ants!! help! *UPDATE IN OP*

[lil_acorn]

I've got ants crawling on my kitchen counter. Not a ton but enough - what type of ant bait should I get?

UPDATE:
thanks for all your inputs. I got the Terro bait and it worked like a charm. No ants seen this morning after only 1 day of treatment. How long should I keep the bait out for before throwing it out? I don't want to attract any more ants.

[mariza]

Terro, just be sure to keep out out of reach of kids and pets (a no brainer I know, but you'd be surprised at what my dog can get into)

[zag95]

I've got the same issue- and have a Terro trap nearby...... I just can't stand them!

Also I read they don't like vinegar, so I've been wiping down the counters nightly!

Good luck!

[trcy]

If they are the small sugar/grease ants I have had good luck with this: http://www.superslickstuff.com/lubricant/Ant%252dKil.html

[swrc00]

A good temporary fix is Borax detergent. Like PP said you would need to be careful where you put it. I usually put it out as soon as I see one and then it prevents more from invading.

We typically have an invasion during a particularly wet week.

[mmommy]

If its in a place you can't put something toxic, wipe down the counter and sprinkle some cinnamon near where they're entering. They can't cross the cinnamon.

[lil_acorn]

i think they're coming in from behind the granite backsplash so hard to put anything there..

ick - i hate ants
and yes, it's raining here today!

[MamaMolly]

Terro is really good. I'm sorry, ants are so icky. Our last house was infested. Luckily we moved! :)

[boilermakermom]

I have never had good luck with Terro, however, I always hear people say it works. I have always had good luck with the Raid ant houses. They are black hexagon shaped discs. The ants crawl inside and take food back to the nest/house. Gets rid of them in a day or so.

I have also heard cornstarch on a piece of foil, napkin, etc. works well too.

[smilequeen]

The Terro liquid traps work very well for us, but make sure to put them where kids can't get to them. Within 2 days the ants are always gone. I've had times when I move them out of reach during the day and put them back at night and they still work.

[jammytoast]

We call a professional. We've had ants on our 2nd floor bathroom (tons in the siding outside of the bathroom!) an no amoutn of dabbing little bite of Terro would stop that.

Good companies will hold a 30 or 45 day warrenty and come back w/ no extra charge if they dont get them all.

[deborah_r]

We've had ants in our apartment for months. I've never dealt with them before. Started in the kitchen, then my younger son is always hiding pieces of food he didn't finish, and food wrappers, in strange places so they have spread to the living room and bathroom. I tried something called ant bait and didn't seem to do any good. I hate ants with the fire of a thousand suns.

[lil_acorn]

Terro traps are out.
We had then 2 or 3 years ago and there were a ton crawling all around an area of our kitchen; that gave me the heebie jeebies. We called a pro and they were gone in a few days with similar liquid bait.

There are not an army crawling around today so I'm less skeeved out but still not liking it! Just put out 4-5 little mounds of terro on the counter. Maybe I should put out more.

[lil_acorn]

they're coming out in droves now to eat the bait...now I remember why I freaked out last time. ew ew ew..

[jayali]

We had an ant problem a few years ago. We called in the professional service - to no avail. After he came back the third time he said 'lady they are coming up from the ground what do you want me to do?'

That made me stop and look around outside. Sure enough he was spraying inside, but there were tons of ant hills in our drive way and back patio. So I bought these things you screw into the dirt areas outside your house. I got them at lowes. I replace them every spring and fall. We have NEVER had an ant in the house again, and the ant hills are almost non-existent.

We recommended them to a couple of friends and they have had success as well. Now I am not sure what is in them, or the name, but they are green with a stake at the bottom and the bait is in a covered tray on top. You push them into the ground (i do them randomly around the exterior of the house, edges of flower beds) they sort of disappear because the trap part sits just above the dirt. So far no harm to our landscaping - dog and kids have not turned green. Look for them at Lowes!

[lil_acorn]

update and ? in OP

[khm]

I'd leave the bait out a bit longer. It isn't going to attract "new" ants, but ants that are already in the vicinity, if there are any left. You want to make sure you have enough to back poisoned to get the queen. If you attract no more, yeah. If you do attract more, it will be ones you NEED to get now or later when you have to start over, ya know?

I love Terro because it works for us, but hate it because, ugh, the numbers drawn in his so icky! But, you get them all in a short time frame vs. dribbles and drabs forever.