Dchall_San_Antonio wrote:Seems like y'all are worked up into a frenzy and jumping to conclusions about the ants. Do we know they have become a pest?

Dave if the ants are getting into a fruit tree would indicate the ants are raising and harvesting aphids. If that is the case then knock the aphids out with insect soap, and the ants will go away.

I have had a running battle with what seems to be called "odorous house ants".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapinoma_sessile

I used to use a lot of mulch (city shredded mulch and cottonburr mulch). But, with these ants constantly getting in the house, I have quit doing that as much.

We are talking about a battle for at least 2 years. I've tried about everything. The boric acid/sugar baits would attract ants, but, just seemed to be a daily picnic. Weeks of use, ants still coming, still ants everywhere in the house. I tried orange oil sprays to "discourage" them. Not discouraged to any appreciable extent. Outside I used baits in platic housings. No discernable effect. I have sprayed all trails with over the counter pesticides (three different big name brands) day after day for weeks. They kept on coming. Spayed the oak trees with dormant oil to lessen scale. And the trees with the over the counter pesticides, they just kept rolling up the trees. The over the counter pesticides seemed to control nothing but the ants you could find to spray it on. Did nothing to keep them out or contol them "for months" as the labels claimed.

Brought in a pest control pro three times. Once last summer, twice this spring. Some lessening, usually for about 2 weeks. The last guy would take the time to go find their nests. Some better, but, again, spotty and short lived results as far as ants in the house. The last guy used cysmic pesticide (I think).

Outside of the ant wars I am mostly an organic gardener with lots of stuff insects and wildlife love in my lawn and gardens. All my neighbors report problems with these ants and the pest pro says they are all around town.

The pesticides were a joke, the ants found some way to leave the baits alone or they weren't effective. Orange oil smelled nice, but didn't deter the ants an iota.

PS If they would just stay outside and scavage, etc, I'd be happy to feed them out there (and probably have with many of the organic meals, etc, I put out). But, they get everywhere in the house and, while not biters, thank goodness, are just such a huge pest I am now in the see ant kill ant anytime, anywhere camp.

Its me or the ants. And, they are tough and resilient. I applied gallons of the over the counter sprays. And, really, the results were next to non-existent as far as getting them out of the house.