quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
The first problem I see with the OP's plan is that he is only baiting for sweet cycle. Ants also have a protein/grease cycle. They're apparently on a sweet cycle right now (i.e. the Terro bait the OP is using is sweet), but no telling when they'll switch to a protein/grease cycle. Therefore, it's best to bait for both cycles.

Yes, we used AMDRO inside and it worked great, until it didn't, having bait/gel for both is a good idea,

quote:

The second problem I see is not addressing how they're getting in the house.

This is paramount to solving the problem, Florida is ant central, fire ants, carpenter ants, sugar ants, we have them all.

The best method to get rid of ants is to be aggressive externally, find the external source, follow the trail, ants always have one.

Plug up openings with the spray foam or fill with proper material, bait with granular around the path and mound.

For Fire Ants you have to treat the yard every year, the ant mounds move to wherever they can live without the poison, so keeping up on your yard as a defensive method works.

I would put this as the first step, find out where the army's base of operations is located and carry out an attack.

I’ve had tremendous luck with oil sprays like lemongrass oil, cedar oil, peppermint oil etc sprays made for ants and such. I buy it by the gallons and it’s effective inside and out. You can also use sugar, borax in boiling water, dip cotton balls in it and set them out in place of the Terro. There are several recipes online. We have a horrible time with sugar ants and the lemongrass oil spray works gangbusters.

We’ve had this conversation before. There are no “county agents” in Florida (those UF guys aren’t county agents). And yes it’s dumb to say “it’s for fire ants” when a simple read of the label says it’s not.

I’m not hostile but you come across as a knowitall on something as simple as ant deterrent. I was adding things I’ve actually used dozens of times that actually work and you got something to say about why I’m wrong. Yet, I’m not wrong you are. “It’s too expensive and it’s for fire ants”. But it isn’t. It works as do many things, some more effective than others. The label literally lists like two dozen ants type it will kill.

Just to be clear in case para reads this or you report it. You need to relax. Saying the comment is stupid isn’t calling you names. Saying amdro is fire ant bait when it clearly markets itself to kill a couple dozen varieties and it’s written right there on the label IS stupid. If it makes you feel better I don’t think you are stupid and wasn’t intending to imply that you were.

Terro worked pretty well for me but last time I went to buy some they were out so I bought Combat liquid ant baits instead. Worked much faster and effectively than the Terro did.

Down here in bugville I tend to rotate my killing supplies so they don’t build tolerance. I have also used Sevin dust quite effectively. I also use roach powder but that is mostly boric acid so it’s dirt cheap. I like that lemongrass idea. Sounds cheap and less caustic if you breath it in or handle it.

My neighbor has been trying to get me to use some home grown weed concoction of his, soap, some kind of oil, banana peels, something. If it works it works.

I went to the local ACE today and picked up another bottle of Terro like I had before but I also picked up the same stuff that V-Tail mentioned in his post. I tossed the old stuff and replaced with the stuff V-Tail used. I never found the outside entrance, but did see a trail of ants coming up the foundation, so I put two more around that spot. I have no idea why, but not a single ant as tried the stuff I used in the kitchen today, but I’m not seeing any more ants, other than a stray one once in a while. I looked at the one I placed outside before it got dark and never saw a single ant. I never found any mounds and have no idea where there nest is. I’ll give it a couple of days or so and post back.

I’m reluctant to use any sprays outside as I, and my neighbor, have cats. The skunks living under my house... That’s another thread. They paid no attention to the skunk trap I borrowed.

 
Amdro works on every type of ant I used it on, here in AZ. The advise I have had from friends in fire ant territory is to shake some out on the trails near the mound, but not on the mound itself. That method has worked well for me, typically a mound surrounded by dead ants the next day.