What would you do if arrived at a house infested with ants? Like thousands of them all over and some even ended up in bed with you. I’ve casually brought it up with the homeowners and they mentioned ant traps. I feel like something like this should’ve been made aware during the initial chat.
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@dixi05 where is your sit? I know here in Oz, ants can be a MASSIVE problem when we’ve had no rain, like now. It doesn’t necessarily mean the home is unclean or anything and they are almost impossible to get rid of. Not saying your current sit is unclean, just how ants are here in continuous dry weather. Maybe there is something dead somewhere that you or the HO cannot see, or some old food that has been missed under furniture, this is also a possibility. I have tried everything known to man at times to fix this problem but gee it’s almost impossible when the land is so dry.
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Ufgggh I would lose my mind because I HATE HATE HATE ants. So much.
The Terro liquid ant bait traps work great. Usually within 24 hours significant reduction.
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@dixi05: I love how calm you sound (in text). Good for you.
In no particular order:
- Take pics/vids for evidence. Thousands of ants and ants in bed seem serious. Take notes/journal.
- Contact membership services for options and to help mediate. Yes, the pet owners should have made you aware of the potential ant issue before you were asked to confirm the sit. There should be some part of the T&Cs that they violated by not disclosing.
- If you’re fine sticking it out, so be it. Quite frankly, ants in bed would be a dealbreaker for me, and I would be working steadily with the pet owners and membership services to improve the situation. I might even leave and say the pet owners have to find and pay for a professional sitter, presumably a drop-in one.
- There could be several other creative solutions, but they would all have to include me not having to sleep with ants.
Right?
- Google ant solutions, both bought and DIY.
- Get some solutions (e.g. Terro traps as @YourfriendJP mentioned). I think there have been other topics about ants and solutions, too.
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I’m at a sit now that has/had an ant problem. They tried Terro and Raid but they didn’t work. But … they also have Advion. The HO said it’s what the professionals use. I applied it to the window frame where the ants seemed to be coming in and it did the trick. The HO can’t believe they’re gone. I doubt it’s safe around animals, there are dogs here and they can’t get up near the window where this stuff was applied, but I’m recommending it:
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At my place here in Sweden, the ants become active in spring and start exploring for food. Some will come in the home. If they find anything that smells sweet, the rest will also come. So then the important thing is not to spill any cake crumbs, sweet drinks, etc etc.
Usually that prevents it from getting out of hand. A bit later in the year there is enough food for them outside, and the scouts stop going inside.
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A significant ant infestation should’ve been mentioned before a sit.
Ants are attracted to food and water sources, so keeping your kitchen and dining areas clean is crucial. Wipe down countertops, sweep floors, and clean up spills promptly. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, and store food in airtight containers.
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Of course, food can attract ants, but they can suddenly appear even when there’s none.
In humid places and often when weather changes, ants make appearances in various parts of the world. They often look for moisture. In some places, red ants will even eat the coating off of electrical wiring (must taste good to them). It doesn’t necessarily have to do with cleanliness, because you can keep the house just as clean during the rest of the year and they won’t necessarily appear.
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Ants often use overhanging branches or leaves to access potted plants. Trimming back foliage that touches the pot can help prevent ants from reaching the plant. How to Get Rid of Ants In Potted Plants