Ants!!!!!!

[ElliottsMomma]

I need help everyone! We just had a beautiful house built for us out in the country....unfortunatley it was built on and around hundreds of ant hills. We have only been in the home for 2 weeks and we have ants inside and they are very attracted to the birds cages and food. I have the food in airtight containers so they aren't getting at it until it goes in the birds dishes. I need to know what is safe to use around the birds to get rid of the ants. I had terminex come out and do an inspection and they said that they could just spray outside and it wouldn't hurt the birds, but I don't know if I should trust them. I am afraid that the ants will track trace amounts of the poison into the house and into the birds cages. Also, my birds love to get down on the floor and play and explore so I don't want them coming in contact with poison that was tracked in on our feet. I may be worrying too much but better safe than sorry. So I figured I would ask the experts here. I would love to find a natural, poison free way to eliminate the pests. I am hoping someone can give my some good tips. Thanks guys!!

[U.S Marine]

Hm,

Just spray outside. I doubt there is a natural poisoning free way, because its purpose is to kill.

[Fah]

Unfortuantely Ants are one of those things that are just nearly impossible to get rid of naturally, if not completely impossible.

They are the hardiest, most highly evolved scavengers around heh, and they can put up with nearly any sort of abuse to their nests and such.

Appart from commercial products that you can lay out near their nests / walk ways, you can always mix up your own borax in honey, and leave capfulls of it in places pets and kids cant get to.

There are some very good ant powders around, which if sprinkled around their paths and nest can actually kill the entire colony.

[pinkdevil]

I use a product called 'Ant Rid'. Sounds a bit like Fahs suggestion. It is a sticky sweet honey looking substance that I place in a small cap, like a milk bottle lid, and put the lid into a platic takeaway container that has holes and slits cut into it so the ants can climb in, have a feed, then return to their nests. Me 1, ants 0!

Now the warmer weather has returned, I have noticed ants beginging to make an appearance, especially around the lorikeets food bowls.

[Fah]

Oh yah ant rid is good too, a little more expensive for the larger infestations, but a very good product. It is exactly how the borax and honey routine works

[pinkdevil]

Will have to give the borax/honey recipe a try.

What is the ratio of each to make up Fah?

[Fah]

I use 1 teaspoon of borax (levelish, not under however) and around 1/2 cup of honey. The sweet corn syrup also works.

You will want to microwave the honey/syrup a little, not much, just enough to make it nice and liquid like. Then mix in the borax, let it cool.

Now, since honey can get kinda thick and be less efficient for the ants to carry off easily, I add about 2 tablespoons of warm water to it, just to slightly thin it out.

Put it in upturned jar lids, or containers directly in their path and around the nest if you can find it.

You need to keep this up for 1.5 to 2 weeks, to make sure it gets well and truely into the ants food reserves and starts wiping them all out. So make sure its in a safe container if its where pets / kids can get to it.