Does anybody know any good tips for getting rid of ants?

:D Yes I do!
Go to http://www.terro.com/
And buy the ant liquid traps and the outdoor traps for around your house. Put them where you see the ants the most and watch the crazy ant party begin! Don't be alarmed when you see a million ants scurry into the traps, you will prone to start smashing them with your shoe! DON'T just let them have their "last meal!" They carry the liquid poison to their home to feed the others and the queen and eventually they will all be dead. Don't worry the feeding frenzy won't be that intense. At first it will for a few hours and then the ant trail will begin to slow down and in about 3 days you should no more ants! :-) NO JOKE!! I tried everything to get rid of ants and this is the ONLY one that works! Good Luck and let me know how it went! By the way read all the testimonials on the terro.com because they are all true cause I am a proven tried and true 100% satisfied customer! Also buy the outdoor traps for complete ant control. The traps last 3 months and are VERY inexpensive!

Now, I have a question. I have 2 children under 2. Would you suggest this trap with 2 small children. It will be very hard for us to keep our almost 2 year old away from the trap. Any suggestions?

Now, I have a question. I have 2 children under 2. Would you suggest this trap with 2 small children. It will be very hard for us to keep our almost 2 year old away from the trap. Any suggestions?
... on their Web site. For more details regarding children, fill out the contact form or call them: 1-800-837-7644

Terro says that it is non-toxic to humans and pets but I would just be on the safe side and try to keep it near the ant trail and out of your child's reach. It is just better to be safe than sorry!

If you check the label it will state to keep away from children and pets.
Although Boric acid has a very low toxicity to mammals avoiding exposure is the best approach.

With baits it is important to understand that ants will change their feeding habits based on the colonies needs for sugar verses protein check the label for information as to a sugar base or protein base. Crashing a colony with a sugar based bait and a protein based bait is the best approach. Maxforce or Combat are protein based granular ant baits that work well on most ant species. Identification is critical as ant species have different behaviors and bait preferences.

Multiple queen species like pharaoh and fire ant should not be treated with repellent insecticides sprays like permethrin or you will cause the colony to relocate and splinter into new colonies making a bigger infestation.

Good reference materials are available on ants for authors like story hedges or locally from an entomology program at your state university or dept of agriculture

IL-B12
Field Guide for the Management of Structure-infesting Ants, 2nd edition by Stoy Hedges
A Wonderful Ant ID book. 304 pages with illustrations

Price: $12.95

IL-B7
Truman's Scientific Guide to Pest Control Operations, 6th edition, by Bennett, Corrigan and Owens
A pest control industry standard. 574 pages, Hard Cover

Price: $91.00


www.insectslimited.com/Insects%20Limited%20Product%20Guide%209.asp

I looked on Terro's site and found that it is harmless to pets and humans. If you get any on you to wash with soap and water and it'll be fine. They do state on the box to keep away from pets and humans. This is confusing but my take on it is that you don't want your children to be ingesting it at high volumes but if he picks it up as long as we wash his hands immediately probably because as themoueman states is a low toxicity. What we did was put them in hidden spots so my son wouldn't go after it. So far it has worked. After a long struggle not to kill the ants, the amount of ants in the rooms has decreased so I think it is working. When I put them down at first, I saw ants literally walking around the traps so needless to say I was getting nervous. What themouseman stated about their feeding habits change makes sense. If they don't need it they won't look for it. I figured eventually they will need it. I will look into the site you gave me for future reference. Thank you.

For normal healthy people boric acid is flushed out by the kidneys the lethal dose for boric acid to kill 50% of a population is 429 mg of 100% boric acid to every kg of weight of a man (exp a 50kg man needs to consume 21450mg of boric acid to have a 50% chance of killing him)

The precaution is so people with sensitivity to boron or with kidney disease ( (small children and pets with a lower body weight need less) should avoid handing with bare hands

Since the chemical is in an enclosed bait station a child of pet would have to chew on package to access product.