Paging: Cheif Commander of CART

[Vallikat]

I need your help on a vital mission.

It seems that one room of my home has become overrun with ants. Not the kitchen, as you might suspect, but the upstairs bathroom. I don't even want to guess what they are after in this room. I only know they are they are their numbers are increasing.

Some background:

I first noticed a single scout. He was spotted by overhead survelance hidden between the toothpaste and the hand soap. I quickly disposed of the infiltrator and went about my business. At first I thought this was an isolated incident, one bug who had become separated from the pack and somehow became lost in the wilds of our upstairs bathroom (figured he got there on my son's jeans or something). I quickly discovered this was not the case.

The following day I noticed two more rogues. Perhaps looking for their fallen comrade. It didn't take long before they met with his same grisly fate. I felt a sence of accomplishment figuring that surely I had rid our bathroom of the ant scourge. I was wrong.

Last night I was in the bathroom taking care of the business that one normally takes care of in the bathroom, when I saw them. I whole battalion was making its way up the wall, heading for the sink. I took immediate action - well I finished what I was doing first, and then I took immediate action.

I removed the trash, cleaned the walls and floors, scrubbed out the sink, toilet and tub, cleaned out the hamper. I thought surely I had removed anything that might be attracting them to this room. I couldn't figure out why they had by-passed the more easily accessible, and more attractive, kitchen. But whatever the reason for it, I felt I had obliterated it. Again, I was proven wrong.

This morning while applying hair gel, one of their numbers leaped from my hand landing on my eyebrow. I can only guess that he had jumped from the hair gel container onto my hand in an attempt to take revenge for the many of his brethern that I have disposed of. It was a brave move on his part. He was quick. He managed to escape my first attempt at pluking him free by jumping to my cheek. He was heading for my eye when I finally managed to stop the wiley bastard.

That's when I noticed them. More of the offending army were infiltrating my home.

Help me CART Commander! These are not carpenter ants, but their much smaller cousins. Still I know if anyone can help, you can.

Signing off,
Citizen Vallikat

[Demongirl]

I couldn't figure out why they had by-passed the more easily accessible, and more attractive, kitchen.

hmmm...they already ate in the kitchen and now they needed to use the bathroom?

[Tarryk]

Only two things I can really recommend in this situation:

Ant-traps, and ant bomber spray. Put the traps in the corners near access points, and spray down floorboards and window edges. Remember to wash hands, biological warfare is no joke. (And keep pets out of the rooms that are sprayed down for at least 8 hours)

Keep in mind that you may have to repeat this process several times before the ants are truly obliterated. On my own battlefront, they have reappeared, but in much smaller numbers each time, and they would completely disappear for a day or so after a good hosing.

Signing off,

Chief Commander Dude of CART
Tarryk "Ant Destroyer" Kozar

[Boinky]

I'm no expert, but I think it's important to note that ants leave trails as far as I'm aware. So not only the area you spy them in might need treatment but possibly other areas where their journeys may start as well?

[Maephina]

I'd first try to figure out the route they're using to get into that room.
Once that's established I'd do everything in my power to block it off. As Tarryk said: Ant bait and traps may be the way to go.

If you have an entire battalion invading into your bathroom I am gonna guess they are after something else perhaps in another room near to that bathroom. It seems more likely to me the restroom is along their route to the actual target.

Is there any possible way there is food, mold or any other substance they might take that could have somehow found it's way into the walls of that rest room or rooms adjacent to that area?

[FoxyJama]

They are likely after a source of water, not food, and I've had ant problems in my bathroom for the same reason. They were getting into the faucets. Since getting rid of the water isn't an option, I tend to agree with Tarryk about bait/traps/a bomb warfare might be the way to go.

[Vallikat]

Thanks, for all the advice. I'll take care of the biological warfare portion this weekend. Don't worry about my pet, I'm pretty sure the goldfish can't actually make it down the hall to the bathroom, though stranger things have been known to happen.

Not sure what they're actually after, but my son's room as at the other end of that hall. It's entirely possible that his room is in need of a serious clean-up. I'll set him to it this weekend as well. But I tend to think Foxy is probably right on this one. They just primarily seem to be hanging around the sink.

Semi-jacking my own thread to respond to something in Tarryk's journal:

Are you sure a carpenter ant didn't crawl into your tear duct while you were sleeping? Perhaps lay eggs in there?

[Tarryk]

As far as what they go after, you said it's not the same type of ant, but for carpenter ants, it's sugar.

And I mean BIG-time. Liquified sugar is the greatest thing in the world to them.

Situation: Empty bottles, cans or cups of regular soda (they don't touch diet soda) are a field day for them, but they usually don't go after the bag of sugar in the cupboard.

EDIT: You're totally gross, Valli.

EDIT AGAIN: Okay jeezus that's way gross and I can't quit thinking about it.

[Otori]

We get em every year around this time, and we have tried many remedies, most only worked so-so until we found

http://www.terro.com/

This stuff is truly awsome. Get the gel stuff. You just put it on a several little pieces of cardboard. Now, it's a little freaky as it literally becomes an ant buffet of impressive proportions, but the boogers will take the stuff back to their home-ant-base and spread the infection. It usually takes 2 waves/buffets, but after that you won't see another ant until next spring.

Now if you live in bug friendly Oklahoma like me you might get some these:



In which you will need to get one of these to get rid of them:

[Vallikat]

EDIT: You're totally gross, Valli.

EDIT AGAIN: Okay jeezus that's way gross and I can't quit thinking about it.

Now we're even for you forcing me to think about you and Katy and Lynx actually munching on ants in your sleep.

[Boinky]

The problem with those 2 beasties Otori is after the first type is gone the second type is bored and swatting at your face again.

[Highlander]

Ive also noticed something... it seems that small spiders seem to be scouting me out... yesterday i was at a friends house when one crawled onto the arm of the sofa next to me when i was playing SSB (super smash brothers) on the N64. Of course, i noticed it... and let down the hammer of god upon it and smashed it with my fist...

But then... its brother came for me.

I was sittin at home, playing Gadius.... when i saw the devil crawling up the wall. I thought to myself that a fist is unneccesary force, and reached for my ACDC cd case for "For Those About to Rock" With the words of the song in my head "For those about to rock...." Precisely when he says "FIRE!" i crushed him under the might of ACDC...
unfortunately, i was forced to scrape his remains off of the case, which has a small black smudge on it now *sighs*

I just hope that there isnt a 3rd....