Burr ...

^ I put out the Grants Sticks this morning, let see how
^ they do.

You forgot to mention that the ants are crawling across your scanner (they
are on mine). Last year I used a shop vacuum to suck them all up. I sat for
hours near where they were coming into my home and probably sucked up a
thousand ants. They didn't come back for a couple months after that. I was
worried that they might come crawling out of the vacuum when I shut it off,
but they didn't. Maybe they made a nest in there with all the junk they'd
ever want nearby.

This year I'm trying petroleum jelly to keep them out. Spread a thin layer
around all the places where they come in and they won't cross it. Keeps them
off my scanner. I'm finding out that ants can crawl in just about anywhere
and I've used about a half a jar of petroleum jelly so far. I'll probably try
something different next year.

Frank

Burr ...

^ I hope you are kidding.

Nope.


^ I have some pump stuff that I put all the way
^ around the house on the outside and inside ...

My scanner and I are in an apartment building. The manager poisons every so
often but it doesn't seem to bother these Argentine ants. There can be up to
about 500,000 in one nest and we have nests all over the place. These
Argentine ants are also different in that they have no problem with accepting
stray Argentine ants in from other nests, unlike other species of ants, so
they have a much better chance at survival.

We have plenty of spiders here but they only eat a total of about three ants
per day. Not enough. I thought about getting a pet anteater but I couldn't
figure out how I'd feed it once it ate up all the ants. I suppose I could
rent it out but I'd still have a problem when no one wanted to rent it.

Frank

"Frank" wrote:

You forgot to mention that the ants are crawling
across your scanner (they are on mine). Last year
I used a shop vacuum to suck them all up. I sat
for hours near where they were coming into my
home and probably sucked up a thousand ants.
They didn't come back for a couple months after
that. (snip)


If you want to get rid of them permanently, try the following tactic. Get
a can of Lysol disinfectant spray (the smelly normal scent) and then find
their nest.

Use a thin metal rod to stir up the nest. Probe around underground to also
disturb the nest there. Now wait until the warrior arts are swarming over
the surface of the nest (give this time - you want most of the warrior ants
on the surface).

Once there are plenty of warrior ants on the surface, spray them liberally
with the Lysol spray. Don't forget to spray the ground all around the nest
to cover any warrior ants that have spread out to search for an enemy (by
the way, watch out for these because they will immediately bite if they get
on you).

Ants use scent to identify each other. Once the warrior ants are covered
with Lysol, they can no longer detect the identity scent (the Lysol spray
also stings, driving them into a war frenzy). At this point, the warrior
ants will consider all ants in the nest to be the enemy (including the queen
ants) and will proceed to kill those other ants. Without food from the food
gatherers, the warrior ants will eventually starve to death also.

I mentioned earlier about how most warrior ants must be on the surface
before spraying. This is the insure the warriors on the surface greatly
outnumber those still underground. Otherwise, those underground will kill
those you've sprayed on the surface, defeating your efforts.

If this is done right, the nest will be permanently destroyed. After the
mound washes away from rain or lawn watering, grass will start growing in
the area again.

I've used this tactic many times with great success. The only danger is
the risk of a bite from warrior ants roaming away from the nest to search
for the enemy. If you are bitten, it WILL be very uncomfortable.

By the way, it is also amazing to watch thousands of warrior ants
attacking each other in a frenzy of death. Some individual fights can last
several hours.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

If you want to get rid of them permanently, try the following tactic. Get
a can of Lysol disinfectant spray (the smelly normal scent) and then find
their nest.

Use a thin metal rod to stir up the nest. Probe around underground to also
disturb the nest there. Now wait until the warrior arts are swarming over
the surface of the nest (give this time - you want most of the warrior ants
on the surface).

Once there are plenty of warrior ants on the surface, spray them liberally
with the Lysol spray. Don't forget to spray the ground all around the nest
to cover any warrior ants that have spread out to search for an enemy (by
the way, watch out for these because they will immediately bite if they get
on you).

Ants use scent to identify each other. Once the warrior ants are covered
with Lysol, they can no longer detect the identity scent (the Lysol spray
also stings, driving them into a war frenzy). At this point, the warrior
ants will consider all ants in the nest to be the enemy (including the queen
ants) and will proceed to kill those other ants. Without food from the food
gatherers, the warrior ants will eventually starve to death also.

I mentioned earlier about how most warrior ants must be on the surface
before spraying. This is the insure the warriors on the surface greatly
outnumber those still underground. Otherwise, those underground will kill
those you've sprayed on the surface, defeating your efforts.

If this is done right, the nest will be permanently destroyed. After the
mound washes away from rain or lawn watering, grass will start growing in
the area again.

I've used this tactic many times with great success. The only danger is
the risk of a bite from warrior ants roaming away from the nest to search
for the enemy. If you are bitten, it WILL be very uncomfortable.

By the way, it is also amazing to watch thousands of warrior ants
attacking each other in a frenzy of death. Some individual fights can last
several hours.


I have a better idea. A can of gas and a match

"Dwayne" wrote:

I have a better idea. A can of gas and a match


Tried it and found it only works occasionally. Often the ants underground
simply move to another area, starting the whole problem over again. The last
time I tried it, they relocated under my house causing even more problems.
After that, I looked for a more permanent solution. I got the idea to use
Lysol spray after reading how ants identify each other by scent and wage war
on any ant without the proper scent.

I thought about starting a business selling something similar to Lysol for
ant control, but decided against it because of the high risk of bites if not
done properly (and potential lawsuits from that - a possible reason no other
business has tried a similar product).


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

Morning Dwight,
If the stuff I did yesterday I'll try your way. If another mound shows
up I'll try your way!

I bet it would be fun to watch and safe for the dog and stuff.


Burr

Dwight Stewart wrote:
"Dwayne" wrote:

"Burr" wrote in message ...
Morning Dwight,
If the stuff I did yesterday I'll try your way. If another mound shows
up I'll try your way!

I bet it would be fun to watch and safe for the dog and stuff.

Yeah, that does sound like some good cheap entertainment.

I used to do similar when I was a kid. Had a nest of red ants and a nest of black ones in our backyard. I'd set out a trail of food
from one nest to the other and come back in about an hour or two to watch the ensuing ant wars. Great fun when you're 10 years old
and on summer vacation, LOL.

A few years later I found it more entertaining to blow them up with M-80's. Ahh, those were the days...

-noob

I want to know about this anteater stuff.

I know what an anteater is but I want to know how the heck you would go
about "renting" one?
Where I live, you can buy an anteater but I don't think you could rent one.
I have a dog that kills cats. Would you be interested in renting him from
me? Just kidding, my dog loves cats and I'd never rent him for anything.

I think you are smoking too much weed or something!