# Ants,Raccoons and ant killer.



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Going pesticide free is a big deal up here in Ontario and getting rid of pests is a bit of an issue. Since last fall we have been 'blessed' with big black ants in our house.
The ones that walked through the living room during the winter died on the carpets unaided, but now it is summer they are walking about with a swagger and are fat and juicy.
I have been making up my own borax and peanut butter paste as well as buying the CIL anttraps that pretty much contain the same thing.
Well I still have the ants! They are not interested in the traps. 
I put some traps outside but they are too much of a temptation for the dog who picks them up because of the peanut butter.
2 nights ago my ant traps actually disappeared so I figure it is a raccoon. I met a lady in the nursery who said she has had so much trouble with raccoons and ant traps that she bring the traps in at night.
I have a bit of contraband ant powder but even that is not helping. Have covered the ant hill in the blooming stuff and still have these mounds through my lawn.
Any ideas what else I can do?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Feed them to the fish? Get a pet anteater/lizard/toad/banana spider?

I do know they follow scent trail to food, so they will keep coming back along the same path unless you both clean up the trails and block the entrance they are using. Go to town with "great stuff"

They like protein and alway find the cat food. You could try baiting a trap with cat treats. 

They need water, so look for leaks and condensation you can stop from watering them.

They like warmth and electronics, so unplug unused power supplies and chargers lest you get ants in your cordless phone (yes I did, really tiny ones).

A line of borax along walls will dehydrate ants that cross it, but won't hurt the main colony.

Feynman did an experiment once. He made a little ant lift tray and moved each ant that got onto it outside to a piece of bait. The ant made new trails when it went home and then went directly back to the bait. No ants were allowed to return from inside the house, he just kept moving them out. Eventually the ants stopped using the old route. But I think he spent a whole weekend as a ant ferry.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

We have some ants in our house (thanks to a big hole in the doorjamb, thanks a lot, cheap builders of this place) and I just looked up on google some home remedies to keep them away. 
Cinnamon, black pepper, smearing a line of vaseline around openings are all things that supposedly work.


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## pinetree (Nov 29, 2009)

I'm curious, if Canada is going pesticide free, how do homeowners deal with seriously destructive insects like carpenter ants or termites? I just had my house sprayed for carpenter ants a few weeks ago.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Apparently if you have serious pests you have to call in a pest control specialist and since they are licensed they can use the more toxic stuff.
The toxic stuff just cannot be purchased in any stores unless you show your licence.
Interestingly- these rules of herbicides and lawn pesticides do not apply to golf courses and when there is a ban on lawn watering because of drought, car washes and municipal buildings can continue to use all the water they want.
We also have car idling bans- more than a minute and you can be fined if caught. however that does not apply to truckers or municipal employees who are repairing roads or water mains "because they have to have some place to get out of the heat/ cold."
Fortunatley there are now some authorized weed killers etc coming onto the market. There is Sarritor and some high concentration of liquid iron the name of it I forgot.
Yes well the ants are favoring my fish/plant room 2 stories up and also the living room where there are also plants and fish tanks. A ready source of food and water I guess!. 
I tried a few of these ants on the rainbow fish. They did not care for them but prefer the smaller red color ants.
Fussy buggers.
Right now my method of control outside is to step on them- the ant traps are not working for sure.


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## guppyart (Jan 22, 2005)

heh that must be only an ontario thing as I know non of the prairie provinces would let that one get passed.

Pinetree we often don't have certain bugs or issues with them due to the incredibly cold and harsh winters.

I know as of right now I could go to any farming type store and buy straight concentrated Round up weed killer, same with alot of pesticides for bugs, and if not you just go talk to a farmer hehe.

one reason your fish may not like ants is they are kind of acidic so that might not appeal all that much


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## ThatDude (Jul 10, 2010)

If you know where the mounds are. Use small amounts of gasoline. Works on prairie dogs and insects. A lil flame doesn't hurt either. I only say it because in the mound it will kill them and anywhere else you use it will destroy the sent trail.


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