Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

How to kill Thief Ants in house?


  • Please log in to reply
7 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Ameise - Posted July 27 2017 - 4:34 PM

Ameise

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 98 posts

I noticed today that our cats' food bowl had a stream of Thief Ants (Solenopsis molesta) going to it and in it. They were following around the edge of a carpet towards a tiny crack at the bottom of the baseboard on the edge of an interior wall, about 6" from the exterior wall. Not sure if they're nesting in the house or coming in from outside. However, I want to kill the stream coming in - not sure what would be best - Borax-laden food? If so, what kind? Diatomaceous Earth? Lava? Once I kill them/get rid of them, I plan on resealing the baseboards though I know that won't prevent this (as they will find just about any opening, including wall outlets). What's the best way to prevent similar in the future? I am considering some kind of raised food bowl, like: =(, where the stem '=' perhaps has Fluon on it? S. molesta doesn't appear to have difficulty climbing glass, so that won't work.

 

I'm hoping we know how to kill them intentionally, since we manage to kill them accidentally while raising them all the time!


  • Martialis and AntsMaryland like this

#2 Offline gcsnelling - Posted July 27 2017 - 4:40 PM

gcsnelling

    Expert

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,681 posts

Boric acid bait of some sort would probably be best.


  • Cameron C. Thomas likes this

#3 Offline AntsMaryland - Posted July 28 2017 - 2:06 AM

AntsMaryland

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 543 posts
  • LocationMaryland

just wipe some vinager around the cat bowl, its not harmful to cats or humans and it cleans the counter as well. Ant's don't like crossing vinager


Aphaenogaster cf. rudis 

Tetramorium immigrans 

Tapinoma sessile

Formica subsericea

Pheidole sp.

Camponotus nearcticus


#4 Offline AntsMaryland - Posted July 28 2017 - 2:08 AM

AntsMaryland

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 543 posts
  • LocationMaryland

Ameise, that part about killing them accidently is SO TRUE!


Aphaenogaster cf. rudis 

Tetramorium immigrans 

Tapinoma sessile

Formica subsericea

Pheidole sp.

Camponotus nearcticus


#5 Offline sgheaton - Posted July 28 2017 - 5:08 AM

sgheaton

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 933 posts
  • LocationMinnesota

FIRST THINGS FIRST....take a picture of them!!!!
 

I had a 3 foot trail of those things sneaking in from the window crack to my sink disposal. They turned at 90 degree right angles. Was sooooo cool.... but I was soooooooooooo, "NUHUHUHHH!!!! ANTS IN THE KITCHEN!" That I straight up murder burned everything in chemicals before I realized I should have taken a picture.....


"I'm the search bar! Type questions into me and I'll search within the forums for an answer!"


#6 Offline antsnewmexico - Posted July 29 2017 - 6:39 PM

antsnewmexico

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 13 posts

Also, rub vinegar around the area of your ant setups.



#7 Offline Ameise - Posted July 30 2017 - 9:54 AM

Ameise

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 98 posts

I ended up spraying the room down with ammonia (Windex, then diluted ammonia when I ran out). That stuff kills insects very quickly, and also eliminates their trails. I've been letting the room air out for 2 days, gonna go back in today, clean up, vacuum, and make sure there are no more coming in. I couldn't figure out where they were coming from precisely - they were coming into the room from the crack under the baseboard of an interior wall, about 6" from the exterior wall. I saw no trail in the basement looking up at the subfloor, nor did I see a trail outside. This was the only room I saw any in. I suspect they were coming from outside, probably from behind the electrical meter (where I can't see). I killed enough of them and disrupted their trails, so that should be enough.

I also have a colony of them in a small jar which I am still trying to figure out how to build a formicarium for them. Considering wood, a borosilicate glass pane, and then a thin layer of silicon on the wood to 'seal' against the glass. The keeping that in another container. Unfortunately, they can climb glass, plastic, and basically any material (unlike, say, [Hypo]ponera which cannot climb plastic and glass - they can barely walk on them).



#8 Offline Ameise - Posted August 1 2017 - 4:15 PM

Ameise

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 98 posts

So, while it looks like I killed the vast majority, there are still some in her room foraging. I have tried the Terro liquid bait, but they don't seem interested in it at all. What else can I try to bait them with?






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users