I have a ant problem in one of my units. It's a lower level unit. And it's in mn and it's almost Dec. It's cold out. Anyway Told the tenant to get some traps bait/ poision. Or get an exterminator? problem Lasted for 3 weeks Now.
Real Estate Investor · Lansdowne, PA · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 656 votes
11y
I'm no exterminator by far. Yet ants are not hard to rid of as they usually arrive due to moisture / food. Have you looked into where they are located in the unit to try to find out the cause? You're right, its a few hours away from being December(which means they have already returned to their main place of residence being underground) but the temperature is all over the place, on the east coast anyway. Saw a fruit fly at work the other day. Guess since there hasn't been a steady amount of freezing days / nights yet for them to remain underground. My coin.
Investor · Thermopolis, WY · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
11y
I have always set out the bait they take back to the colony to kill the colony. You also need to look around. they are getting in somewhere or they have a nice big residence in your rental. Either way you need to get rid of the colony and their entrance.
Investor · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
11y
There are many different kinds of ants. It would be good to identify what you are dealing with. Sugar ants and pavement ants are the ones we most often see at our properties. If they are carpenter ants, then you have a bigger problem on your hands. We do insect perimeter sprays at our properties in the spring and autumn. If they are sugar ants finding their way to the kitchen, remove all food sources that are attractive to them, find their route of travel and set some bait traps where they will enter the trap gather some bait and bring it back to the colony. You will need to be patient, because the colony will not die overnight. Should see activity die down in a few days and totally gone within a week.
sprinkle it where the ants are walking, they'll carry it back to the nest/colony. it works as a 'drying agent' so they ALL just wither up and die...
I have used this before with different pests and have had success.
I also started spraying the perimeter of my properties this year every few months and had a drastic reduction in the number of pest related phone calls I received.
Renter · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2014 · 10 posts · 2 votes
11y
Hi Becka, I was an exterminator. Here's an idea. If they come back don't spray. Get dual ant bait stations (with protein and sweet bait in them). Set them next to the trail, give them a chance to sense the bait. Follow the trail to it's origin. In the evening seal the entry point with a caulking gun. Before you seal it, see if they took the bait. The worker ants should take the bait to the colony as well as the queen. Good luck!