How do I get rid of sand ants in my apartment? I have a cat so I need something that wont harm him.?

Question

Thye are only in my dining room which we don't eat in. I moved my cats food out of there so that we can tackle the problem raid is not working.

Answer 1

Boric acid.

Vacuum really well (especially around the baseboards) and then start treating.

You can get it at the pharmacy, or find it in some of the more "eco-friendly" products at your local landscaping places.  

You can also find it in Borateem detergent!

It won't hurt your cat at all. (I have 9 of them.......)

It causes tissues to swell, so if he licks a little of it, his tounge will get a little numb, but that's all.  However, when the ants take it in, they crush from the inside out as they are exosceletal.

Take an eye dropper and squirt it behind cabinets, into any cracks in grout, around the edges of doors, windows, window sills, and definately where you've seen the ants.  You can sprinkle it on rugs and carpeting in the dining room and just have to replace it after vacuuming.  Even put a light dusting in the bottom of the trash bin.  That way, when they go for it....they are getting their last meal.

The great part, is they also carry it into their nests in the walls....you can wipe out the whole colony.

Get rid of the raid.  It's not doing you, or your cat, any good.  Make sure you wipe down everything and place you've sprayed.  Some of their chemicals stay active for up to a month.  

Happy hunting!! (or...not hunting!!)

Answer 2

Get a bait product and put it where the cats can't get to it.

Answer 3

Use a mix of cinnamon and sugar. The ants will pick up the sugar, along with the cinnamon, and take it back to their queen. Ants can’t digest cinnamon and once the queen dies from not being able to digest the cinnamon the colony will die without her.  This will not harm your animals and you can feel safe to have them loose in your home again.  FIght nature with nature!

Answer 4

Boric acid can kill ants, but not the way the other person says it works.

Ants have lots of microbes in their gut that digest the food for them. Humans are similar, but most of our digestion is done with digestive juices. Ants have to rely 100% on the microbes.

Boric acid kills microbes, thus ruining the ant's ability to digest food. However, when ants feed each other, they do it mouth-to-mouth. Ants can regain their microbes this way. This is what makes boric acid so weak against social insects and roaches.

I'm not sure what "sand ants" are, but here's what I'd recommend for Odorous House Ants, the toughest of them all in my area.

1. STOP SPRAYING RAID! With OHA (Odorous House Ants), you can actually cause the colony to bud - splitting into smaller colonies. Spray once and you can have two colonies in different areas. Spray again and you can have four... this is why Raid makes so much money. OHA colonies can survive if only 4% of their colony survives. Oh, and they have lots of queens.

2. Sanitation: Keep it clean!  Super-clean. Ultra-clean.

3. Try to find the nest. If you can find it, flood it with an insecticide that allows you to do that. Don't use raid, as raid isn't labeled to do it (read the label). Not only is it a violation of Federal law to do so, it just won't work. Always follow the label directions.

4. Give the ants a week to perish, as some stragglers will be running around after the nest is treated. If that didn't work, you can try bait, but with OHA it won't work. Many ants can be wiped-out with bait though. Choose something with the active ingredient imidacloprid. It's a great ingredient and has a very low toxicity to mammals. It'll kill the ants, but if it's not tasty to them, they just won't eat it.

5. There's always the opportunity to hire a professional.