Damn ants nests!

@rhinoboy (2129)
August 2, 2007 10:01am CST
Has anybody got a sure-fire way to get rid of ants? They're going crazy in my area lately. I think it's because we ahve a lot of paved areas and steps etc where they love to nest underneath. They had a fair size colony right under my doorstep which I burned out with a molotov cocktail. Even then, they just moved further down the steps. I've since used a couple of brands of ant-powder which seems to move them on, but not eliminate them. Does anyone know of a hormonal type poison which will completely kill their nests? (The main part seems to be under landscapig so is not directly accessible). THIS IS WAR!!!!!!!!
4 people like this
11 responses
• United States
5 Aug 07
Try pouring boiling water into each ant hill.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160491)
• United States
7 Aug 07
I was going to suggest like maildumpster. Wal Mart here carries those traps or baits, including some meant for outdoor use. I believe they are a Raid product. The ants do carry the bait into their nests themselves. The person mentioning rock dust is probably the same thing as diatomaceous earth, ask for it at a garden supply store, it is effective and does work by polishing off the exoskeleton of the ants, and other bugs. It is the ground shells of microscopic sea crustaceans.
@rhinoboy (2129)
7 Aug 07
Thats probably the stuff I'm using (it's a Raid product anyway). The only stuff generally available here is plastic squeezy bottles of fine white powder. It seems to clear them from the treated area, but they surface nearby within a day or two.
@rhinoboy (2129)
6 Aug 07
I'll conduct some research next time I'm in the DIY store.
1 person likes this
• Australia
2 Aug 07
i dont think my solution will work for you, but i thought i'd tell you anyway. i mixed up a solution of kerosine and petrol, then i found the main holes of the nest and poured the entire bottle down the holes. that killed all the adults. but i went 1 step further, i lit my lighter and burned the crap out of them lol
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@rhinoboy (2129)
3 Aug 07
A-ha! A variation on the molotov cocktail I mentioned lol. I have a bottle of petrol with 2-stroke oil mixed in for my strimmer, the oil makes it burn much longer than petrol alone. I used some of that under the doorstep when I first found the nest and it killed most of the ants and a few clutches of eggs, and most of all was very satisfying to use! I think they're too deep underground for it to reach them properly now though.
@rhinoboy (2129)
3 Aug 07
LOL!!!!!! My little firestorm wasn't that disastrous. The flames were a little larger than expected and I feared at one point that I was going to melt the UPVC doorstep, but all was well besides a few black marks on bricks & slabs.
@nancygibson (3736)
• France
2 Aug 07
THe simplest, safest way to kill an ants next is to tip a kettle of boiling water into it. Do this every could of days until its gone but most nests go straight away. The good thing about this is it kills the ants instantly, and you can use as much boiling water as you need, so no nasty chemicals in the environment to worry about.
@rhinoboy (2129)
3 Aug 07
The nest now seems to be underneath lots of paving slabs and masonary so I can't get right into it. I need something that they will carry into the nest themselves and poison it. I'll try boiling water if I find any more accessable nests.
@timou87 (1638)
• Singapore
3 Aug 07
i have a big problem with ants nests as well, i just cant seem to get rid of them. i can smash and destroy the nests each time they pop up but they will just keep on coming back. id really appreciate anyone's advice on this
1 person likes this
@rhinoboy (2129)
3 Aug 07
I think you have to catch them quickly. The moment i uncovered the nest, they started to move the eggs further underground. I still got most of them with the petrol though. Muuahhhaaahahaahaa!!!!
• Macedonia
3 Aug 07
why not buy ant eater im sure thy will help you so much...if its forbbiden ask for service in the yellow pages
1 person likes this
@rhinoboy (2129)
3 Aug 07
There is a local flock of birds that are gobbling up as many as possible. Aardvarks are considerably rare here though!
@d_hapke (165)
• United States
3 Aug 07
My father in law is an exterminator (trust me it suits his personality - you know the guy from Over the Hedge - THats HIM!!!) Anyway, he uses this solution (controlled so call your exterminator). It's made from the Bayer company. It's basically microscopic rock dust. It dries and the ants walk through and breathe it in - it goes in their lungs and cuts them up. It's safe enough for nursing homes, operating rooms, nurseries and so on. You can probably look it up and find out who uses it. I would highly recommend it. AND, it also breaks the cycle so you will see a drastic reduction in all kinds of bugs. It's really amazing stuff.
1 person likes this
@rhinoboy (2129)
3 Aug 07
I'm too much of a tightwad to hire a professional just yet. They haven't come into the house yet, apart from the occasional one. The 'off-the-shelf' powder seems to be keeping them outside so far. Thanks for the info though. It's the best suggestion so far.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
6 Aug 07
Rhino I am sorry I am very far behind on here at the Moment because of Ill Health Go to B&Q or anywhere that sells all this Anti bug Stuff and have a look for the Spray for outside I mean I hope you have found something by now lol but if not go there
1 person likes this
@venshida (4836)
• United States
2 Aug 07
You know I was wondering the same thing. I notice this morning I had several ants nest. I was planning on visiting Pikes, or Home Depot tomorrow for them to suggest something.
1 person likes this
@yanjiaren (9031)
14 Nov 07
Oh dear I think it is a job for the Ant Wquad lol. There are professional agencies that deal with this stuff and calling them in to deal with a humungous ant problem would be the best thing. It may cost a bit but they will know how to avoid future calamity so the investment might be worth investigating.
@chnworld (149)
• India
2 Aug 07
Ants are very dangrous..Dont neglect them..I have a good ant repellant liquid.. I bought it from a local market with a very cheap price..but it helped me a lot..I just dropped few drops of the liquid in the nest or the origin from which the ants were coming...that was sufficient to kill their troops....
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
12 Nov 07
hmm... I am glad that you have found a good liquid to solve your problems of ants. But you never mention what brand is the liquid you are using? Is it available only locally to where you are living? Is this brand available internationally? What color is the liquid? Which company manufacture it?
• China
3 Aug 07
That annoying problem also bother me a lot,sometimes they bite me like a needle piercing in the skin!
1 person likes this