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How do I get rid of these pesky Big Headed Ants(pheidole megacephala)?
I've been battling these little bastards for over a year and a half now and have *never* seen a reduction in their numbers. At first I could not understand why they would not eat the Terro ant bait that has worked so well in other places I lived. Turns out these are 'protein' eating ants that like to eat greasy, fatty foods just like Americans! So I bought some Boric acid (active ingredient in Terro) powder and mixed it with peanut butter and placed the bait all around the inside and outside of my house. For about 2-3 weeks they went absolutely BONKERS over the stuff, tens of thousands of ants taking the bait. Then suddenly they stopped eating it and wouldn't touch it hardly at all! But their numbers were still strong attacking my cat's food bowl, all the trash cans inside and out, and any tiny pieces of meat stuck on the counter just as they have always done. I then put Boric acid powder around the entire perimeter of my house, but it didn't seem to help much.
I might add Boric acid is environmentally safe and is as toxic to people and animals as table salt. I will also say that I keep my house clean, wiping down counters, cleaning spills, etc. From what I have read it seems like these are the hardest ants to control but they are simply driving me crazy, there is never a break from the stupid things.
I appriciate all of your answers, but it seems like nobody bothered to read the link I posted. It briefly explains how they "spread out into megacolonies with multiple subnests." Also each subnest has multiple queens. Also they do NOT go after sugar baits or sugar foods unless it's greasy, oily, or fatty as well, like peanut butter.
Also boric acid and it's salt compounds have extremely low toxicity; about the same as table salt. It can be used as an herbicide and pesticide and is 100% totally environmentally safe once deluded in rain. Again, I really appriciate you guys taking the time to answer my question, but these are not your average ants.
7 Answers
- jean ann jLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
Try adding a little sugar to your boric acid. And put it in lids or on business cards. It is noted for harming the soil.
In another batch try adding a little sugar and a dry cereal like maltomeal or one you have on hand that swells, maybe wheat bran.
The boric acid made to kill roaches from places like Home Depot is the best and cheapest.
The ants should carry this to their nests to their queen.
This can take 2 days or longer.
Source(s): We use dry cereal around ants mounds out side. Fire ants. Inside we used baby powder, with talc, to get rid of small ants. The powder will not work with huge pavement ants. They run up to the powder and go another direction. The talc is what gets to tiny and small ants. - 6 years ago
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How do I get rid of these pesky Big Headed Ants(pheidole megacephala)?
I've been battling these little bastards for over a year and a half now and have *never* seen a reduction in their numbers. At first I could not understand why they would not eat the Terro ant bait that has worked so well in other places I lived. Turns out these are 'protein' eating...
Source(s): rid pesky big headed ants pheidole megacephala: https://biturl.im/zDVbX - LarLv 71 decade ago
you might try amdro for them, they will accept it readily enough, though a surer and longer lasting solution would be to have a pro treat the perimeter with Termidor...for what it's worth, Boric Acid is anything but environmentally friendly..it will actually be more toxic than table salt, probably 40-50 times more toxic then the insecticides I use professionally. Note too it is a type salt that when placed into the vegetation zone can cause havoc for many years. All plants have to have trace amounts of boron to grow, but much higher levels than a trace, the borates become a herbicide...you may of killed your soil next to your house, which technically would need to follow EPA rules for proper clean up and disposal.
Source(s): me-over 2 decades doing pest control - a_phantoms_roseLv 71 decade ago
Put cinnamon everywhere! Cinnamon runs off ants like crazy. I battled some red ants with black heads in my wall by my bed for over a year. They ate my window sill and a hole in my wall! We tried bait and everything. Nothing worked. Then my friend suggested cinnamon. We poured it down the hole in the wall and outside at the base of the house. They were all gone in a week.
- Anonymous7 years ago
We have the exact same problem. We've tried everything, and cinnamon does work to keep them away, but it's a mess! We just ordered Diatomaceous Earth and spread it around, which supposedly will kill them, but so far I'm not seeing many dead ants. Have you found an answer yet?
- MaryLv 41 decade ago
try chalk - they will not cross a chalk line. You might want to get an exterminator to do the outside of the house (foundation & such) then you can battle the critters in the house. I have hear of stuff that they take back to the nest & it kills the rest of the colony but not sure what it is called
