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

[tom_mai78101]

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]

Close your fucking window?

 

[tom_mai78101]

Close your fucking window?

It came through the windowsill spacing. I can't do anything to close that up.

 

[Varine]

It came through the windowsill spacing. I can't do anything to close that up.

So you have a gap between your wall and windowsill?

 

[Narks]

from the top of my head, I think ants leave some sort of chemical trail for navigation

http://housekeeping.about.com/od/kitchen/tp/cleananttrail.htm

 

[Varine]

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]

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.

 

[KaerfNomekop]

You could draw a chalk line or something so that the ants won't cross it.

 

[Accname]

You could draw a chalk line or something so that the ants won't cross it.

Works the same way with demons.

 

[tom_mai78101]

You could draw a chalk line or something so that the ants won't cross it.

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.

 

[FireCat]

Works the same way with demons.

Maybe they are demons?

This might work

Will deter ants from entering from their usual passages. Chili pepper, cinnamon, peppermint, borax, salt, and pepper can all be used to discourage ants from moving in.

 

[Accname]

Better idea. Set your house on fire. I bet with you that no ant will come in.

 

[monoVertex]

Will deter ants from entering from their usual passages. Chili pepper, cinnamon, peppermint, borax, salt, and pepper can all be used to discourage ants from moving in.

I couldn't help myself .

 

[Varine]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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.

 

[Varine]

Yeah, that's a liable solution.

 

[Slapshot136]

or just use ant bait, which is pretty much the same as above?

 

[tom_mai78101]

Yeah, that's what I was talking about.