The ant problem has decreased greatly (I've actually been a bit afraid to post about it. . . you know, the old adage about speaking too soon), but a mystery remains. Each day we get about 5 - 15 new dead ants in the tub. Every day without fail. The good news is, of course, that they are dead. The bad news is that they keep coming and I have no idea from whence they come!
I've closed up the drain (if water can't go down it only makes sense to me that ants can't come up, right?). I've sprayed in the drain (yea, I know about the danger to the water supply -- sorry about that), around the base of the walls, around the windows, and on every live ant I've seen in the past month. I can't find any ant sneaking into the bathroom from any hole or crack in any part of the room. Trust me, I've spent WAY too long waiting and watching (so dearest husband, if you are wondering why the house hasn't been too clean in the past month, there is your answer). Not once have I seen one little antenna peeking through.
So I beseech your assistance, dear friends. What substance can I possibly concoct that will stick to little ant feet and leave a trail that I can see? I'm almost ready to call in CSI!
And what, pray tell, are they coming to the bathroom to eat? NOT that I want them back in the kitchen, but I promise, we do not eat in the bathroom upstairs!
Showing posts with label ants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ants. Show all posts
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 03, 2009
The Ants Go Marching. . .
On and on.
Well, not so much. After two days of spraying in the kitchen and bathroom, they are really almost gone. In reality, they might have been almost gone after one day of spraying but I really wanted them to die immediately instead of taking a while so I sprayed a second day. Did I ever mention that I'm not very patient?
The only problem we continue to have is in the dishwasher. They have to be coming in through the drain or pipe somehow, but I don't know where that exits the house, so I can't figure out how to spray outside and I can't spray in the dishwasher. I put borax in the dishwasher as soon as it finishes its cycle everyday, but the ants just crawl right over it like it's sugar. GROSS. And of course a few escape the dishwasher every day, so I chase them down and kill them.
Maybe I'll try spraying bleach in the dishwasher. . . but first I'll check to be sure it doesn't interact with borax! Don't want any toxic gases.
I have learned that ants are much tougher to vacuum up than fruit flies. I wonder if they explode in the microwave (where do these evil thoughts come from?)?
Well, not so much. After two days of spraying in the kitchen and bathroom, they are really almost gone. In reality, they might have been almost gone after one day of spraying but I really wanted them to die immediately instead of taking a while so I sprayed a second day. Did I ever mention that I'm not very patient?
The only problem we continue to have is in the dishwasher. They have to be coming in through the drain or pipe somehow, but I don't know where that exits the house, so I can't figure out how to spray outside and I can't spray in the dishwasher. I put borax in the dishwasher as soon as it finishes its cycle everyday, but the ants just crawl right over it like it's sugar. GROSS. And of course a few escape the dishwasher every day, so I chase them down and kill them.
Maybe I'll try spraying bleach in the dishwasher. . . but first I'll check to be sure it doesn't interact with borax! Don't want any toxic gases.
I have learned that ants are much tougher to vacuum up than fruit flies. I wonder if they explode in the microwave (where do these evil thoughts come from?)?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
EEEWWWWW!
I went to grab my pretty white towel after my shower this morning and it had at least ten ants on it! ICK! Needless to say I used a different one. Good thing it wasn't a dark colored towel...
How in the world are the ants getting into our upstairs bathroom? And don't tell me they are coming for the water, because they only show up when it rains... The borax worked on lots of them based on the number of carcasses around the edges of the room, but obviously not all of them.
Toxic chemicals, here we come.
Now I feel like I'm covered with creepy crawlies.
How in the world are the ants getting into our upstairs bathroom? And don't tell me they are coming for the water, because they only show up when it rains... The borax worked on lots of them based on the number of carcasses around the edges of the room, but obviously not all of them.
Toxic chemicals, here we come.
Now I feel like I'm covered with creepy crawlies.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Round 2
Every time I write a blog about the ants my computer glitches and it doesn't post or save. Hmm...wonder if my computer has a rebellious bug?
So, I was looking for the recipe for the borax glop that I used in the dishwasher before and I found a website that said all you have to do is sprinkle a thin line of borax around the base of the cabinets and the back corners of the countertops. The ants ingest the borax and become dehydrated to the extent that they are just skeletons. Sounds evil!
Therefore, since I have powdered borax I have graced the edges of the kitchen. Looks a little like I had a salt frenzy, but hopefully it will work. A side benefit is that it is supposed to work on all bugs (although I'm not aware of any others in the house...I'm so naive!).
But I started thinking -- is it unethical to kill bugs? I mean, they really don't mean me any harm. But I thought the bugs and I had an agreement -- they stay out of the house and don't chomp on my flowers and I leave them alone. They aren't sticking with their side of the agreement!
Besides -- it's not like I'm actively killing them (like I had intended by spraying them with poison). It's their choice to either eat the borax and die or just go away!
Hmmm -- I wonder if some alien being is doing the same thing with humans by offering us transfats and high fructose corn syrup?!?!?
So, I was looking for the recipe for the borax glop that I used in the dishwasher before and I found a website that said all you have to do is sprinkle a thin line of borax around the base of the cabinets and the back corners of the countertops. The ants ingest the borax and become dehydrated to the extent that they are just skeletons. Sounds evil!
Therefore, since I have powdered borax I have graced the edges of the kitchen. Looks a little like I had a salt frenzy, but hopefully it will work. A side benefit is that it is supposed to work on all bugs (although I'm not aware of any others in the house...I'm so naive!).
But I started thinking -- is it unethical to kill bugs? I mean, they really don't mean me any harm. But I thought the bugs and I had an agreement -- they stay out of the house and don't chomp on my flowers and I leave them alone. They aren't sticking with their side of the agreement!
Besides -- it's not like I'm actively killing them (like I had intended by spraying them with poison). It's their choice to either eat the borax and die or just go away!
Hmmm -- I wonder if some alien being is doing the same thing with humans by offering us transfats and high fructose corn syrup?!?!?
Won the Battle But...
The Good News: There wasn't a single ant in the dishwasher this morning.
The Bad News: But when I looked up (coz the first thing I did was check the dishwasher), my little friends were all over the counter! I killed about 25 of them (all I could see), but I obviously need reinforcements. I'll go to the hardware store today for some chemicals (all you 'green friends' -- sorry, but bugs don't belong in the house unless they pay rent!).
Then I found one little 'scout' in the UPSTAIRS bathroom! Ugh... He's no longer able to report back. I hope his friends don't come looking for him!
The Bad News: But when I looked up (coz the first thing I did was check the dishwasher), my little friends were all over the counter! I killed about 25 of them (all I could see), but I obviously need reinforcements. I'll go to the hardware store today for some chemicals (all you 'green friends' -- sorry, but bugs don't belong in the house unless they pay rent!).
Then I found one little 'scout' in the UPSTAIRS bathroom! Ugh... He's no longer able to report back. I hope his friends don't come looking for him!
Monday, March 23, 2009
They're BAAAAAACK. . .
Does anyone even remember what movie that quote is from????
In this case, though, I'm talking about the ants. I opened the dishwasher this morning and was, um, 'greeted', by thousands of ants. Ok, I exaggerate. But there were at least 25! Guess we have to move to plan B.
I'll try the borax again in the dishwasher and I'll keep vinegar in the bottom. Afterall, I don't want to poison us! Then I'll get fresh bug spray and attack the house inside and out!
I'm gonna get these little guys yet. Hmm, amazing how quickly my killer instinct comes out when it comes to crawling things in our house!
By the way, 'they're baaaccckk' is from Poltergeist 2.
In this case, though, I'm talking about the ants. I opened the dishwasher this morning and was, um, 'greeted', by thousands of ants. Ok, I exaggerate. But there were at least 25! Guess we have to move to plan B.
I'll try the borax again in the dishwasher and I'll keep vinegar in the bottom. Afterall, I don't want to poison us! Then I'll get fresh bug spray and attack the house inside and out!
I'm gonna get these little guys yet. Hmm, amazing how quickly my killer instinct comes out when it comes to crawling things in our house!
By the way, 'they're baaaccckk' is from Poltergeist 2.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Ant Bully -- Post 2
Well, there are still one or two ants in the dishwasher everytime I open it, but never any more. I haven't seen any outside of the dishwasher, but I'm washing the counters down with vinegar water regularly (which I hear they hate...).
Maybe I'll make another batch of Borax goo and put a little in every day. My goal is to be ant free!!!
Maybe I'll make another batch of Borax goo and put a little in every day. My goal is to be ant free!!!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Ant Bully -- Day 2
Well, I decided I didn't really want to verify that the ants were swarming in my dishwasher, so I didn't open it until after church today. There were only three ants there, and two of them were eating the 'bait'. I'll wash it all away later today and hopefully we're done with them. We'll have to see!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Ant Bully
It's that time of year again. I opened my dishwasher and was disgusted by the swarm of ants in the bottom. GROSS. I checked out the internet to find solutions (since it was so helpful last year during our fruit fly fest!).
I wanted to find something that was safe, since we DO wash our dishes here (and what is more disgusting that an ant carcas sticking to the glass you want to drink out of??). I found this recipe:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 T borax
combine ingredients and boil for three minutes. As it cools it will thicken into a gel. Put a glob in a lid or just in the area where you see the ants. They will probably swarm it for a while, but once they ingest it and take it back to the nest they die!
So I'm trying it. I have borax at home since I use it in the laundry detergent we make, so it was easy to create this little concoction. I decided to pour the whole panful of it in the bottom of the dishwasher...did I say that ants disgust me?
I'll let you know how it works. I haven't seen ants anywhere else. Hopefully this doesn't cause them to find friendlier accomodations elsewhere in the house!
I wanted to find something that was safe, since we DO wash our dishes here (and what is more disgusting that an ant carcas sticking to the glass you want to drink out of??). I found this recipe:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 T borax
combine ingredients and boil for three minutes. As it cools it will thicken into a gel. Put a glob in a lid or just in the area where you see the ants. They will probably swarm it for a while, but once they ingest it and take it back to the nest they die!
So I'm trying it. I have borax at home since I use it in the laundry detergent we make, so it was easy to create this little concoction. I decided to pour the whole panful of it in the bottom of the dishwasher...did I say that ants disgust me?
I'll let you know how it works. I haven't seen ants anywhere else. Hopefully this doesn't cause them to find friendlier accomodations elsewhere in the house!
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