I'll send Apollo over, he likes to stomp on them.....ok, kidding, sorry (he does though...).

You might try diatomaceous (FOOD GRADE!!!) earth, sprinkled around the exterior of the house. As long as you get the food grade its safe if the animals (or you) accidently eats some, but dispite recommendations to the contrary I do NOT suggest it for indoor use as there are indications that if you accidently BREATHE it that it can damage your lungs. I use it in the yard to control insects of various kinds close to the house cause I feel its safer than most of the chemicals, but I do wear a dust mask while spreading it, and I don't allow the dogs out right afterwards just to be safe. You may be able to get some at your locally owned petstores (or hippy type health food places), but when I realized how much I was going to use I just bought a bulk bag from Amazon.

You can also get ant traps at the stores, just make sure you get the kind that are listed as "pet safe". The petsafe ones don't allow the ants back out, the others just contain a poison bait that the ants carry back to the nest, if one of the dogs scarfed up one of those ants it would be bad....

 

You can also look into more natural ways to be rid of ants. Peppermint oil is a good deterrent and it makes the house smell nice. Mint plants come in many "flavors" that are safe to ingest and also make the house smell nice. They're good to plant outside or keep in pots inside. There are a variety of healthy plant options that will make ants pack up and leave.

Outdoor Plants That Repel Ants | eHow.com
How to Deter Ants from the Garden | DoItYourself.com


You can also consider making another part of your yard further from the house more appealing to the ants. Planting plants that ants like in one corner can encourage them to stay there rather than invading your house. Sand placed in that same area will also help because they love to use it in their nest making.

 

thanks for the ideas.. it started raining the day i posted and the ants havent been in since.. but today is sunny and warm so i'm sure they'll be back.. i put baking soda under my cabinets but its a mess and the pups kept sniffing it and getting it everywhere.. my bf is looking into the diatomaceous earth as well..

 

If you can, try to find out what kind of ants they are. Some ants go for sweet stuff, others for protein or even greasy!

If they are very big ants, they may be carpenter ants, and you do not want them to migrate into your walls! They tunnel through your wooden beams, weakening them!

I have heard of people using yeast to kill the ants, they ingest it and it produces large amount of gas inside of them... ...though I've never personally tried it!

 

they are just tiny black sugar ants, and theyre back.. i tried the baking soda and water outside.. no go.. we will try the diatomaceous earth.. thanks for the tips i will wear a mask when i lay it.. they seem to be after water.. i always find them on my sink and in the dogs water bowl.. my bf is also caulking the all the corners that they could come in from.. hopefully they will move on.. lol

 

I have always heard that you need to be careful using borax around pets. I put cayenne pepper around my counter to keep the ants away. You can buy the extra hot cayenne pepper and that will really burn the ants when try to walk across it!

 

i was a little leery of borax.. i used baking soda but it didnt stop them.. i'l try the pepper.. thanks..

 

How to Kill Ants
this web site said you can use cornmeal to kill ants! The ants eat the cornmeal and when they drink water the cornmeal swell up in them and kill them! I don't like the method of mixing borax with honey or peanut butter! I think that is a real bad idea! A pet or baby will try to eat that if it on the floor ! And a cat could get it if it on a counter. Mixing food with poison is insane!! The web site also said to use vinegar to wipe of where the ants walk, this will rid of their sense so the other ants can't follow it. I will try that if I get ants this summer

 

Borax works. You can use some overnight while your dog is crated or in another room.

 

Check for food or grease in your stove, or under the fridge, that sort of thing. Eliminating food sources is crucial, in my experience!

Good luck. Lots of good advice here.

 

I just remembered another natural ant repellent: cinnamon! Had to do a quick search to make sure my mind wasn't fooling me.
5 Simple, Natural Ant Control Remedies | Small Notebook

 

I just remembered another natural ant repellent: cinnamon! Had to do a quick search to make sure my mind wasn't fooling me.
5 Simple, Natural Ant Control Remedies | Small Notebook

thanks for the site.. i actually tried vinegar last night.. lol stinky but if it really helps i'll use it.. i like the peppermint and cinnamon ideas.. i will plant peppermint around my back porch..

 

we've cleaned the kitchen inside and out.. lol our new pup is "officially" potty trained and we had a major bout of spring cleaning (as our carpets were ready for some deep cleaning, lol) and we paid special attention to the kitchen.. i didnt see any today actually but i'm not convinced they're gone.. my bf calked the inside of our cabinets and under the sink this morning and i've just been keeping baking soda in the corners under the sink.. also i heard to look for ant hills outside.. that they probably live outside and come into my house for food, but i havent found any.. i hope it doesnt mean they live inside..

 

Be careful with the peppermint, it grows invasive, it creates those "runners" which then allow the plant to carpet the whole area.

I'd planted peppermint in its pot in my herb garden, which made it easier to keep it under control!

 

Hi...I saw ANTS! and had to read. I live in the south where fighting ants is literally an annual event. The fact you see them around your sink is pretty common. Those are typically "scouts" looking for food and such. They find their way in through tiny holes or seams in drain pipes and vent pipes. THOSE are safe places to "NUKE" them with insecticide since they are avenues dogs and pets cannot access. Every year, I pick a day we won't be using our plumbing and dump bug killer down every drain and vent....it works and discourages further intrusion. Where we live, there are actually winged ants (and termites) that fly around looking for new access. Vent pipes are their favorite way in. They'll start appearing in our bathtubs and sinks via those pipes. Covering the vent pipes on your roof with fine screen is also recommended. Hope this helps. I HATE THE BUGGERS!

 

my dad had winged ants.. i hate all the bugs.. lol its a big part of the reason i moved back from TX to CO lol i dont know about dumping anything down my drains.. i havent seen any since my bf caulked the sink and i've been using baking soda under the sink as well.. i have a fountain for my dogs water and i took that up and gave them a regular bowl that i can move and clean easily.. oh and i started feeding the dogs in the garage instead of in the kitchen.. hopefully they've moved on.. thanks everybody for the ideas.. oh and i found a HUGE anthill under a bunch of mulch in our yard and we poured loads of boiling water on it and my bf dug it up.. i hope it killed the little guys.. lol or at least made them move on..

 

Placing sugar as far from your house as possible makes them change their ideas


Basically feed them. Away from your house. Works for me.
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