Science question: Are there alternative methods of diverting ant paths away from A to B using food?

tom_mai78101

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
Reaction score
1,710
My room is infested with ants crawling from my window to the trash bin that is sitting underneath my desk. I came up with a hypothesis that if you were to provide a food source that is easier for the ants to obtain outside of the window (on the patio), the ants may divert their attention from my trash bin to the new food source outside.

I tested my hypothesis by dumping cookie crumbles outside of the window. An hour later, I see ants moving about near the crumbles, but I still see ants moving around looking for my trash bin, here and there, scattering near where their old path was used to be.

Are there any alternatives to divert ants away from a food source (my trash bin, and yes, I have cleaned it up, thank you.) to another food source without having them split up and look for both of them at the same time?

Has anyone ever done this experiment before?
 
Varine

Varine

And as the moon rises, we shall prepare for war
Reaction score
808
That isn't the issue; the ants have a way to get into your house. That is the issue. They will get in there to look for food regardless of if there is any outside. They'll just take what's outside then come get what's inside.

You need to seal your house off; from what you just described it sounds like a hole somewhere in your wall. Go get some calk and fill it in.
 
tom_mai78101

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
Reaction score
1,710
I meant this. Ants go through the windowsill.

And yes, I know that's dirt and sand, we just had a typhoon, so some places are still dirty.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0267.jpg
    IMAG0267.jpg
    531.8 KB · Views: 452
KaerfNomekop

KaerfNomekop

Swim, fishies. Swim through the veil of steel.
Reaction score
613
You could draw a chalk line or something so that the ants won't cross it.
 
tom_mai78101

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
Reaction score
1,710
KaerfNomekop said:
You could draw a chalk line or something so that the ants won't cross it.
Click to expand...
Did that using baking soda (#2 in Nark's article), now I'm worrying that's going to cause excess damage to my aluminum windowsills. fml.
 
Accname

Accname

2D-Graphics enthusiast
Reaction score
1,463
Better idea. Set your house on fire. I bet with you that no ant will come in.
 
Varine

Varine

And as the moon rises, we shall prepare for war
Reaction score
808
So there is still a hole that needs to be filled in. I don't see why you are having so much difficulty with this.
 
tom_mai78101

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
Reaction score
1,710
They are used for draining excess water whenever there is rain and water we use to wash our windows with. It is a necessity.

However, the ants go through the spacing of the base (threshold area) and the window pane, not through the hole you see on the side.
 
Varine

Varine

And as the moon rises, we shall prepare for war
Reaction score
808
tom_mai78101 said:
They are used for draining excess water whenever there is rain and water we use to wash our windows with. It is a necessity.

However, the ants go through the spacing of the base (threshold area) and the window pane, not through the hole you see on the side.
Click to expand...

That just tells me that the entire window is fucked up and needs to be replaced. Seal the holes; it's not a necessity as you can with relative ease just dry an excess from washing windows and you shouldn't be getting water inside to begin with.
 
tom_mai78101

tom_mai78101

The Helper Connoisseur / Ex-MineCraft Host
Staff member
Reaction score
1,710
Problem: Can't replace it. No money to replace all of the windows. We're really poor. :(

On related topic, found out that the only possible way I can think up in order to divert the ants completely is to buy a poison candy, chop it to small crumbles so that ants can be able to carry them home, and wait for the queen ant to eat the poison.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Ghan Ghan:
    Still lurking
     +3
  • The Helper The Helper:
    I am great and it is fantastic to see you my friend!
     +1
  • The Helper The Helper:
    Here is a great appetizer recipe Texas style! https://www.thehelper.net/threads/recipe-chicken-stuffed-poblano-peppers.194086/
  • The Helper The Helper:
    If you are new to the site please check out the Recipe and Food Forum https://www.thehelper.net/forums/recipes-and-food.220/
  • Monovertex Monovertex:
    How come you're so into recipes lately? Never saw this much interest in this topic in the old days of TH.net
  • Monovertex Monovertex:
    Hmm, how do I change my signature?
  • tom_mai78101 tom_mai78101:
    Signatures can be edit in your account profile. As for the old stuffs, I'm thinking it's because Blizzard is now under Microsoft, and because of Microsoft Xbox going the way it is, it's dreadful.
  • The Helper The Helper:
    I am not big on the recipes I am just promoting them - I use the site as a practice place promoting stuff
     +2
  • Monovertex Monovertex:
    @tom_mai78101 I must be blind. If I go on my profile I don't see any area to edit the signature; If I go to account details (settings) I don't see any signature area either.
  • The Helper The Helper:
    You can get there if you click the bell icon (alerts) and choose preferences from the bottom, signature will be in the menu on the left there https://www.thehelper.net/account/preferences
  • The Helper The Helper:
    I think I need to split the Sci/Tech news forum into 2 one for Science and one for Tech but I am hating all the moving of posts I would have to do
  • The Helper The Helper:
    New dessert for Summer - https://www.thehelper.net/threads/recipe-lemon-blueberry-layer-cheesecake.194113/
  • The Helper The Helper:
    What is up Old Mountain Shadow?
  • The Helper The Helper:
    Happy Thursday!
     +1
  • Varine Varine:
    Crazy how much 3d printing has come in the last few years. Sad that it's not as easily modifiable though
  • Varine Varine:
    I bought an Ender 3 during the pandemic and tinkered with it all the time. Just bought a Sovol, not as easy. I'm trying to make it use a different nozzle because I have a fuck ton of Volcanos, and they use what is basically a modified volcano that is just a smidge longer, and almost every part on this thing needs to be redone to make it work
  • Varine Varine:
    Luckily I have a 3d printer for that, I guess. But it's ridiculous. The regular volcanos are 21mm, these Sovol versions are about 23.5mm
  • Varine Varine:
    So, 2.5mm longer. But the thing that measures the bed is about 1.5mm above the nozzle, so if I swap it with a volcano then I'm 1mm behind it. So cool, new bracket to swap that, but THEN the fan shroud to direct air at the part is ALSO going to be .5mm to low, and so I need to redo that, but by doing that it is a little bit off where it should be blowing and it's throwing it at the heating block instead of the part, and fuck man
  • Varine Varine:
    I didn't realize they designed this entire thing to NOT be modded. I would have just got a fucking Bambu if I knew that, the whole point was I could fuck with this. And no one else makes shit for Sovol so I have to go through them, and they have... interesting pricing models. So I have a new extruder altogether that I'm taking apart and going to just design a whole new one to use my nozzles. Dumb design.
  • Varine Varine:
    Can't just buy a new heatblock, you need to get a whole hotend - so block, heater cartridge, thermistor, heatbreak, and nozzle. And they put this fucking paste in there so I can't take the thermistor or cartridge out with any ease, that's 30 dollars. Or you can get the whole extrudor with the direct driver AND that heatblock for like 50, but you still can't get any of it to come apart
  • Varine Varine:
    Partsbuilt has individual parts I found but they're expensive. I think I can get bits swapped around and make this work with generic shit though
  • Ghan Ghan:
    Heard Houston got hit pretty bad by storms last night. Hope all is well with TH.
  • The Helper The Helper:
    Power back on finally - all is good here no damage
     +2
  • V-SNES V-SNES:
    Happy Friday!
     +1
  • The Helper The Helper:
    New recipe is another summer dessert Berry and Peach Cheesecake - https://www.thehelper.net/threads/recipe-berry-and-peach-cheesecake.194169/

      The Helper Discord

      Members online

      No members online now.
      Online now:
      74 (members: 1, guests: 73)

      Share this page

      Affiliates

      Hive Workshop NUON Dome World Editor Tutorials

      Network Sponsors

      Apex Steel Pipe - Buys and sells Steel Pipe.
      Top