Ants on the 2nd floor

[MagicMarker]

Newer homeowner here.

Wife just found a few ants in our master bath (2nd flr). Ants overall don't concern me too much, but the fact they made their way to the 2nd floor in concerning.

I spray the perimeter of the house exterior and basement inferior perimeter with Black Flag indoor outdoor. I guess that didn't work, bur we've never noticed any ants inside before.

Should I spray some more Black Flag inside the rooms or is it time to call Orkin or Terminix?

 

[AndyCBR]

3 pronged approach;

You can get these chemicals at local pest control supply stores.

1) Treat yard and house perimeter outside with Talstar granules. (kills them outside). A side benefit is this will last several months and also eliminate fleas from the entire yard.
2) Treat interior of house with Suspend SC. You can also spray this around exterior windows/doors/soffits to eliminate cobwebs, etc. (a general pest killer)
3) Once ants are present inside you have to bait them with an ant bait gel. (You'll never be able to spray everywhere they are)

Hope this helps.

 

[MagicMarker]

Thanks.. what I don't get is why are they even on the 2nd floor? There's no food etc.

 

[AndyCBR]

They want shelter and they are making tracks back to the ground for food and water.

Many times down South we will find ant nests in attics and gutters higher up when it rains a lot.

The products you get at the pest control supply house will be much better than off the shelf sprays at the grocery store.

 

[Kaizen]

as said use a bait. hd sold a gel I used last time I had this issue. let the ants do the killing by bringing it back to the nest....wherever it is. they don't know there is no food. they are just exploring wherever they can. put the bait where you see them and leave it alone. couple days later they will be gone.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

In general, ants are attracted to damp/decaying wood. Make sure you don't have any leaks from the sink/tub/shower etc in your master bath.

Pick up the Terro liquid ant baits from HD. They are extremely effective. I have had superior results using them in the past. Be prepared to see an increase in the amount of ants for the first day or 2 you put the bait out, but resist the urge to kill the ants you see. Let them bring the bait back to the colony, where it will kill them all.

 

[glentre]

Have any trees overhanging your roof? Ants find their way into second floors through eave vents, attic fans, gable vents and ridge vents.

Glen

 

[nh_yota]

I rarely have ants in my house, but when I do I use ant baits.

 

[95riosnake]

In general, ants are attracted to damp/decaying wood. Make sure you don't have any leaks from the sink/tub/shower etc in your master bath.

Pick up the Terro liquid ant baits from HD. They are extremely effective. I have had superior results using them in the past. Be prepared to see an increase in the amount of ants for the first day or 2 you put the bait out, but resist the urge to kill the ants you see. Let them bring the bait back to the colony, where it will kill them all.

I can also attest to the effectiveness of the Terro baits. I have used several of them outside my house when I start to notice ants and within a few days they decrease dramatically and within a week they are gone. The bait concept makes the most sense because it makes them do your dirty work for you.

 

[MBfreak]

This is relevant for the rather tame ants we have here in MidSweden. (60 N)

We live in a one storey brick house built on an insulated concrete slab. Built 1975. The roof overhang is around 75 cm and the ground under the overhang has concrete brick paving. Then there is grass.

The ants love to dig down between the bricks close to the house slab and erect their dwellings around 30 cm down.

I have used various chemicals to kill them. Recently I was told that just flooding the area with water for a day or two will make them hightail , for weeks and months.
Yeah , sure , I thought.

BUT, it worked like a charm. I just put som 2*4 down to create a pool and then let water from a garden hose saturate the area.

Great. Cheaper and no pollution. And, the ants hate it!! Gone for several weeks now!

Best regards

Ola

 

[SARG]

Cheap fix ............. dish soap solution will eliminate a colony on contact.

 

[Al Bundy]

What kind of ants are they? Baits work well in most cases, but if you have carpenter ants call an exterminator. You'll never get rid of them on your own and they can spread like wildfire and do major damage.

 

[Falcon67]

Thanks.. what I don't get is why are they even on the 2nd floor? There's no food etc.

Our building is 3 floors, concrete and stucco built in 1947. See them all the time on the 3rd floor and there's no food around. Piss ants go everywhere and like electrical equipment.

What I did with our two story in Houston was to spray the perimeter up 3-4 all the way around, then access the AC chases and flood those with Raid Yard Guard. Lots of ants here, include fire ants - single story house. Spraying the outside up about a foot every couple of months with Ortho Home Defense has helped keep the ant out of the house.

 

[pcmeiners]

Termidor, as found on Ebay for termites, kills everything for years.

 

[MagicMarker]

In general, ants are attracted to damp/decaying wood. Make sure you don't have any leaks from the sink/tub/shower etc in your master bath.

I'm terrified of this kind of scenario.

 

[rlitman]

Cheap fix ............. dish soap solution will eliminate a colony on contact.

While Dawn makes a decent insecticidal soap, pouring solution into an ant hole will not eliminate a colony. You do know that ant colonies don't flood out in rain, right?

I've had my own dealings with ants, and would suggest that the first step to eliminating an ant infestation is to figure out exactly what type of ant you are dealing with.

Some ants like sweet baits, some prefer savory. Choose the right bait, put it in the right spot, and let the colony bring it home and disintegrate completely.

In any case, a spray barrier is probably the worst thing you can do. Spray on barriers and most spray on pesticides (especially permethrin family chemicals) are highly repellent. The problem with this is that it will not kill the ants, it will just make them walk around the repellent chemical, while indiscriminately killing beneficial insects.

 

[Falcon67]

My grandad used gasoline and a match. Works on all ants. I use Amdro, that kills everything around here

 

[rlitman]

My grandad used gasoline and a match...

On the 2nd floor of his house?

 

[D.J.]

Tempo SC Ultra

 

[Al Bundy]

My grandad used gasoline and a match. Works on all ants. I use Amdro, that kills everything around here

I suppose burning down your house is one way to get rid of them.

 

[CoogarXR]

I'll second, third, whatever, the Terro liquid ant baits. Everywhere I have lived in Ohio has had these little ants. When they get in the house, they come in by the hundreds. You just plop one of those liquid baits in their path, and in about 2 days they are all gone. Just last week I had a bunch pouring out of a tiny hole by my upstairs bathtub. Put down a bait, and they are gone. I don't know how well they work on larger ants, but for the little ones, they work EVERY time. I have been using them for years.

 

[406Rich]

Worked at a plant that was multi story, ants were on the fifth floor, no wood in this place concrete and steel....

 

[MARINA]

Boric acid, sugar and water in a cup works well. Just put it in their path and they will disappear in a couple of days. You will see more ants the first day then it will taper off.