Like Roaches... how have you dealt with ANTS?

[skimble]

We're at a CA resort this week (with only 7 units total.) We like the location, and the units are sizable and comfortable, but there's a terrible ant infestation. We called the resort management, and they said they had the exterminator out last week. We smelled Raid on when we first walked in the door (on our first day.)
On our second day, we opened the pantry to find that our food had been raided; there was a slew of them all over. We lost some food. Management sent over a guy who did nothing by spray Raid in all the corners.
The ants were back again that evening. We called again, telling them we don't want Raid (it stinks) and we suggested that if the had an exterminator out, they should be calling him again to come fix his work.
They sent their maintenance guy out to put in some ant traps. The ants are going after those, but they are still prevelent... in the bathrooms (just scouts) on the countertop in the kitchen... it's annoying.
With only 7 units and being a holiday week, we can't ask to be moved and there aren't really alternatives other than forego our week and go home.
What have you done in situations like this? And, do you have any suggestions for us?

 

[DaveNV]

You say the ant traps are working - I'd go get some more. They're cheap, and eventually the number of ants will decline. Obviously the management there thinks they've done their job. You aren't likely to get more than that from them.

As I recall from living in California, boric acid works well at perimeters like doors and windows, but chances are if you're seeing ants in those kinds of numbers, they're coming up pipes from the ground, or under walls from adjacent units. You may not be able to get rid of them in the time you have left. But I'd surely complain to the management at every opportunity.

Good luck,
Dave

 

[ricoba]

Unfortunately, ants are a very common pest here in Southern California and very difficult to manage.

I am surprised that the ants are in the unit now, they normally show up in warmer weather.

Boric acid, as mentioned does help, but it's difficult to fully control them, since there are billions and billions of them!

We used to have a monthly pest spraying contract from Orkin, we had ants then, and still have ants now without the contract!

We have just learned to live with them, but I agree they are a real pest.

OOPS, I just reread your post and see you are from Murrietta, don't you have ants at home? We sure do here on the coast.

 

[UWSurfer]

A quick and (not so) dirty alternative to spraying is to create a line in the sand so to speak to prevent them from crossing into the food. If you can clearly see where they are are coming from, you can create a barrier using ordinary, undiluted dishwashing soap.

Just take it straight from the bottle and draw a line around that which you don't want disturbed. They usually won't cross. You can do the same with Borric Acid but that is probably more than you want to involve yourself with while on vacation.

They eventually need to be sprayed from wherever they are emerging from and hopefully their nest, but the perimeter barrier is a good defense & the soap is something easily cleaned up.

 

[HatTrick]

One thing that helps a lot is to take away their incentive to invade. Put all foodstuffs (that don't go into the fridge) into gallon-size ZipLoc style plastic bags. Chips, cookies, cereal, sugar, maple syrup--pretty much anything that attracts ants won't attract them if you seal them in plastic bags. And they don't have to be the expensive kind--the store brands work just as well.

Roger

 

[skimble]

This is all great advice, but we're on vacation... don't want to deal with it.
I know the camper's trick-- using Comet or Ajax, sprinkling it around the perimeter of the camp site.
And, living in CA, we're very familiar with ants... I spray the perimeter of our house regularly to prevent them.
But, we're staying in a condo-- a vacation resort.
Has anybody had experiences with ants on vacation? And, what did you do? Was there any recourse with the resort? (I thought it would have been courteous for them to offer to replace the food we lost.)

 

[skimble]

One thing that helps a lot is to take away their incentive to invade. Put all foodstuffs (that don't go into the fridge) into gallon-size ZipLoc style plastic bags. Chips, cookies, cereal, sugar, maple syrup--pretty much anything that attracts ants won't attract them if you seal them in plastic bags. And they don't have to be the expensive kind--the store brands work just as well.

Roger

We did this... as soon as we realized there was a major problem. This is my first experience with ants in a timeshare... and we've stayed in Many.

 

[hajjah]

We just returned today from vacation in Ft. Lauderdale. My advice to you is to go to the nearest Lowes or Home Depot and get the Terro Liquid Ant Baits. They also have spray, powder and granules for outdoors. I got this advice on TUG several years ago. This stuff works better than the exterminator's. On my trips to Aruba and Hawaii, I took a box of baits with me. There were tiny bugs coming in from the patio. Once I put down one liquid bait, the bugs began crawling in. I got rid of the bugs in one day. We never saw another one. I tend to take a few baits with us on vacation depending on where we're staying. I also use the baits at home for indoor/outdoor problems. The powder can be used around the perimeter of the house. We recently relocated and there were ants outside. I put the powder down all the way to the curb. Guess what? No more ants to be found. I've done this for many years as well. You can also order the Terro products online at www.terro.com.

 

[Karen G]

Has anybody had experiences with ants on vacation? And, what did you do? Was there any recourse with the resort?

We had an ant problem during a Christmas vacation at Dolphin's Cove in Anaheim several years ago. On the way to the airport, we had picked our kids up from school on the last day before Christmas vacation when all the classes had had Christmas parties with lots of treats. They all had cookies, candy, etc. in their backpacks.

Of course they brought their backpacks into the timeshare and put them in the bedrooms. I think it was the second day when we started to notice the ants. By this time the ants had found all the Christmas treats and must have alerted all the ants in their colony because we had lines of ants going all over the place.

We got rid of all the Christmas treats and any other food that was out in the kitchen. I think there was a can of Raid in the kitchen and we sprayed there and in the bathrooms. We'd just kill the ants when we saw them, tried to keep all food zipped up in plastic bags or in the refrigerator, and tried not to let the ants ruin our trip. The kids were kind of freaked out, but they got over it.

 

[pammex]

We have terrible problem with many kinds of ants in Mexico as well. I would just keep complaining to manager.....on vacation you are going to go out and get all these chemicals and such....

I would think the timshare place could bring in an exterminator, not a can of raid!!!

 

[irish]

okay, this is what i read SOMEWHERE and can't vouch if it works all the time but it did work for me this summer in my den.. BOUNCE sheets.if in the kitchen, wipe the counter down with one and leave it on the counter.. put 1 in a few corners of the various rooms. SUPPOSEDELY, they really hate the smell of bounce and won't come around it. i kinda don't like the smell either but i put up with it to get rid of the little buggers. it really did the trick in my den.

 

[Liz Wolf-Spada]

Wipe things with vinegar as you kill them with a paper towel wet with vinegar. It stops them following their scent trail.
Liz