desertvixen: (penny and hector)
desertvixen ([personal profile] desertvixen) wrote2006-09-16 07:40 pm

(no subject)

September 9 - Due to a lot of heavy rain (IMO), we had ants come to visit.

They returned this afternoon. The little bastards appear to be coming in through the TOP of the window.

I really want to NOT move the cats' food, and I would point out that for 7 months, we had no ants.

Suggestions?

DV

[identity profile] kishiriadgr.livejournal.com 2006-09-17 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
I live in Ant Central and we've yet to figure out what we can do for relief. Ours come in looking for water, so we have the reverse problem you do, and watering the front garden helps.

[identity profile] a21ozcoldcup.livejournal.com 2006-09-17 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
I had the same problem earlier this year, my roommate launched a one man war against them and they never came back. Here's some tips I got from a website. Good luck.


Keep ants from getting into pet food dishes by placing the dish with the food inside another shallow, bigger dish with an inch of water in it.

Ants don't like the smell of peppermint. They'll avoid anyplace that smells like it, so start inside with the places you think that they might be entering. Next, do the outside where they might be coming in.

Possibilities: peppermint flavoring (used for baking), peppermint tea, and if you have a health food store nearby-*Dr. Bonner's peppermint scented castile liquid soap*.


http://www.tipztime.com/area/bugtipz/ants.html

[identity profile] mbeancntr.livejournal.com 2006-09-17 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
The food dishes in a larger dish with a bit of water really does work. I did that the first time I had ants in the cat's room. Plus I put all of her food in containers that can be sealed, including treats.

I've never heard of the peppermint trick. I now have ants coming in whenever it rains in my kitchen. I will have to seek out some peppermint. Thanks!

[identity profile] a21ozcoldcup.livejournal.com 2006-09-17 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
Good luck. Make sure Mr. or Mrs. Cat don't like peppermint too! I had a cat that would eat everything and anything, it was like a dog.

[identity profile] anneebrat.livejournal.com 2006-09-17 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
when we had major ant issues when I lived in Michigan we would take the cat dishes and place them in a pan of water. It did help keep the issue down around the cat area

[identity profile] desert-vixen.livejournal.com 2006-09-17 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)

Thanks! I'll try the water idea, and the peppermint.

Although... are peppermint and mint related plants? Because catnip and mint are, which would explain the feline attraction.

This is the only place we have ants.

DV

[identity profile] pecunium.livejournal.com 2006-09-17 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Chalk. There are sticks of ant repellent one can get in china town. They are plain chalk. Ant's won't cross it So go to the PX, get some chalk, and run it around the windows.

It lasts longer than citronella, and doesn't stink.

We have had various levels of ant troubles with the mice, and it's always worked for us.


TK