Answers
Sep 04, 2013 - 04:03 PM
How long have you had the Ant Pros in use? Also, are you sure that they are activated correctly? Sorry for the delay in responding.
Ron
Sep 05, 2013 - 09:03 AM
Ron,
Since March. The ants disappeared from the house, where they had multi-lane freeways in the kitchen, living room and downstairs. Now they're back. I replaced the diluted solution with full strength gourmet ant bait in all 8 traps. I inverted white plastic buckets over them set on 1" pieces of wood so the ants can access them. They are set on all sides of the house, and at extreme wall angles, as well as in the garden.
Ants are preferring the figs right now, which is not so bad, but they are foraging everywhere in the house again - why aren't they going for the ant traps?
They are certainly Argentine ants - we're in San Diego near the coast, and that's pretty much all we have here, I understand. Help me get them out of the house again...
Sep 05, 2013 - 02:23 PM
I think there is a couple of things going on here. First, the figs can certainly provide a food source. Are they going up the tree to the figs, or are they eating the figs on the ground?
Also are the Ant Pro units in direct sunlight with the plant containers on top?
Lastly, are you positive that the Ant Pro units are activated correctly and have available ant bait for the ants?
Sep 05, 2013 - 03:18 PM
Ron, Ants are coming out of the ground from another area, marching up the tree into the figs. I am removing figs as they become overly ripe.
The traps under the buckets are in direct sun at some time of day. We have no shade, but the house itself provides shade as the sun travels. I have activated traps thus: after filling, I put the base on and tighten. When I position the trap, I rotate the base 1/2 turn (180 deg.) to the arrow on the opposite side of the base and tighten with a screwdriver.
The surface on which the traps are placed varies from cement or stone to chip seal gravel, to some in dirt in the garden.
I just want them out of the house!
Sep 06, 2013 - 04:10 PM
Sep 07, 2013 - 11:14 AM
Here is my thinking on this - carpenter ants usually avoid cement, gravel, stone, and areas like this. They are plant pests and wood pests. So it makes sense that they would be going for the figs and avoiding the KM Ant Pro dispensers.
Another factor, is that they are in direct sun, although under a plant container, sitting on gravel or cement. This will make the ants almost certainly avoid them, since ants don't naturally feed on warm/hot gravel, etc.
The KM Ant Pros are designed to replace the ants natural food sources. If there is a better food source available, they will certainly prefer that.
The fig tree could be a problem in getting the Ant Pro units to work. The only thing I could suggest is to keep the figs off of the ground, and use the KM Dispensers near the tree.
You can also try making a mix of the fig juice and the Gourmet Ant Bait. If you can somehow extract the fig juice or even just add a cut up fig to the liquid bait, maybe this would attract them.
You are going to have to get creative here. Keeping the ants off of the tree is another issue. If you can keep the ants off of the tree with a natural repellent such as Garlic, sulphur, etc, this could entice them to go for the KM Ant units.
I would only worry about tainting the taste of the figs if you are eating them. I would almost consider spraying the tree to keep them off, but not if you are eating the figs.
Keep me posted. I will also pass this along to Ken at Ant Pro for his insight.
Ron
Sep 07, 2013 - 03:30 PM
The fig is theirs, with my blessing. I just want them out of every room, drawer, cupboard, medicine chest, desk surface in my house!
I moved the traps into the adjacent foliage, a yard and a half from the house itself, and off of the cement and hot stones. It's in the 90s here, and I wouldn't cross that hot surface myself. Excellent point, and I really, really hope it works. No more ant traps under buckets held up by pieces of wood for ant access. Just snugged away under the plants.
Crossed fingers.
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