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May 6

pharaoh ant

I've been told not to use traps or sprays, these ants are in the kitchen behind the stove, how can I kill them off to ensure a slow or fast death (which ever one is more effective)? --Thegooduser Life Begins With a Smile :) 🍁 20:00, 6 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Orkin has an information page about the problem; even they admit that pharaoh ants are "one of the most, if not the most, difficult ant to control indoors". "Original research" is considered a no-no on Wikipedia, but I have been dealing with an ant problem in the kitchen with some success. My suggestions: 1) rid kitchen of crumbs, etc. (yes, even under and behind stove & fridge). 2) after a thorough cleaning, rinse with a mild solution of borax (non-toxic; this seems to mess with their chemical trails) -- let dry. 3) dust with diatomaceous earth, especially edges and crevices. Diatomaceous earth is non-toxic, but there are warnings about inhaling dust, so use a face mask. 4) if you only see 1 or 2 "scouts" roaming around aimlessly, leave them alone. 5) if it becomes necessary to kill a bunch (just use a sponge and wash them down the drain; don't use chemicals), follow-up with a cleaning to eliminate chemical trails and rinse with borax solution, let dry and reapply a dusting of diatomaceous earth. -- Good luck! 107.15.157.44 (talk) 20:53, 6 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Have you read Pharaoh ant#Invasiveness and extermination? The main thing seems to be that it needs to be gradual to avoid splitting up the colony and making the infestation worse. Mikenorton (talk) 20:55, 6 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]

thanks. --Thegooduser Life Begins With a Smile :) 🍁 20:59, 6 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Liquid dish-washing soap works well, particularly if poured down an access hole. DOR (HK) (talk) 15:12, 7 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Please do no call borax “nontoxic .” American children were reportedly harmed in the 1950s when it was commonly used as an antiseptic/disinfectant. (Reference:Reader’s Digest, early 1960s). Edison (talk) 03:50, 12 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]