A zillion ants! - Around The Stable - Around The Stable - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 5/7/2011 5:00:03 AM

Anyone have any ideas how to get rid of the little devils without poisoning our horses, cats and dogs?

Posted : 5/7/2011 11:06:20 AM

We just put out the typical fire ant bait and the animals don't mess with it. Suspect they don't care about the smell of it.

danastark

Posted : 5/7/2011 8:52:33 PM

They really don't like Borax but I did find some wasp spray that was supposedly OK for kids and pets so I'm sure there is ant bait or something of that sort.

studeclunker

Posted : 5/7/2011 11:54:11 PM

try my Mum's favourite; Talcum powder. It has to be pure talc though. The cornstarch stuff won't work. Also, once it gets wet, Talc no longer works.

Usually ants are attracted by something in particular. Something like water, food, etc... talc around the borders of what they are after and then go after the trail. Seal up the object of the Ants' desire as best you can. Talc works! They're suffocated by the stuff and run like crazy when you start sifting it over them.

littlebit

Posted : 5/8/2011 4:46:13 AM

Thanks for the help! The ants are climbing down a tree along the ground and into a fence post by the barn. Are there such a thing as wood eating ants?

Connie

Posted : 5/8/2011 10:28:05 AM

Yes. Carpenter Ants and wood ants. Lovely critters. The Carpenter ants are BIG. They ate some lumber we had piled in the garage. I used some kind of granular stuff that you sprinkle around and I even used it on the cat deck and none of the outside cats got sick. I did NOT, however use it where the horses could get it for fear they might try to eat it.