Ants in apartment....what to do?! (vent, crack, reviews, liquid)
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I very much doubt that it is, but I would use the Terro ant baits as previously mentioned. If the ants are under the sink that's perfect, put the baits there, so the pets won't mess with them. Even if they did, the Terro is just sugar and borax so while it's not good for pets, there would be a limited amount it could do because I am sure it would taste like soap to them.
Terro baits, undisturbed for two weeks, placed in a good location, are going to kill the whole ant nest. Once you can see that the ants have found the baits, just smile and wish them a hearty last meal. They'll even take home their dead and eat them, which helps the cause too.
I take it you have a cat then? Is this product safe to use with pets in the house?
If you had to put them in the open, what you'd do is built a little fort of bricks around and over them, so the cats could not get at the baits. Just to be sure. However, under the sink is best.
I very much doubt that it is, but I would use the Terro ant baits as previously mentioned. If the ants are under the sink that's perfect, put the baits there, so the pets won't mess with them. Even if they did, the Terro is just sugar and borax so while it's not good for pets, there would be a limited amount it could do because I am sure it would taste like soap to them.
Terro baits, undisturbed for two weeks, placed in a good location, are going to kill the whole ant nest. Once you can see that the ants have found the baits, just smile and wish them a hearty last meal. They'll even take home their dead and eat them, which helps the cause too.
Unfortunately, I don't think they're coming from under the sink. Is it possible for ants to come out of cracks in the floorboards? I feel like I'm going crazy but based on where I've seen the ants congregate, I think that might be where they're coming from. Also from the crack/seam where my kitchen island meets the floor.
if you are in a multi-unit building like an apartment building or duplex, the landlord should treat the entire building. Talk to the mgmt company, ask them to treat and remind them you have a pet (because you put down a deposit, right?). I wouldn't use any ant-killers until I was confident they are safe around cats. To add to the above, once you've ended the infestation, consider buying some caulk and closing up the gaps.
Unfortunately, I don't think they're coming from under the sink. Is it possible for ants to come out of cracks in the floorboards? I feel like I'm going crazy but based on where I've seen the ants congregate, I think that might be where they're coming from. Also from the crack/seam where my kitchen island meets the floor.
That's highly likely. In any case, if you put the baits somewhere athwart their path, they will discover them, eat them, take the food home, and the nest will die. Short term you will be appalled at the increased number of ants, as if these are counterproductive. This is because it's ant crack and they love it. The increased numbers should be seen as an excellent sign--the more the merrier.
If you have to put them in the open, I'd put something on the floor (cardboard would be good--cut up a box), then build a fort with bricks. Whatever it takes to make it so that cats can't play games with it.
You can go ahead and try interesting your landlord in taking action and see how that works for you. My guess is that it will not work for you. And even if it does, the ants will be back eventually. Rather than have someone come in and put real poison in my living space, I'd rather put down a few snackpack plastic things full of sugar and borax, but that's just me.
If these are the little ants that are attracted to food, Terro is the solution. I tried all the baits that they sell in the store (my store didn't sell Terro) and none of them did anything. I put Terro traps inside and outside and didn't see another ant after about a week. They went nuts for the outdoor traps- I saw the longest line of ants I'd ever seen going in and out of those things, and they were empty really quickly. I never refilled them and the ants never came back.
We had some tiny marauding ants on our kitchen counters for over a year. They weren't sugar or grease ants, and they would NOT have anything to do with the Terro we put out for sugar ants. Nothing seemed to work on them. Then, I read a post on the web about using ASPARTAME on them. I can't have Aspartame myself, as it gives me a sledgehammer headache. However, my wife had some in the cupboard.
I sprinkled a little of it on the counter they use, and they were all GONE inside of 15 minutes. Next day they tried coming back, I sprinkled a little more, and they haven't been back in months now...
If they are big black ants, it's probably a sign that there are termites in the crawlspace. Yes, ants can come up through cracks in the baseboard.
I would call the landlord, even though you don't want to.
They are black, but they don't seem particularly big to me. They are very hard to squash though. If I try to squash one with a kleenex or napkin, it seems that they are very resilient. I have to pinch them really hard and crunch them up in the kleenex. Even then they sometimes are still moving.
Over the next 24 hours you will see a huge increase in ants as they swarm to eat the delicious tasting poison, but then they will die off and be completely gone.
I get an ant invasion 2-3 times a year (and they always head right to the cat food dish), and each time the Terro works like a charm. I now keep a supply of it on hand.
I agree, Terro is the best for ants, and it works great!
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