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Ant infestation treatment process

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Our flat in London is currently suffering from a serious ant infestation problem. A pest control specialist has been called in and performed treatments, He assured me that the treatments have been completed correctly and we will need to continue cleaning up dead ant bodies until the whole nest is eradicated.

Although it is true that we now only see dead ants (as oppose to live ones before the treatment), it has been two weeks since the first treatment (he visited three times in total), we are still cleaning up hundreds (not just a handful) of dead ants everyday. According to him, this is expected and he is unable to predict how much longer it will take as it depends on the nest size....etc

Does it sound right? I wonder if anyone has got experiences that they can share?

Concerned...

Comments

  • neilmcl
    neilmcl Posts: 19,460 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Get yourself some Ant Stop bait stations and granules. This is great stuff and designed so that ants feed on it and take it back to the nests, eventually killing off the queen and nest population. I've been using it for years and has never failed.

    The problem with your pest control treatment is that it's killing the ants on contact and not doing anything to the nest.
  • Sorry if i wasn't clear, the pest control guy did confirm he used baited method as well as spray. I was just wondering how long does it take for ants to be completely eradicated after baited treatment...
  • societys_child
    societys_child Posts: 7,110 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    how long does it take for ants to be completely eradicated after baited treatment...
    You answered that yourself in post #1
    it depends on the nest size....etc
  • Carrot007
    Carrot007 Posts: 4,534 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The traps should be secondary to REMOVING THE FOOD SOURCE (should there be one which is likely).


    I had an infestation last year, i chucked out my recycling unit. Things (even if rinced) driped all over it a little and provided a food source.


    After that and a good clean of the house (including behind the plynths in the kitchen). They were minimised and the traps got rid of them. Expect the traps on their own to do nothing and expect the specialist only to tell you things that makes him come back and get more money. This is simple basic stuff.
  • Thanks for sharing
  • TomokoAdhami
    TomokoAdhami Posts: 154 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 14 July 2020 at 12:10PM
    I used pest control service last summer, and it really worked against all kinds of pests. For this summer, I only see a few ants in my kitchen last week. According to my husband, we should try any ant bait to fix this issue because, for only a few ants, it would be expensive to hire a complete service. I tried baking soda and vinegar mixture, but it didn't work. Also, sprinkle cinnamon near kitchen windows but I don't think it works.

    Now, I am thinking to pick any ant trap from here. Maybe ultrasonic ones work more effectively. However, I need to close cracks and open holes before using a trap. I am thinking to seal them with caulk. Do you think it would be the right technique or try some cement? What do you say?


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