Ants have invaded my computer room overnight. The small, black critters are everywhere, even crawling on my monitor. Gawd only knows what they're eating. These ants are a recurring problem in my neighborhood; they come back every year and it's always a battle to keep them out.

I want them out, but I do not want to use pesticides except as my very last resort. I've tried cinnamon in the past and while that works to foil their established trail, it's extremely messy and it doesn't prevent them from making a new trail. I can see where they're coming into the room from outside, and I know where their nest is outside.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

-soopafreek-

wow, did i write this letter under a new name?? I could have, same thing, my office, my computer room, attack of little black ants...BOOOOOO!!!!

Chalk lines are supposed to thwart the little buggers. draw one where they are coming in if you can.

Peppermint essential oil works great! Rub all along places that they crawl in from.

If you really want to torture them, stick your finger in the oil and draw a circle of oil around them. they'll go nuts. (i know its mean, PETA people leave me alone!)
;)

I have them all over the kitchen counter, and they have gotten in my dogs food. (you think it's okay for her to still eat it? I mean, she's a 60-something pound dog and eats everything)

I drown the little f***ers. They drive me nuts!

Soap and water do wonders on ants. Those little bastards love electronics because they are warm. They invaded my camera last year. Then I got pissed and sprayed everything with mint and cinnamon oil. Then we moved. Little shits. No ant problems here.

ants also never touch salt. if they're coming in at floor level or similar you can draw a ring with salt and they won't cross it. of course, they'll do everything they can to get around it somehow, so it's really only a temporary measure...

I am a little sad that this thread was not the Adam Ant reference I hoped it was... (What a hot pirate!)

Good luck getting rid of the critters!

I know you said you did not want to use pesticides, but those little ant hotels work wonderfully - they eat the food/poison inside, and bring it back to their friends.

I had them last summer and they were everywhere, esp in the kitchen sink, so i used those hotel/bait thingies. I would not use a spray, cause it's too messy, plus i didn't know where they were coming from...

I lead a very chemical free life under normal circumstances, but I have to second the ant hotel thingys. They have consistently stopped our annual ant invasions.

Boric acid, if you can get it into crevices that pets and children can't get into, also works rather well.

We get the little red ants that come up through the cracks in our basement. I think I live on an anthill or something. When I get in a David Lynch mood I lie still and see if I can hear the walls humming from their activity....There's a boric acid syrup (called Terro) that works well. you put it on a little piece of paper and all the ants swarm to it (i love watching this part) and eventually die. It works best to have a couple of these laying about.