Ants!!! - San Francisco,CA

Updated on June 24, 2009
H.A. asks from San Francisco, CA
6 answers

Hi there,

We have an ant problem, and it is completely out of control.

It started as an annual little visit from the little guys in the springtime. I cleaned out the few items in the cupboards that they got into, made sure everything else was sealed well, and I have not seen them there since. I also wiped any ant trails with soapy water to discourage them from coming into our home. But now they must be entering from behind the cabinets because I can't see where they are coming from.

There will be a few days where I don't see any, then I will slip up and leave one apple core in the trash over night and there are HUNDREDS of them in the garbage.

We clean our kitchen after every meal, have a cleaning lady come twice a week, and take out the garbage every evening. But it's like they are just hiding and waiting for me to make a mistake... like leave the cutting board in the sink while I give my daughter a bath, like I did tonight, that apparently had a little bit of melon juice on it. After an hour it was covered with ants, and so was the counter as they came and went.

Last night I opened the dishwasher and it was FULL of ants. AGH! How do they even get in there?

This sounds paranoid, but it also seems like they have gotten smarter. They don't just bumble around anymore, then seem to freeze when they see me coming, and then run much faster than they used to when I go after them.

Anyone have a solution? I don't want to use harsh chemicals because we have a toddler, and we use "natural" products in our home. Does this mean I have to live with the pests? Or is there a natural remedy out there???

Thank you, they are driving me crazy!

H.

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Frankly, I don't think any natural products really help. A family member battled ants without chemicals, without success, for 5 long years--- and finally broke down and called a pest company. They sprayed once, outside, and she never saw ants again!

Maybe you could try leaving "meals" outside for them, some cut fruit, since they seem to want sweet stuff....if they are just needing food that bad that they seem to be "waiting"... Maybe they would find it and congregate on it outside, instead of coming inside?

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.M.

answers from San Francisco on

In my experience, you have to use toxics to get rid of ants. Natural remedies don't work, or not for any length of time, particularly if you have a lot of ants. The quickest, cleanest, and most long-lasting thing to do is hire a pest control company to spray outside. They will locate the ants' nest, and target it.

If you have a house that's built on a concrete slab, you can try spraying one of the commercial preparations all around the outside of your house, where the house meets the ground, but this won't be as effective as having a pest control company do it, and you will probably inhale a lot more toxic spray than you want.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from San Francisco on

We've been using the Terro liquid ant traps, which just contain sugar and boric acid, so they're really not that toxic (as long as your child or pets don't eat them, of course). We have a toddler too, so I try to make sure there aren't residual chemicals hanging around. I place the traps on the counter out of reach, like behind the microwave and sink, and behind the fridge, etc. It usually takes at least a week to help, but we've really been seeing a difference when we put out at least four of the traps, along with cleaning the kitchen and taking out the trash every night. I've also heard that spraying outside can really help, like others have suggested, although I haven't tried that personally.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.C.

answers from San Francisco on

We've had good luck with the Terro products also. And if you can trace back to where they seem to be coming in from, see if you can caulk or otherwise block it (we had some coming in through an unused electrical outlet for a while so we covered it with masking tape)
www.askthebugman.com might have some other suggestions that don't involve highly toxic chemicals.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.L.

answers from Fresno on

I think the only solution may be to hire a pest control company. Ants are hard to get rid of and a pest company can spray in the walls/outlets etc. and they also guarantee their work. I have a a 2 year old, a newborn and a dog and we haven't had any problems at all.

C.C.

answers from Fresno on

Our last house had insect issues as well, only for us it was black widow spiders! It absolutely freaked me out! I called Orkin. They sprayed the outside perimeter of our house every month and I never saw another spider in the house. I imagine they could do the same for ants. Why not call them and see what options are available? I'd imagine they have something that is safe to use around children and pets.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions