Argentine Ants are taking over the world! Dave Nalle is leading the fightback!!
I'm here to talk about the scourge of the universe, the Argentine Ant. These recent invaders of the US are the most pernicious species of super-ant I've ever encountered. They are relentless, unstoppable and obnoxious, and we must find ways to fight back.…
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26 - anti ants
I made my daily coffee this AM. About 3 minutes, into the process of my coffeemaker doing its thing, a swarm of Arg. Ants covered the machine. Many of them looked like they were carrying eggs in their mouths (little white things. I think they built a nest in the machine?! I killed them with Formula 409 household cleaner spray. But new ants were appering out of the bottom of the machine all day. Should I get a new machine, or will they just reside in the new one too?
27 - Dave Nalle
If you use the Ortho spray with synthetic pyrethrin it has a lingering killing effect which will eventually eliminate the whole colony. You'll probably want to flush the bodies out somehow though.
Dave
28 - STM
I'd be tossing the coffee maker and buying a new one.
Nothing's guaranteed to turn you off your morning coffee than an argentine ant body or 10 floating around in it.
29 - Dave Nalle
They're small stan, you might not even notice them. And they're packed with vitamins and protein.
Dave
30 - STM
Lol. If suppose if you didn't look closely, you could easily mistake them for coffee grounds.
However, somewhat closer inspection might reveal the coffee grounds had legs.
31 - Lazza
Ok ... So now I know what they are called. We call them Phantom ants in our house because as soon as you disturb them, they disappear. Little honey and borax baits left by the exspensive "Fick" company had absolutely no result. Meat out to defrost has them swarming. They like the inside of the electric jug/kettle. Lately they have taken to the sugar bowl. I have followed them, sometimes, for days to find the nests. There is nothing more satisfying than watching BILLIONS of the little buggers crawl out and die. BUT I can assure you as soon as I have wiped out one nest, they make 2 more. What really confuses me is, ... Why the bathroom? They are always all over our sink in the bathroom. Is it the toothpaste?
Slowly I am learning to live with these little pests. They do bite and leave a little red dot that is quite itchy. Very similar to the bites left by bird mites. Had those with a nest of Indian Minors in NSW. However I have just built a new deck in my rear yard (Townhouse living in Townsville) and "Green Ants" have moved right on in. These little buggers sting! I have destroyed 3 nests in the last 24hrs but can see they have more somewhere high in the palms. I will not give up I will win this war of Terror!
32 - STM
Time to get the Flick man out again Lazza.
Wait till they start getting in your fridge. That's when it becomes a drama.
What are green ants BTW? Are they native to Queensland???
You've had fire ants up there recently haven't you. They are a problem, 'cause they have a very nasty bite - worse than bull ants.
33 - laura
hi im laura...yeah im pretty cool.....selina isnt tho
yep.....
34 - Shelley
Dave,
Did you have any luck with any of the slow release baits from Pro Pest? My kids can't play in the yard anymore without getting attacked. They've even invaded the sandbox. We've been here 10 years and never had problems and now we're under siege. I'm normally a sucker for all things organic, but these things must die by any means necessary!
35 - Jose Guerrero
Ms. Nancy Peterson, could we have a different kind of ant? Those that infest my house and garden also bite and love greasy foods, and also ignore sweets. The baits I've used seem to have a sweetener, and the ants mostly ignore them.
36 - Jose Guerrero
The people who came to take care of termites in my house used something that they alluded was illegal in California, but it eliminated them for exactly the eight months that the company said they would. The company said it would also eliminate the ants of at least half my block, and it was true!! Of course, though, they Would Not tell me what they used. These tiny things rarely bite, but when they do, it's a Good One.
37 - desperate in So Cal
Okay Dave, three years later.... have you found a solution? bait, anything that works to get rid of them? Did any Borax bait work? You mentioned you were going to try some pro baits.
I am ready to burn down my house. They have just infested over 40lbs of dog food in the garage(contained in a sealed tub) and they are working on my last hot summer nerve.
thnks for this forum, if only to vent.
38 - Carolyn
I killed ants years ago and got termites. Now I know Argentine ants kill termites. I love Argentine ants and love to see them.
39 - Verno
Unbelievable population crash of Argentine Ants in the Los Angeles area. I live in La Crescenta and I can not find hardly any. This is unbelievable. I've lived here 34 years. Has the Ash from the Station Fire killed them ?
40 - MRS
We have them in southeastern Massachusetts. I know of a field with over 50 huge Argentine ant hills. I first saw some a few years ago and just recently found out what they are. I've been thinking of using quarter sticks on them.
41 - Vrenn
Hey Verno! Unfortunately that may not be the case. We live near you in Tujunga and we are getting massive amounts of them flooding our area. I'm planning to actually build a pond in our backyard, partly to give it aesthetics, but also to tempt the argentine ants this crazy summer. Once that is done, hopefully with the help of our professional pest service, we can have them spray around the pond area for the ants to carry the chemical back to their nest. Basically baiting them to their death. Has this worked for anyone else?
42 - Maradonna
This ants are a problem like anything that comes from that darn country...
43 - Dr Dreadful
Ah, yes, the tango, fine wines, beautiful scenery, superlative beef and several of the greatest footballers ever to play the game. Definitely among the most pressing problems facing the global community right now...