Conference misery::feline_v1

    My impression is that if you interrupt the ants' trail from their
    source to whatever is attracting them, you basically get rid of
    them.  I'm not sure what you mean by spraying outside the front
    door.  Can you interrupt the path in, watch until the rest leave
    and then really zap the front door area?  Occasionally I have a
    problem like this and I really flood the way in with a hose.
    Maybe you could decoy them out with a piece of food left outside
    the door and then clobber them.

I seem to get carpenter ants in my house each spring/summer and I call
an exterminator in.  She has some spray that kills the ants but is not
harmful to pets.  Since you're in an apartment, I would expect that you
could ask them to get an exterminator in for you.  Beware that most
of the over the counter bug killers are harmful to pets.

Pam

    
    
    HEY! doesn't this belong in the ANTS FILE????
    
    just teasing ;').  I couldn't resist.
    
    Actually. I have a similar problem with my vegetable garden and
    roses.  Since my cats go outside, I am reluctant to spray for pests
    since they tend to brush up against and lay under plants.  (It's
    nice and shady under the tomatoes). 
    
    I have noticed that the pesticide Sevin is recommended for fleas on
    pets.  My Vet told me that yes, this means it is safe, but in actuality
    the ingredient that kills FLEAS is one they become immune to readily.
    It does work on my vegetables to keep the Jap. Beetles dead.  
    
    Anyway, they may make something for ants - the one I've used is a
    powder, and I will check it tonight to see if Ants are listed as
    target. You may be able to powder your carpet around your couch without
    creating a hazard for your little sniffers. 
    
    Amy.
    

    
    I think I may need to clarify...
    
    The ingredient in Sevin is one that FLEAS become immune to... (not
    cats) I was attempting to point out as an aside that even though
    recommended for fleas, it doesn't work well.  Who knows, this may
    be true for ants too.                                   
     
    me again.

    Sevin is the brand name of carbaryl, a carbamate cholinesterase
    inhibitor.  It works in a manner similar to the organophosphate
    pesticides but does hit mammals as hard as some of the organophosphates
    do.  It is the active ingredient in Mycodex shampoo with carbaryl
    (makes sense).  It is not an ingredient I would want left on my
    cat's fur to be groomed off.  It is a neurotoxin.
    
    I have found that many insects are very susceptible to direct
    application of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.  It goes right through
    their shells and attacks the nervous system.  Once it evaporates
    it doesn't leave a residue.  Its flammability is a major drawback;
    it could also affect colors in some fabrics.
    
    Frank

    I had a line of tiny red ants coming in through a space between
    the window and the sill, down to the floor, then up over the buffet
    to a bowl of dried cat food on a shelf. I sprayed cat flea-spray 
    on them as I was wary of using anything stronger (since one of my cats
    is leukemic and I was concerned about a reaction). The ants died
    almost instantly and the cats were just fine. It was an easy
    solution and they haven't returned (that happened about 2 months
    ago).

    Re: .6  Good suggestion.  
    
    AS LONG AS IT'S NOT HARTZ BLOCKADE! (Re: topic 727).
    
    Amy. 

    There is some stuff that Sargent's puts out called Rug Patrol. 
    It's a sprinkle powder similar to "Love My Carpet" or "Carpet Fresh"
    but it has pyrethrens (sp?) in it.  I believe this is an insecticide
    obtained from a plant.  Anyway, as long as you remove the pet from
    the room you are treating, you'll be ok.  You sprinkle the powder
    on, wait 30 minutes and vacuum it up.  I have a back door that is
    level with the ground and I get rolly-polly bugs and it works great
    getting rid of them.  I get these little woolly worms too sometimes
    and it kills them too.  I treat one room at a time and move Corkie
    around accordingly.  I've never had an ant problem but the stuff
    should work on them also.  Give it a try.
    
    Pat
    

        An old secret passed from my grandma and that really works and
    isn't harmful to anybody is cloves.
        Just sprinkle some ground cloves that you can buy in the spice
    shelf of your local grocer around where they are coming in. There
    must be something about cloves they really don't like, because they
    don't come back!
                                        Denise
    

    
    Hey!  NEEEEET idea!! I wonder, do they work for any other insects???
    Grandmas always know the cleverist things, ya know?
    
    amy.
    

    I've heard both salt and paprika suggested for stopping ants, but
    neither worked for me.  What did work was keeping my sink area both
    clean and dry (and one application of Raid Roach foam, but I wouldn't
    use that in any place that the cats could get at).  It seemed the
    ants that were invading my house were attracted by water.  That was
    in Pittsburgh; New England ants may be different.
    
      Gary

    Thanks for all the responses.  I will try the clove idea.  I did
    spray Ant spray outside the front door and I haven't seen any ants
    since, but I don't want them coming back when it rains.  Regarding
    note .11-the ants were coming in the front door, they are not even
    trying for Sys' food and these are California ants (they are out
    in the sun to long-weird).
    
    Thanks again.
    
    Linda