Ants are driving me mad!!!

[lonewolf88]

Thanks for your tips. We have sealed up as many holes as we can since 3 years ago, but still coming in. Mainly from the windows. We have put concentrated dettol and vinegar, and even used an ant bait once, but once we stop doing these, they returned with a vengeance. Natural remedies have a limited residual effect, so it's very tedious to spray dettol or vinegar every few days.

For now, like you suggested, we sprayed concentrated Bio X at the windows, creating a Barrie for ants. Hopefully they don't come back...

Just wondering what's the return period of ants after applying baits and sprays? Do ants ever return for those who have solved the problem?

[lonewolf88]

Ants are roaming outside my window trying to make an entry. All I can do is spray. I dare not put bait because they are on the outside and the bait needs to be dry and protected from environment to take effect. Anyone has similar problems?

[innovativepest2626]

There are a few types of common ants that you can see at home. Depending on the type, different treatment is needed. They too have their own preferred diet and behaviors. Most pests cannot be solved with a one- off session. It must be done on a regular basis. What we would recommend is to do at a bi-monthly treatment with pest control company. Monthly would be too much.
A breakdown on what ants and what treatment is needed.
Ghost ants/ Sugar ants- Ant gel baits.
Pharoah ants- Residual spraying or one the spot spraying.
Crazy ants- Either a ant gel bait or granular baits.

When you are doing DIY- make sure you follow the ants back to the nest. Do not just placed the baits where you see them. It will be ineffective. How do you know where the nest are? Follow the ants until they enter a crack or crevices. Then place the baits just outside it. You will start to see more of them coming out to feed the baits. Most times in homes, there are many nests that need to be treated. Not just one.

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[x9200]

We had ants infestation twice and twice we got rid of them using the commonly available baits that can be bought in CS or fairprice.
In short: the baits take time to do the job. We placed them on the ants' paths, 3-4 of these little bait houses. Only after 2-3 weeks it started to be obvious the extermination took place so one needs to be just patient.

The baits are cheap so I would still put them outside, just change them from time to time or be a bit inventive and cover them with, for example, a piece of aluminium foil.

[Max Headroom]

Or get a cicak. I've watched ours pick off a string of ants one by one. We prefer not to use any kind of chemicals, so we're closing one eye to the wee gecko's presence. And it's pretty discrete, so everybody's happy.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I got a whole house full of cicaks. I think I brought them over from Seletar Camp when I bought this flat. They are my good friends. Several generations of them now I believe.

[Max Headroom]

They're pretty voracious; I can only imagine how many mozzies they've knocked back in our place over the years. Lifesavers they are.

[archcherub]

Or get a cicak. I've watched ours pick off a string of ants one by one. We prefer not to use any kind of chemicals, so we're closing one eye to the wee gecko's presence. And it's pretty discrete, so everybody's happy.

aren't cicak everywhere in singapore? do we need to buy them?
having quite a fair bit of ants myself in my apartment

[lonewolf88]

Ants are back in the master bedroom toilet. Suspect they are coming from the aircon trunking. Tried putting granular baits but they still roam after 3 days. Will try to seal any opening and spray thickly at the point.

[taxico]

if this works (and i know it does), you owe me a beer.

talc/baby powder. liberally. where required.

[Bluesky3000]

Locate the queen! Find the trail and lay poison near the entrance/

[GlenT]

I feel your pain!!! Have randomy ants that appear out of nowhere and march over in neat columns to any spec of food that happens to be left on the floor/table/kitchen.

[lonewolf88]

So long time I never write here. Ants were gone ever since I sprayed bi weekly with bio-x pesticide on windows sills and entry points.

Just saw a few black ants in bathroom (curse and swear)! I followed one of them and it disappeared into the toilet drainage hole. My toilet got two areas, dry and wet. So that drainage which the ant disappeared is the dry area one, means no water flowing down the drainage, only mop the floor once a week.

Anyone got problem with ants coming up drainage hole???

[Lisafuller]

We used to have that issue, got pest control to come in and solve the problem.

[Lisafuller]

Or get a cicak. I've watched ours pick off a string of ants one by one. We prefer not to use any kind of chemicals, so we're closing one eye to the wee gecko's presence. And it's pretty discrete, so everybody's happy.

Know this is an old post, but since this thread has been recently revived, what is a cicak? Where would you even get one?