Author Topic: Ants  (Read 1821 times)

Glen

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 283
Ants
« on: May 08, 2020, 12:22:21 PM »
I've  had 3 single visitors recently. I know they are scouts. They didn't return to base. What do you do to discourage them?

Michael Rolls

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 72679
Re: Ants
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2020, 12:29:09 PM »
Move house! Seriously, there was, don’t know if there still is, a product called, IIRC, Nippon, a gooey liquid which you pot on the areas they used as highways. The house in which my first wife and I lived was plagued by ants every spring/summer. This stuff stopped them coming. Whether they went elsewhere or died off we neither knew nor cared, just as long as they left us alone.
Come to think of it, that was 50 years ago; given the name they have probably been closed down as racist!,
Mike 😡😡😡😡😡
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

Michael Rolls

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 72679
Re: Ants
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2020, 12:31:09 PM »
When I said ‘stopped’ they would come back the next year, only to be sorted out again
Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

Ashy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 32147
Re: Ants
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2020, 01:06:57 PM »
Nippon also makes powder. Ants are very well organised and if you kill one, two will come to remove the body. I have had the pleasure of watching them too some years ago.

biglouis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6545
Re: Ants
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2020, 02:22:16 PM »
I used to be plagued by ants every summer. I traced the nest to underneath my house. I bought a couple of ant poison packages on Ebay and left them near the steps. They allow ants to pick up small amounts of poisoned bait and take them back to the nest. It should be wiped out within a few days. Mine never returned. I was sad to have to kill them but they were a nuisance and got into the cupboards and everywhere.
Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.

mick607

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3995
Re: Ants
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2020, 05:24:35 PM »
I used to be plagued by ants every summer. I traced the nest to underneath my house. I bought a couple of ant poison packages on Ebay and left them near the steps. They allow ants to pick up small amounts of poisoned bait and take them back to the nest. It should be wiped out within a few days. Mine never returned. I was sad to have to kill them but they were a nuisance and got into the cupboards and everywhere.
Murderer ;D

biglouis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6545
Re: Ants
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2020, 09:50:46 PM »
You  need something like this:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000TAW31A/ref=acr_dp_hist_5?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=five_star&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar


Why it works:

If you've ever seen a nature program about ants you'll know they are quite clever leaving signals for other ants in the colony about where the food is and how much is remaining etc, and for that reason it's really important that once you've placed the bait station down that it's left in the same position and the entry holes are in roughly the same place. This is something to be aware of when re-baiting the stations!

Ants are also very clean and efficient so nothing including dead ants are wasted and that's how this poison works.

They eat and store the sugary syrup to take back to the nest to feed to others. Then as they die the other ants eat them and so on which over the course of a few days poisons the whole nest. So even if you can't find or access the nest then this still works.
Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.

zoony

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 63553
Re: Ants
« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2020, 11:22:37 PM »
Might also be aware that the ants have developed a resistance to some off the commonly used powders. BL's bait stations work well.
"Listen to the wind, it cleans the mind."

"Never use money to measure wealth, son"

                                           cowboy wisdom.

Glen

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 283
Re: Ants
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2020, 09:29:16 AM »
Thanks, got some now. Haven't seen anymore. They are obviously on PF and are keeping clear. 🤞

Michael Rolls

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 72679
Re: Ants
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2020, 09:32:25 AM »
social distancing?
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

biglouis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6545
Re: Ants
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2020, 02:54:36 AM »
"My" ants have never returned to inside the house although I have seen them on the patio and suspect there is another nest nearby. I am not going to kill them unless they invade the house. Perhaps I could kindly direct them over to Mrs Gunga Dins house. Do we have person eating ants in UK?
Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.

Michael Rolls

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 72679
Re: Ants
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2020, 04:10:37 AM »
"My" ants have never returned to inside the house although I have seen them on the patio and suspect there is another nest nearby. I am not going to kill them unless they invade the house. Perhaps I could kindly direct them over to Mrs Gunga Dins house. Do we have person eating ants in UK?
Not yet, but I expect Brian is working on it
Mike 😊😊😊
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

Bee

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2883
Re: Ants
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2020, 06:43:25 AM »
"My" ants have never returned to inside the house although I have seen them on the patio and suspect there is another nest nearby. I am not going to kill them unless they invade the house. Perhaps I could kindly direct them over to Mrs Gunga Dins house. Do we have person eating ants in UK?


I expect you are known as...Miss Nasty Guts to your neighbour. ::) ::) >:( >:(
The only way is up....

biglouis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6545
Re: Ants
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2020, 05:38:52 PM »
Some years ago she asked me my name so I told her. She said "is that Mrs or Miss?" I told her neither, my title is Dr. She walked off without telling me her own name which I consider to be extremely ignorant.


Needless to say I looked it up on the land registry website along with a lot of other useful info such as when they moved in, how much they paid, who holds their mortgage, etc,
Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.

stellamaris

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3256
Re: Ants
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2020, 06:07:26 PM »
I am an expert on the life cycle of the ants.  I learned quickly after there was a nest under the central heating back boiler [in the chimney breast behind the gas fire].  I had no idea until the "Day of the Flying Ants".  It was just fortunate I was off work and working in the garden with the windows and doors open.  But it was still horrific.  I sorted my own house but the next day I heard panic, screaming and stamping next door.  I presume the next batch had left by their emergency exit i.e. from behind the neighbours fire.  I pretended not to notice.

Wherever I live I keep a stock of those bait stations and at end of March I place them in strategic places. It will be a number of years before ants return close to a ruined nest but might set up not so far away.  I never know these days whether I have ants or not, I haven't seen any,  but I will never take the chance.
Keep on chooglin' - John Fogerty
Pronouns: She/Her/Beautiful/Wondrous one/Dearest Heart