Bugs (ants) in the house ... how to get rid of

[hockeysc23]

So 2 part question.

1. I seem to always have dead ants when I am sweeping up at one corner of my bay window (inside by kitchen). I've sprayed inside, sprayed outside the bay window. Never really see the ants alive but there are a significant amount dead (visible when sweeping) on the floor always at that one bay window corner.

Something worth calling an exterminator for? Any idea how much they charge for ants etc? My parents were always of the add-age ants come every spring so you just deal with them.

2. Anyone know how to get rid of the flying ants attracted to light? Last night getting ready to go to bed, I turn off the lights in the kitchen and see a mess of them (probably around 40) all around one pot light in the kitchen. Then there are some all around the light in my master bedroom.

Reading online I found out they are bad just swarm from time to time. More of a pain than anything else. Any suggestions?

[mardi gras skin]

We had a line of tiny ants marching in from under our front door. A thin line of Borax along the threshold took care of them immediately.

Here's a more vigorous approach:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4471409_fight-ants-borax.html

[Homercles82]

Borax works perfectly and is cheap. You can buy a box for around $3. You can also wipe down surfaces with a mixture of vinegar and water.

[hockeysc23]

Borax works perfectly and is cheap. You can buy a box for around $3. You can also wipe down surfaces with a mixture of vinegar and water.

Wow had no idea. Now my thing is the ants are already dead though .... just dieing in that corner. Which probably means they come in from else where. Any ideas on that?

Will have to try that borax trick though.

[Homercles82]

Wow had no idea. Now my thing is the ants are already dead though .... just dieing in that corner. Which probably means they come in from else where. Any ideas on that?

Will have to try that borax trick though.

I don't know. Maybe?

When we had ants crawling our counters we spread out the borax and about 3 or 4 days late we stopped seeing them. They carry it back to the nest and share it which then kills them there.

We now clean the counters with a mild vinegar and water solution which keeps them clean and ant free. In addition to that borax also makes counter tops shine to the nines. Borax has literally 101 uses and is all natural and safe.

[Pwyl]

Make sure the winged ones are just ants and not termites:

[Henry]

Call a bug company like Orkin or Home Paramount and have them treat your house once a month. It'll cost like $50 a month but 99% of the time you won't see any bugs ever again, and if you do they'll come over and take care of it no extra charge.

[mardi gras skin]

Make sure the winged ones are just ants and not termites:

Borax wipes out termites too.

[Maximus71]

We had the same problem, we painted our bay window and no more ants. Windex or glass clean works well for killing ants inside and it's not that toxic as let's say bug spray.

[Rudechain]

I have to go along with those that suggest Borax. They won't cross the line you lay down and therefore will not come into the house and die.

One thing I also tried for flying insects such as flies and mosquitos is really quite easy.

We grow herbs and spices for cooking and just moved the basil by windows and doors on our deck. We also planted it in pots around the corners along with lavender, marigold and garlic.

Once the plants started to take off, the deck became clear of flying insects.

It's a win-win for us. We have nice fresh herbs and the ability to sit on the deck without the worry of bugs.

Good luck.

[USS Redskins]

We tried everything.... had ants all over the house.. in our freaking bedroom! It was horrible. Called Terminex and signed up for a year or 4 treatments at $90 each... took about 3 weeks but all the ants were gone.

They showed up a bit in the beginning of April this year for a brief stay Terminex showed up and killed them again and nothing since.

It is worth it, mainly b/c they spray for everything, not just ants.

[GrapeApe]

I've always had a lot of success with boric acid/borax. Just place it near where they are coming in and it will wipe out the hive when they carry it back. If you know where the ant hill is, pour some directly on the hill. You can also soak a cotton ball in a sugar water/boric acid solution and place that near the opening if you don't want the powder laying around (pets/children).

[ECU-ALUM]

I lived in base-housing and ants were a constant issue...the housing officals suggested using cinnamon. Ants have a very strong sense of smell and the smell of cinnamon is very painful to them.

[hockeysc23]

A lot of good ideas. Thanks everyone. I think they are the ants not termites but prob best to call someone and have it looked at.

Definitely will try borax afterwards though to keep everything clean.

[Corcaigh]

The plastic 'ant traps' often seem ineffective. The gel has worked well for us. I need to get some more and maybe I'll try the borax too.

[sideshow24]

I turn off the lights in the kitchen and see a mess of them (probably around 40) all around one pot light in the kitchen.

Maybe they just wanna get high?

[hockeysc23]

Maybe they just wanna get high?

hahahahha

[Mr. Sinister]

I'd suggest this

It's like Napalm, kills on contact ( tried on a huge spider) keeps everything away, you can use it inside and outside, and you only need to use it once a year, twice if you live in a woodsy area like I do. It's a bit pricey, but well worth it.