What do you do about pests?

[Fritz]

So for the first time in my adult life, I have an ant problem. I've tried killing them all with a pet-safe spray (Rosemary oil and, I think, mint), but I keep finding huge amounts of them coming back. I just put down an ant bait trap thingy, but am hesitant to leave it in the apartment unattended (with two very nosy cats).


I would complain to the landlord, but he gives approximately zero shits about anything that happens in the building.

Have you had a pest problem before? How did you handle it?

[smalltowngirl]

Most ant traps have far too little poison in them to hurt a cat or dog, though I understand it is a concern. I looked it up after our dog got ahold of one that was under a bookcase or some such thing. It never phased her.

Are your ants in cupboards and such, or on the floor? If they are in cupboards, you should be able to safely use the ant traps in there. But another thing that I've used and works well is borax mixed with sugar and water, equal parts or just skip the water and do a dry mix. Put that in a small container, and the ants will take it back to their friends and share, killing them. The sugar will attract them, the borax will kill them. Works like a charm!

[Aryn]

yes! my mother always mixed borax with maple syrup. (this was for the little tiny sugar ants - I think it may depend on what type of ants you have?)
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[Fritz]

I though I remembered that they wouldn't cross a salt barrier, so had tried that, but it was obviously not effective.

They're really small ants. Typical kind you find indoors. Fortunately, they're only on the floor (seem to be coming from the rotten floorboards), but they're tenacious. I'll try the sugar-borax trick. Thanks for the tip!

[CaliMel]

Borax mixed with sugar water is a great ant trap. You can buy the Taro traps. They look disgusting while they're in use, but they really work.
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[PrickleyPete]

An exterminator told my mom that you should mix Borax with peanut butter, then another batch of Borax mixed with something sweet like jelly or honey, since some ants like sweet and some like protein.
Make both seperately into a thick paste.
Cut a drinking straw into 1 inch pieces and put each mix into opposite ends of the straws, then leave them where you see the ants. They will eat whichever side they like and take it back to their friends and you will only have to pick up 1 inch pieces of straws instead of worry about your pets getting this stuff on their paws.

Looks like whatever you do, Borax is the clear winner.
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If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, someone else will.

[smalltowngirl]

Oh, your mom is brilliant! I love the straw and peanut butter advice!