I’m very interested in your article and very encouraged by all of the positive testimonials.
Our problem is small ants around the kitchen faucet/sink area. And we occasionally find them on the floor of the kitchen if something that spilled is not wiped up. They are very tiny and cluster on the location they’re interested in – I don’t see them every day – several times a week – they seem to be originated around the bottom of the tile behind the sink, but of course I can’t be sure.
Please recommend what we need to use to get rid of these pests.
Thanks, L.U.
As explained in our ANT CONTROL ARTICLE, ants are an invasive pest that can easily get established around the home. Once they live close by the foundation, foraging workers will find their way inside. In the home they’ll commonly collect around the kitchen and bathroom. Most likely seeking water, the combination of nutrients and moisture is what they seek. To control the activity, our three prong approach is a smart way to deal with the problem.
In the home you should opt for one of our ant baits. The BAIT STATIONS or OPTIGARD GEL are working great right now. Use either where you see the activity and in most cases you’ll get quick acceptance. Upon sharing the bait with other members of their colony, the nest will be shut down. This approach is almost always needed when seeing ants inside. Since the risk of inside nests is always present, the outside treating alone will rarely solve the problem once you start seeing them inside. This is where the baiting can really help.
And since they no doubt came in from outside, it’s important you spray the exterior foundation with something like PHANTOM. This slow working concentrate works like the bait in that it won’t start to affect them for a few days after the walk over treated surfaces. And when it does kick in, the ants have no idea where it came from. Additionally, they won’t build up shyness to the active since they can’t sense it and won’t have any idea where it came from in the first place.
Now if you’re bold and prefer to spray, the new PHANTOM AEROSOL can be used inside in place of the bait. We’ve had good results with this product but it must be applied where you see activity. Like the liquid Phantom, this will only work if the ants walk over treated surfaces. Since you say you see them off and on, I’m not sure you’ll be able to make a good enough application inside to guarantee results. So in your situation, the bait inside might be better suited. Plus, based on where you are seeing the ants, the bait would no doubt be the safer product to use posing no hazard compared to the spray in what we consider to be a sensitive area.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
Ant Control: https://www.bugspray.net/tiny-ants-in-home
Bait Stations: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page2185.html
Optigard: http://www.bugspray.com/item/optigard_ant_gel.html
Phantom Concentrate: http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_insecticide.html
Phantom Aerosol: http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_aerosol.html
jonathan
guest says
Help me. I live in minnesota and as you know right now is winter time. I recently purchased a condo which is in an old building, built around 1972. The unit I live in is built on a hill, meaning that one side is underground while the other is ground level. I have begun to notice an increase in an apparent ant problem. They are very tiny and dark brown. Usually when something sits on the floor for a long period of time, like a hamper or pet house, they seem to set up shop there. They also seem to bite. I have tried setting up those raid baits and they eat it like candy and multiply. Cat food seems to be the meal of choice. What do I do since there is 3 feet of snow here?????????????
Tech Support says
@guest: First, the snow has nothing to do with the ants in the condo. As explained in our Ant Control Article, spraying outside around any structure is what one needs to do if they wish to keep ants out. But once they get in and nest, your treatments need to focus on the inside where you see them. For you, the best thing to do right now would be to abandon the use of baits and instead go with the Phantom Aerosol mentioned above. It’s slow acting and if you do a thorough treatment around all entry points (baseboards, wall sockets, light switches and other cracks), all ants that forage out over the treatment will contact the Phantom. If you leave them alone and let them walk over it without killing any as they come out in the open, these ants will surely share the Phantom with other members of their nest and soon the colony will be shut down. The whole ordeal should only take 1-2 weeks if you do a thorough job. Here’s another link to the Phantom:
http://www.bugspray.com/item/phantom_aerosol.html