I swear our whole house is built on a giant ant hill.
It might be. All I know is that they appear all over the place outside and occasionally make their way inside.
In this post I am going to tell you how I’ve been controlling the ant situation.
- You’ll learn about the product I think works really well and doesn’t cost the earth.
- What I use as containers for the ant bait that work in any weather condition
Can You Fully Eradicate Them?
I’m not sure if you can. Especially if you are living on an ants nest.
But I know you can control them so they aren’t as much of a hassle for you.
In the grand scheme of things I don’t think they are the biggest hassle in my opinion.
Are they a health hazard? I’m not sure. If you know drop a comment below and fill me in.
Be Tidy
Ants always seem to be trying to find some food. This is where you will get the line of ants in or around your house.
They’ve found something they like and they want to take parts of it back to their nest.
First step is be tidy. Keep things clean. Especially inside your house.
Start Inside
For me the first place to start is inside. Once you have them under control inside work outwards to the outside.
Ant Bait Products
To rid ants you will need some type of ant bait product.
The idea is you put this down and the ants take this back to their nest causing a bunch of them to die.
If you do a Google search you will see there are a lot of products out there. Some are really expensive and apparently what the experts use.
It might be the right stuff to get if you are on an ants nest. I just can’t justify the price.
Also if I control them on our property I can guarantee the neighbours aren’t and I will just need to keep doing it.
Find the balance between cost and effectiveness.
No Ants Nest Killer Gel Bait
I’ve used this in the past. They have a big range of products and is sold in a lot of different stores so it’s easy to get.
And the price is OK.
But after a while it just feels like it isn’t working as good as it should. I felt I was wasting my time and money continuing with this.
So I had a look around and came across this:
Tasmex Ant Labs Exterm-An-Ant
It’s made here locally in Hamilton. And has been made since 1985. Find out more at their website.
You can’t but it directly from them. But it is stocked in some supermarkets. My local New World has it.
And it can be found on Trademe. This seller always has it in stock.
Directions are as follows:
Shake thoroughly, then pour 4-5 mL onto foil or a shallow dish and leave near ant trail. Place baits in areas not accessible to pets and humans. Lay several baits to control heavy infestation. Repeat until no further ants are seen.
What to put it in
After dealing with them inside which was as easy as putting some of the ANT X down onto a small lid of a container.
I realised I needed something for outside.
Something weatherproof and could deal with the sun were my requirements.
Containers I Use for Ant Bait
I decided to go with some small containers from Arthur Holmes.
If you haven’t heard of them they sell bottle and jars. And have been in business since 1910.
I’ve ordered 2 lots in total.
The first were black bases with black lids.
The second was black bases with clear lids.
My thinking was that I could see how much ant bait was left with the clear lids.
In reality it didn’t matter as you’d have to take the lid off to clean it out before applying new ant bait.
Setting Up the Containers
The only thing I needed to do before using the container was to drill a hole into the side.
This allows the ants to come and take the ant bait. While keeping the containers quite weather proof.
The first lot of containers were glued to a tile.
This was to stop them blowing away in the wind. But they are heavy enough that the tile wasn’t needed for the next lot.
Placement
I first place all the containers with the ant bait anywhere I have seen ants.
Once you put the container down if ants are present you will see them go towards it. They love this ant bait.
The next areas are key areas where ants from outside could come inside. I will sometimes put a container inside near a door and outside.
When you check the containers for a top up. You will see which one is eaten by the ants.
They will eat take everything out of the container in busy ant areas.
How Often do I Check
In summer which to me seems like peak ant time. I have a reminder on my phone to check the ant bait once a week.
Some containers will be emptied straight away. Others not so much. In the hot sun the ant bait can get hard and need replacing.
If the ants have eaten it all. This blue powder is left over.
This stuff works fast and ants will be gone usually within a day.
But there are always more eventually. So it pays to stay on top of your ant baiting.
Replacing the Ant Bait
I have a small Cookie Time bucket that I collect all the ant bait containers in. I wash them. Dry them. Then add more ant bait and go around replacing them.
Ant Bait in Other Locations
We will sometimes get a huge influx of ants in or around our outside rubbish bins. I will place drops of ant bait on the edge of the bin under the lid.
When the ants take all of the ant bait all that is left is a blue powder. Easy to wipe off and reapply.
What Happens if the Ants are up High
We only have one location this happens and it happens to be our spare bedroom.
I put some heavy duty double sided tape on the base of the container. Filled it and have the hole pointing upwards.
This seems to work well. The ants still get in there and eat it.
Conclusion
Ants can be a pain to control. Seeing them can be annoying and stressful for some people.
It’s a continuous process if you want to manage it yourself.
I’m unsure of how effective a professional would be in this type of situation. But this is the cost effective way I keep them under control.
I hope this can help you dealing with your ant problem at your place.
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