Thread: Teeny Ants

So I'm renting a room in this apt. which isn't very clean at all, but I'm putting up with it.

I just assumed these teeny little ants (I don't think they are ants b/c I don't see any big ones around) are all over the kitchen. Saw them in the bathroom too.

I went to make some pasta today that I had bought at Riba or El Rey, poured it all into the boiling water & there were these things all inside the box. GROSS.

The pasta looked moldy, but I couldn't tell b/c it's artichoke pasta.

Just lost $3-4 there.

My question is, is this normal for them to get into the box, or were they probably in there while the box was still at the store?

I had bought it maybe 2 wks. ago, but I know insects can get in almost immediately. It was in a bag on a small counter as I have no space here.

Where do you store your dried goods so this doesn't happen?

Do these things live in the kitchen even if it's very clean?

Any idea the name of them?

Thanks


Michelle

I have lived in a couple of places from luxury 6k a month penthouse in pacifica to Torres de Alba hotel, both had little ants, I could see them all over the marble counter, the only thing you can do is keep the kitchen as clean as possible.

If you found them in a pasta box, who knows could be the Rey or your ktchen little buggers are everywhere, pasta and ants thats a new 1, extra protein

I've seen them chew through plastic bags to get to meat I was thawing on the counter. Nasty little critters....if they bite you, which they will, they leave a water blister that hurts!! All the nests outside have to be killed, there is a powder to sprinkle on them, and Raid them in the house. Keep the counters and floor free of food until you get rid of them, which may take a while.....

k, so how come I don't see the parents anywhere? These are almost microscopic in nature.


Michelle

There are many different kinds of critters and ants etc here. Those little ants are easy to kill but then they come back and they don't seem to mind whether you keep things clean or not in my kitchen. They can get into things easily. I keep sugar in a plastic container with a screw on lid for example and they find a way into that. I find that keeping the kitchen as clean as possible and then taking a mind over matter approach-"If you don't mind it doesn't matter", really helps. I spray inside and out regularly as well but seem to have a variety of critters living with me at all times. My wife is terrified of the huge toads that lurk on the front porch every night as well, and I don't have a solution to that issue as they seem to be on everyones porch. I remind her that they are just waiting for a snack and minding their own business but that does not calm her down.

These ants will be the end of me!!!
I thought it was just "normal" but other friends/family do not have the same problem as we do. Our "helper" (not sure what to call her) is amazed at how many ants there are in this house and how quickly they come! Ours do not bite.
We keep EVERYTHING sealed in ziploc bags/tupperware and put lots of stuff in fridge.
There are different bugs that come from inside rice and get into pasta. Now my pasta is in ziploc bags. They are bigger. But apparently it's normal and you just need to wash your rice. They should float to the top.
We have small kids so we can't use the turbo powder killer. Pretty sure we've found their "nest" in a hole in the house (oh, yes, our house is made of wood...)
It doesn't matter how much we clean, bleach, mop, sweep, the ants go marching 10 by 10!!! (also doesn't help to have a toddler dropping crumbs...)
Any other pointers would be much appreciated! My husband is pretty sick of hearing my "ant rant!"

I had (have) these in my apartment, 21st floor and I keep immaculately clean. Follow the instructions on this video using Terro Liquid Ant Killer, available at Sipermarket Rey and others. The key is to let the ants get the bait and take back to their nest. I used pieces of masking tape, stuck on the floor wherever I saw an ant, put a couple of drops onto the tape for a few days. Let them congregate and take the bait. I actually had more in one of my bathrooms than the kitchen. No idea how they got there or what they were feeding on. But the stuff works. Spraying with a killer won't stop the problem.

Gary

Ant Problem? Terro = Ant Control Solutions

I used to suffer from the same ants when I lived in the Phillipines. Bleach has no effect on em, if anything it seems to attract em.

"Chinese chalk' is quite effective at blocking their path if you can find where they are getting in, but one of the best 'cheap' remedies is to leave a small pile of slightly damp sweetener like Splenda on the worktop overnight. They take it back to the nest and the aspartame chemical in the sweetener kills them in the same way as it's killing us slowly via diet products.

Mack

Another thing you might try, when you bring things home from the market such as sugar, rice, pasta, put it in the freezer for a few days if you are not going to use it right away. That way if you are bringing any of the critters home in the box, it takes care of them right away.

Thanks guys.

I went to a meeting today & the guy who's also new to Panama was freaking out about the ants. He left his coffee on the table & they all ended up swimming in it LOL

Even when he took the coffee cup away b/c I was coming they were still on the boardroom table.

This is an office, although they do have coffee, snacks in sealed packages, etc.

And if they are enjoying the bathroom than who knows.

I wish there was an all natural way to get rid of them, but if I find them in the next place I move to, I'll use that chemical stuff.


Michelle
P.S. Gross, I don't want to be FREEZING ants in my food just to kill them off. LOL

Here is what I found

http://www.panamaforum.com/living-pa...ling-ants.html (Dealing With Ants!)

Originally Posted by gsfromc

I had (have) these in my apartment, 21st floor and I keep immaculately clean. Follow the instructions on this video using Terro Liquid Ant Killer, available at Sipermarket Rey and others. The key is to let the ants get the bait and take back to their nest. I used pieces of masking tape, stuck on the floor wherever

Thumbs up on Terro. Used it once and they all went away for 3 weeks. Used it the second time and they haven't returned in over two months.

You will want to do it one day when your kids are out of the house - it should take long for the ants to get the bait - and they were gone maybe 5 hours later.

I put some in the kitchen - and along an ant route I noticed coming from outside.

Ok, I was talking to someone about this the other day & here's what she used that got rid of them...

chalk is called Miraculous Insecticide Chalk. It's made in China.

I bought it at Machataso in Caledonia. It's .12 cents for a box of 2 pieces of chalk. At Rey, it's .49 cents a box the last time I saw it there.

HTH


Michelle