Big Black Ants on Kitchen Floor

15 years ago

I had sweet ants for about a month in my kitchen and bought Terro liquid ant bait 4 days ago and all the sweet ants are gone now(love that stuff).So the next day I have big black ants crawling on the kitchen floor(none on walls or counters).Weird, do different species of ants dislike each other that much? Everytime I go in the kitchen I see 4-8 ants on the floor. I put the terro liquid bait traps on the floor but the black ants don't seem to be attracted to it. What kind of ants are these? How do I get rid of them?

I have lived in the Seattle and Orlando Fl. areas in the past 20 years and had seen carpenter ants in both places and they always had wings. I now live in East Tenn. but these ants don't have wings. In Seattle and Orlando both we only saw carpenter ants in spring,fall and winter months, never during the summer. Any ideas?

Featured Answer

jonnyp

15 years ago

Carpenter ants (big black ants) are attracted to wet wood. Get rid of wet wood or find the cause of wet wood, ants will be gone.The problem only worsens over time. Unless this problem is resolved you will be applying chemicals perpetually.
Krissie you might want to look under the toilet, sub floor could be saturated due to faulty seal or copious amounts of sweat from bowl.I would also look at all connections as well as the area in front of tub. Get rid water problem, good bye ants.

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Comments (10)

barbcollins
15 years ago
yobry1 - I use AMDRO Ant Block and it works great. You can find it at Lowes, HD etc.

MathewL - What does this have to do with London Cleaners? Advertising is against the GW rules.
butterflyblu
15 years ago
We had the same problem, turned out to be carpenter ants big and black. They were taking over our house, we tried everything to get rid of them ourselves and nothing worked. We called a pest control company and they came out and sprayed inside and out. We haven't seen one ant since he walked out the door 4 weeks ago. So happy!
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krissie55
15 years ago
Boric Acid mixed in honey works well. Since I did not have boric acid, I used Roach powder that was made with boron (relative of boric acid) and it worked well. Does take time for all ants to get a taste directly or via other ants carrying it to the nest.

We also set off bombs in the attic.

Be sure and check where pipes enter the house, such as kitchen sink, bathrooms, laundry, etc. Caulk the holes, don't need an easy entrance for them. Remove tree branches that may be touching the roof, trim shrubs away from the house.

Carpenter ants are a pain to get rid of especially if you live in a wooded area.
krissie55
15 years ago
Oh drats! waked up this morning with ants back in my bathroom again.

Thought we had found the solution. Anyone have a "for sure" way to stop carpenter ants. I am so tired of sharing the toilet area with ants!! Yes, they do get onto the toilet seat too.

I cannot find their path of entry, have blocked all holes I can find.
User
15 years ago
I have two suggestions. Catch one or two of those ants, take it into the local pest control company for identification. Knowing what kind of ants you're dealing with may help. Other suggestion, try this non-toxic ant killer. One part molasses, one part sugar, one part dry yeast. Mix together, set out where they will eat it and take it back to nest. I've used this for fire ants, (common in Az,) and black ants, kills all and is non toxic to animals. Good luck.
barbcollins
15 years ago
krissie - Did you try the AntBlock?
krissie55
15 years ago
Thanks for your suggestions. Last night I saw ants crawling out of a hole in caulk at base of toilet. Caulked it good and today took ceiling panel out (in garage) to see condition under toilet, dry and no sign of ants during the day. Apparently they are following the sewer line into the house & bathroom.

I now assume since their path has been blocked to water in the toilet they should look some place else for a drink.

Does AMDRO Block work on Carpenter ants?

The exterminator we hired saw the ants and said they were carpenter ants. Ants would not go near the granules he put out in the house, apparently not their choice of food. After having the exterminator for a year, there was no change in ant traffic.

Hopefully finding the hole in caulk will solve the problem.
jonnyp
15 years ago
Carpenter ants nest in wet wood.If there is a window , I would check the flashing and caulking around it. Make sure the outside sill is not punky (saturated w/ water) and the rest of the trim is dry.
Powdered lime or chalk is very effective as repellent, ants will not set foot in it, it is also cheap. One caveat , it must be reapplied after rain. I also found out that it works for chipmonks and ground hogs, just keep dumping in their den.
DesertGuy57
15 years ago
When you have an invasion rather than a few scouts, try a glass cleaner like Windex or a generic. Its kills on contact but does not solve the problem of returns, best handled as others have suggested.