die.
I'm like the Slobodan Milosevic of the ant world, they're trying to put me on trial .;)
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In the army we did something in between the water and the powder... Gun powder. Not only that it burns every ant close to it, the smoke kills them too if you close all the holes.
I like ants, and help them whenever I can. They're cool dudes.
Y'all are just ant bigots.
I'm an anti-antite, obviously.
Though I must say I don't really mind them unless they get close to the house, wherein I wage a total holy war against them involving robots and liquid soap.
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@Turtle, i woudlnt bother to get that close, but thats freaky
and @Raid, raid works, to a point. if theres a whole anthill, raids not goig to do anything, becuase it wont get in the anthole. and thats where boiling water comes in
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Word, definitely true. Raid's the air-to-ground missile. Boiling water's the hydrogren bomb.
and @Raid, raid works, to a point. if theres a whole anthill, raids not goig to do anything, becuase it wont get in the anthole. and thats where boiling water comes in
Word, definitely true. Raid's the air-to-ground missile. Boiling water's the hydrogren bomb.
What we used to do was get an old TV Magnifier Glass, which is really just a giant lens used to make one's TV look bigger, and head out when the sun was just so. Early morning, when the sun was at an angle.
We'd stick some paper in the ant hill (we called them ant piles when we were little ), then we'd SET THEM ON FIRE. BURN YOU LITTLE INSECTS, BURN!
Well, when I was little, the ant hills where all under the sidewalk, so a direct attack was out of the question. And my mom was against any sort of poison which could harm humans, on the basis it could accedentially get into our food.
Solution: Orange Guard. It's made of a biodegradeable orange based substance, and drops all the ants it's sprayed on in seconds. Doesn't last forever, but any ants that crawl over it die too. Not a permanant solution, but... it defenately stops that day's attack, and probably the next few, too.
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Banana of the Month Feb '05 Cool stuff here.
Fire is always a great answer, but (and I don't even know why I'm bothering to answer this, but so there you fuddy-duddies) when you have half a backyard that's covered in debris, it'll light up faster than Kroen.
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I know that for me, what works every time, is boiling water and pouring it on the nest. Because ants have exoskeletons, when the water hits them they are essentially cooked inside their exoskeleton. Not only that, but the water seeps all the way down and kills the queen. My father heard of a new idea the other day that was to put baking soda (or powder, I'm not sure) on the top of the nest. When they take it down, it kills them.
Thanks to Charlie Donaldson for Banner
Straight Member of the Gaymers
Then inspiration struck, and I stuck a wad of putty in the hole and put a piece of tape over it, sealing all around the edges.
No more ants in the house.
Ah yes, but another wonderful thing about boiling water. How much does it cost? And, if you run out of it, how hard is it to get?
Thanks to Charlie Donaldson for Banner
Straight Member of the Gaymers
there was an ant hill right next to our cabin and the ants would come in all the time it was so annoying so my whole bunk and I found a meteal garbage can and cut out the bottom. We started a fired in the can round the nest and got it goin really good then one of my friends through in like 7 spray deoderant cans he took from alot of people and thre them in. after awhile they all exploded making this HUGE fire ball. the fire didn't die down for a long time after it was over we took off the garbage can and all that was left was a deep smoking hole in the gournd.
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boiling water = teh win.
so does fire, but that can be applied to just about every problem ever. (yes, even that)
thanks to the Epic Graphics crew! it's EPIC!
OFFICIAL DRUG-ADDICT WANNABE OF [ROBOT JESUS!!!!] OOH-RAH!
We found out that our kitchen ants were coming from INSIDE of the countertop. Once, we accidentally left a cup with a tiny bit of fruit juice at the bottom next to the sink -- I came back to the house and ants were ALL OVER the countertop and were swarming the glass.
First, I squished every last one of em.
Then we found the little spot they were coming from, raided it to the point of dripping, and that was the end of the ants.
I'm like the Slobodan Milosevic of the ant world, they're trying to put me on trial .;)
Owner of Senori's Soul
Friend of RBS, FFFB, 499, Mythos, House Dimir, Rakdos, and Hyrule.
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[thread=43661][/thread]
Y'all are just ant bigots.
From out that wine-dark fog,
And spake he unto all our crew:
"Go forth, and read my blog."
I'm an anti-antite, obviously.
Though I must say I don't really mind them unless they get close to the house, wherein I wage a total holy war against them involving robots and liquid soap.
Owner of Senori's Soul
Friend of RBS, FFFB, 499, Mythos, House Dimir, Rakdos, and Hyrule.
Dictator of
[thread=43661][/thread]
Trade thread
and @Raid, raid works, to a point. if theres a whole anthill, raids not goig to do anything, becuase it wont get in the anthole. and thats where boiling water comes in
thanks to the Epic Graphics crew! it's EPIC!
OFFICIAL DRUG-ADDICT WANNABE OF [ROBOT JESUS!!!!] OOH-RAH!
So you saw a Spider?
From out that wine-dark fog,
And spake he unto all our crew:
"Go forth, and read my blog."
Word, definitely true. Raid's the air-to-ground missile. Boiling water's the hydrogren bomb.
and @Furor...he very well might have
thanks to the Epic Graphics crew! it's EPIC!
OFFICIAL DRUG-ADDICT WANNABE OF [ROBOT JESUS!!!!] OOH-RAH!
We'd stick some paper in the ant hill (we called them ant piles when we were little ), then we'd SET THEM ON FIRE. BURN YOU LITTLE INSECTS, BURN!
BEST thing EVER when I was little.
Er. Boiling water would work, too.
Solution: Orange Guard. It's made of a biodegradeable orange based substance, and drops all the ants it's sprayed on in seconds. Doesn't last forever, but any ants that crawl over it die too. Not a permanant solution, but... it defenately stops that day's attack, and probably the next few, too.
Possibly the last remaining member of the Banana Clan (+1)
Banana of the Month Feb '05
Cool stuff here.
Thanks to Charlie Donaldson for Banner
Straight Member of the Gaymers
I've suddenly gained a bit of respect for you. Sig'ed
On topic, gasoline plus spark is always nice...
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