Ant infestation in home!

[Bkmrsteel]

My girl friend and I stay in an aprt together. We have a 20 gal fresh water, 75 gal salt water, and 35 gal tank with our ball python "Grim"living with us.

with hot summer hear, some small black ants have been showing up, and we sent the land owner an email about it. Nothing big tell today finding the place infested with ants every where now. The place is almost uninhabitable, if they get any worse it will be. They are not in our place for food, but using us to get to others, very aggravating!

I'm concerned about the tanks, what to do with them if we have to leave, or bomb the place, idk!

I'm trying to get the right people on the phone today to get this taken care of.

 

[Mrc8858]

I don't see any need to bomb a place for ants. You should be able to get a spray for the perimeters of rooms and the house which should cause them to die off shortly after without a food source or means to find one

 

[Rhino]

I did pest control for about 4 years. Don't waste your time with the bombs they are crap. Coupe of questions:
Are the ants big or small?
What has the weather been like lately really dry or really wet?
Do you put all your dishes away every day?

What you need to do is get you're landlord to contact a pest control company. If it is a big apartment complex they usually have a company they use. A pest company would use traps "typically" that have a colony elimination poison that means when an ant gets in it they pick up the poison they pass it along to every other ant they touch. Which is a lot because they clean each other constantly.

This tactic also keeps from getting poison on everything you own like a bomb would.

 

[Rhino]

I don't see any need to bomb a place for ants. You should be able to get a spray for the perimeters of rooms and the house which should cause them to die off shortly after without a food source or means to find one

using a product that has a residual value is the key. Nothing you buy on the shelf has that, as the gov does not trust the general public with such chemicals for good reason. If it was just a few ants I would say yes to this.

 

[Fishfighter]

Same problem here. Kinda funny you posted this today. My landlord is supposed to send exterminator out today. No ants around tank but really bad in kitchen. Gutted cabinets and dishes, sprayed everything, cleaned up afterwards and still finding ants. It's been really hot here in Kentucky, what effect does that have on a colony? Anyways, hoping for the best. Should I cover my tank to be safe? Afraid that will overheat my tank.

 

[Rhino]

Same problem here. Kinda funny you posted this today. My landlord is supposed to send exterminator out today. No ants around tank but really bad in kitchen. Gutted cabinets and dishes, sprayed everything, cleaned up afterwards and still finding ants. It's been really hot here in Kentucky, what effect does that have on a colony? Anyways, hoping for the best. Should I cover my tank to be safe? Afraid that will overheat my tank.

Heat and dry conditions force them in looking for water. To much rain forces them in looking to get where its dry.

When they find food or water though they leave a phermone trail so all the ants know where to go. So wiping things down constantly its key to breaking their trails.

 

[Bkmrsteel]

We had to abandon our apartment today, they grew worse over the day, and over ran the place! The apartment is uninhabitable for now, best I can do is feed the fish tomorrow, try being there when they spray, and hope for the best... Thankfully everything is on a timer at least.

They are small black ants,

They where not really on the tanks when we left, more concerned for the snake.

 

[Fishfighter]

Sorry to hear that. My wife has been totally freaking out and it's just a few now in the kitchen. They were supposed to spray today but still came home to some live ones in the kitchen. Don't know if they are supposed to die right away or live a short time after spraying but hopefully you can go home soon.best of luck.

 

[christine2012]

We had to abandon our apartment today, they grew worse over the day, and over ran the place! The apartment is uninhabitable for now, best I can do is feed the fish tomorrow, try being there when they spray, and hope for the best... Thankfully everything is on a timer at least.

They are small black ants,

They where not really on the tanks when we left, more concerned for the snake.

I'm not sure about the tanks, but if your place is gonna be bug bombed, I would at least move the snake if its housing is a reasonable size. We used to live in an apartment with our ball python collection, which constantly had bugs thanks to some nasty neighbors. I remember the exterminator telling me that on another job the people left their snake and he had no idea until the next day when the people called reporting a snake death caused by the sprays and fumes. I hate to hear that though. I would definitely tape garbage bags over every possible air leak on the tanks.

 

[Iodizedfate]

I know it's an infestation but whenever I get ants I use Terro Ant Trap. they swarm it for a couple days then just disappear. Longest it's taken to work is a week. If you have small children or free roaming pets you have to be careful but I've been nothing but amazed out how well it works.

Ant Problem? Terro = Ant Control Solutions

 

[Rosesrblu1]

The terro traps are good. Also, they don't usually bomb for ants. We had a tick issue and almost had to bomb. Got rid of it finally with borax.

Good luck!

 

[Dxbeast8508]

I know it's an infestation but whenever I get ants I use Terro Ant Trap. they swarm it for a couple days then just disappear. Longest it's taken to work is a week. If you have small children or free roaming pets you have to be careful but I've been nothing but amazed out how well it works.

Ant Problem? Terro = Ant Control Solutions

+1 Terro traps. I use them.

 

[Bkmrsteel]

I'm not sure about the tanks, but if your place is gonna be bug bombed, I would at least move the snake if its housing is a reasonable size. We used to live in an apartment with our ball python collection, which constantly had bugs thanks to some nasty neighbors. I remember the exterminator telling me that on another job the people left their snake and he had no idea until the next day when the people called reporting a snake death caused by the sprays and fumes. I hate to hear that though. I would definitely tape garbage bags over every possible air leak on the tanks.

Went by today, and the problem is 10x better! They are still all over everything, but no longer a swarm. Grabbed cloths and everything to try washing ants off, cleaned up little things to try helping.

The land owners are doing nothing. Say they won't get a pest guy out tell next wednesday, and don't want to compensate rent for time we are unable to stay there. Said they would meet us there today at lunch, but no one ever showed up. We will be going back tonight to sprinkle Boric Acid powder around the rooms, hopefully we can return to our home tomorrow.

There where dead ants in the tank, about 10-20 that I saw, don't think the fish where so interested in them. Hope they don't create an ammonia spike. I'm sure any in the freshwater tanks didn't last a second, they will eat anything lol.

Glad we did go by, one of my crabs knocked my mushroom off into the sand.

Snake seems to be ok. There where ants in his water, but didn't see them on the tank. He has started shedding, so we don't want to move or stress him if we don't have to. Also don't want him getting eaten though

 

[LyndaB]

We have great luck with these ant traps (link below). Just be sure to use enough of othem. I had to put 3 on my bathroom vanity alone to get rid of the ants in there.

The kitchen wasn't so bad. I put one on the countertops about every 8 inches or so.

Amazon.com: Raid Max Double Control Ant Bait-8 ct.: Health & Personal Care

 

[Bkmrsteel]

We have great luck with these ant traps (link below). Just be sure to use enough of othem. I had to put 3 on my bathroom vanity alone to get rid of the ants in there.

The kitchen wasn't so bad. I put one on the countertops about every 8 inches or so.

Amazon.com: Raid Max Double Control Ant Bait-8 ct.: Health & Personal Care

Considering we rent, its really not our responsability to spend money, and time on pest control. Even more so when its not even our fault! They happened to find the cutting board interesting, and formed a small line to that, but thats the only thing in the kitchen. We must just have really nasty people living around us.

 

[Dxbeast8508]

Considering we rent, its really not our responsability to spend money, and time on pest control. Even more so when its not even our fault! They happened to find the cutting board interesting, and formed a small line to that, but thats the only thing in the kitchen. We must just have really nasty people living around us.

We rent as well and we were told that if it doesn't pose immediate threat(ants) then I have to pay for my own pest control. Only thing I'm covered by my renter is roaches. But thank god I have never had a problem with those! We had ants and have great luck with the terro traps. They are not real expensive. We got some outdoor ones as well to set up around the perimeter of the house.

 

[LyndaB]

Considering we rent, its really not our responsability to spend money, and time on pest control. Even more so when its not even our fault! They happened to find the cutting board interesting, and formed a small line to that, but thats the only thing in the kitchen. We must just have really nasty people living around us.

If you don't want to spent $1 per ant trap, but would rather spend your valuable time fighting with your landlord, that's certainly your prerogative. No matter where I've lived, I've handled the situation myself when I saw the first few ants and it never became an infestation. But to each his own, I guess.

Ants won't only visit you if you have "nasty people" living around you. We're not nasty and they are driven into our home by heavy rain or really hot conditions. It's not like cockroaches. They're ants!

 

[Bkmrsteel]

We took care of it today, killing them with 409 spray, wiping counter tops with ammonia, and laying ant and everything powder around the edges of the walls, all the way around the place, and where the ants had lines running, then sprayed around the front doer on the out side with raid ant stuff.

We still cant stay there tonight, but should be able to return tomorrow. We will however be deducting rent for the past two days at the end of the month.

Still a few ants in the fish tanks, hope they don't hurt to much... Being at the place gave me a chance to check up on things, and test the water. Everything seems to be doing well. Although none of the fish (fresh or salt water) where interested the slightest in eating any ants.

 

[Innovator]

I use Combat ant or roach gels and they work dreamy, about the same as what is used by professional exterminators where traditional baits, sprays, or foggers can't be used.

 

[LyndaB]

We will however be deducting rent for the past two days at the end of the month.

Make sure your landlord agrees to this before you do it. You could be evicted for lack of payment otherwise if they decide to get nasty about it.

Glad you found a method that worked for you.