Problem well documented: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Them02.jpg
As a kid I was fascinated with ant colonies and used 5 gallon jugs kept in the garage to raise them. It is amazing to me to watch them tunnel and work. I had a couple of rattlers in the past but no longer have any. Family life demands things like that must go. I grew up in Big Spring, Texas where they have a large Rattlesnake Roundup each year. If you are ever in the Big Spring or Sweetwater, Texas area during one of the roundups you need to go. Guys go out with bags and compressed gas cylinders and gas the dens and catch the snakes as they come out. They use a three foot long tong/pincher device and just lift them up and drop them in the sacks to take back to their pickup trucks and put them in barrels to take to the roundup. Most poundage, longest snake and heaviest snake wins prizes. The snake handlers walk through metal pits filled with hundreds of buzzings rattlers with high boots on and get bitten very seldom. It amazes me to watch them milk the rattlers of their venom to collect for medical research. I have a lot of rattler stories to tell but will not highjack this thread to tell them...........
Jack Bibby of Fort Worth performing at the Big Spring Rattlesnake Roundup. Big Spring ended its Roundups in 2005. Sweetwater still holds the worlds largest roundup each year. This is my last snake post in this thread........ Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sprinkle Diazinon crystals all around your foundation. That keeps them out. Terro drops on small pieces of cardboard strategically placed in the house will take care of that problem. Hide that terro from any pets though. Commercial "ant traps" do not work. I do this every Spring and never have a problem. As an aside, when you see an ant mound in your lawn, sprinkle a few crystals directly on it and the ants will disappear.
I have two dogs. They are not attracted to the terro. Place the cards in a cabinet or under furniture away from the pups. You should be OK.
I was told to use windex, which works in the same way as the dish soap. The reason being the ants follow an organic based chemical that elevates off the ground at the level of their antennae. The Windex (or dishwashing soap) breaks down the chemical and thus there is nothing left for the ants to follow. It's the same idea behind the Valvoline commercial where they say water and oil doesn't mix, but water and blood do. I can't recall the exact reason I was told in my chem class, but it has something to do with the structures. The "like dissolves like" idea.
from the terro.com website: I accidentally stepped on one of the ant traps. How toxic is this bait and will this exposure harm me? What if my cat or dog gets into the bait and eats some? TERRO® Liquid Ant Bait is a sweet food based product similar to pancake syrup combined with Borax. Borax is a mineral that is mined in the desert in California and is a common active ingredient that is used in soap products such as 20 Mule Team Borax. The product kills ants but will not harm people or pets. If you spill some on your skin there will be no reaction at all. Simply wash with warm water. Pets occasionally find the Terro and eat it. Our advice when this happens is to do nothing at all. The product is not toxic enough to cause a problem and the pet will be just fine. Ask the Expert
Bounty, do you know why ants invade my house usually only when it gets hot? Someone told me long ago it was because they are seaching for water. Yet I can trace their trail back to their homes where I have irrigation drippers installed. Do you have leaf-cutters at home? They always fascinated me.
