Ants
I have some very determined ants marching one by one (literally) on my brick patio. They march in a line and I don't know where they're going. They seem to be marching in either direction. Big ones, small ones, ones carrying white balls. Are these eggs? Gross.
I've managed to wipe out a few piles, but they will not go away. I know I could blast them with ant killing spray, but since my dogs spend a lot of time out in the yard, I don't want to use anything that could be harmful to them. I thought the ants were attracted to the dog food, so I stopped feeding the dogs outside about a week ago, but still they swarm. And I worry that it's only a matter of time before they start marching into the house.
Does anyone know of something that will kill the ants and not hurt the dogs?
Thanks.
I've managed to wipe out a few piles, but they will not go away. I know I could blast them with ant killing spray, but since my dogs spend a lot of time out in the yard, I don't want to use anything that could be harmful to them. I thought the ants were attracted to the dog food, so I stopped feeding the dogs outside about a week ago, but still they swarm. And I worry that it's only a matter of time before they start marching into the house.
Does anyone know of something that will kill the ants and not hurt the dogs?
Thanks.
posted by eliza @ 7:27 AM
8 Comments:
We use Cedar Cide in our back yard to help with bugs - it's all natural, and you can get it at Home Depot or wherever. We've even treated the dogs themselves with it - makes them smell all cedary good! Here's a website: http://www.cedarcide.com/feedback.asp?ChooseState=ALCT&TheState=CA
Try these suggestions:
http://www.thefrugallife.com/ants.html
There is also info at
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/faq.php
Yes, baking soda - the ants eat it and explode a little while later - haven't actually tried it, but my mum swears it's no urban myth. Keep us updated on the progress, GOOD LUCK! Charis :-)
I used, like, gallons of boric acid (it's a powder) a couple of summers ago. The ants disappeared and the cat lived, so I'm assuming it's safe for household pets. The acid doesn't kill them right away, they live long enough to carry it back to the queen, which is apparently key. I also just saw an ad for some Ortho product that you spray around the perimiter of the house that might be worth a look!
(FYI, this is ER. Why I am Agnes DiPesto is a very long story.)
Thank you for these tips, along with those sent via e-mail. I just dumped about a pound of baking soda on a giant swarm of them I saw under a shrub. (I hosed away the line this morning and scattered them, I guess. I'm still not sure where they were headed). I tried baking soda first since I happened to have a lot of it onhand. I'm looking into all these other suggestions!
Here's what's super-cool: diatomaceous earth. It feels like cornstarch, but on a microscopic level is made of tiny sharp crushed shells or something. So it chops up ants but does nothing to you. Apparently people feed it to animals who have intestinal parasites, even. You can get it at garden stores around here, maybe Home Depot? I don't know.
(I know it sounds like crazy black magic, but (a) it is scientifically legit in terms of the whole "microscopically DEADLY" explanation and (b) it seemed to work for us.)
Oops! I just emailed you a suggestion before I actually clicked the entry and saw that you'd already found something to try. Sorry 'bout that! And about the ants. Ew.
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