General > General Technical Chat
Does anyone know anything about ants?
drussell:
Does anyone know more about these tiny little buggers than I apparently do?
I'm usually pretty good at eradicating troublesome colonies but this one is weird.
This is in southern British Columbia, Canada.
I made a quick video... (Apologies for the potatovision):
https://youtu.be/zxuitLU_JJk
Domagoj T:
Permethrin based insecticides are effective against ants and other creepy crawlies. Get some in powder form and dust their paths. Soon they'll be gone.
Be advise though, that while it's not particularly toxic to humans and dogs, cats are significantly more susceptible to it, so if you have a cat, you may want to avoid using it.
Ants are not necessarily attracted by food, but they will home in on moisture. If you are seeing them in your kitchen, you may check for wet stuff.
That being said, ants are cool and, while I understand getting them out of the house, you really should leave them alone on the outside. They do much more good than bad.
Muttley Snickers:
I doubt you will ever totally eradicate them as they tend to just relocate somewhere else nearby. For outdoor areas and equipment kerosene in a spray bottle or on a saturated cloth works wonders but be careful to avoid sources of ignition.
For kitchen surfaces such as cupboards and benchtops a regular wipe over with household bleach will generally keep them away. Leave it on the surface overnight and be sure to wipe it off with a damp cloth before using the bench again.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/insect-repellent-sachets-for-electronics/
TimFox:
I had a problem with ants getting into plastic-cased voltmeters in my basement lab. The Terro product
https://www.target.com/p/terro-ant-killer-indoor-liquid-ant-baits-6-pack/-/A-15024212?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Patio%2BGarden%2BShopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Patio%2BGarden&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9021730&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&ds_rl=1246978&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpPW3oqru4wIVdf_jBx1ohwqREAQYASABEgK3EvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
worked nicely. I put small blobs of the liquid bait on cardboard squares around the shelf area and the ants were gone within days.
schmitt trigger:
Borax-laced sugar does wonders for indoor ants. And roaches.
In a *disposable* container, dissolve in a cupful of water equal amounts of sugar and borax. Warm the water before hand to fully saturate the solution.
Allow the solution to dry and it will solidify into a brittle crust.
Crush and sprinkle in the ant's path.
Borax is not particularly harmful to humans or pets, but normal precautions apply.
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