Ants on concrete pool deck

[shiyang100]

The first time in the past few year noticing ant hills on concrete pool deck. Did some search on the internet was scared to see ants can eat through liner, although it is rare.

How do I take care the ant problem? About to close the pool in three weeks. Thanks.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I too have a big ant problem. You can use insecticides but they will generally only kill the ants you can see. You need to try to eliminate the queen(s) which are generally safe at home in the nest. Ant bait traps work best. The worker ants carry away poison and take it to the nest which kills off the queen(s). With no queen, the colony will die. It takes a few days before to work.

I have not used them, but I have read good reviews on Terro Ant Bait Traps available at big-box hardware stores. I make my own bait traps using baby food jars, a mixture of sugar, boric acid (sold on Amazon as ant/roach killer) and corn syrup. These traps usually kill off the colony within a few days. You can find a recipe and directions here: How to Kill Ants That Live on Orange Trees | Home Guides | SF Gate. I replace about one tablespoon of water with corn syrup. Place the bait traps near the trails and the ants will find them.

Best of luck.

 

[rccarps2]

I have had good luck with this product. I was having tons of ants on my paver patio. Some coming up between the pavers and digging out the bedding sand.

I spray this on the pavers and surround rock areas twice a pool season. Once at the start and again a few months later when I start to see some ant action again.

Keeps them from coming up in the pavers. Can't say it will help if they are crawling from a distance, although I don't see any.

I also have used the Terro traps Rancho mentions with decent luck. My experience around the pool has been the spray is more effective.

https://www.ortho.com/en-us/product...-gon-insect-killer-lawns-gardens-ready-spray1

RC

 

[shiyang100]

Thanks both. I am going to order some terro bait and spray as well today.

I have had good luck with this product. I was having tons of ants on my paver patio. Some coming up between the pavers and digging out the bedding sand.

I spray this on the pavers and surround rock areas twice a pool season. Once at the start and again a few months later when I start to see some ant action again.

Keeps them from coming up in the pavers. Can't say it will help if they are crawling from a distance, although I don't see any.

I also have used the Terro traps Rancho mentions with decent luck. My experience around the pool has been the spray is more effective.

https://www.ortho.com/en-us/product...-gon-insect-killer-lawns-gardens-ready-spray1

RC

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Use the bait traps first to give the ants a chance to carry the bait to the nest. Give it a few days, then spray. Depending on the type of landscaping you have, you can sprinkle some DE around the perimeter of the pool as a deterrent.

 

[shiyang100]

Thanks. So has anyone know if ants eat liner? I am getting nervous since this is my first time seeing ant hill on pool deck.

 

[scdaren]

Use DE. It's like piles of glass shards to ants. They can't get past it. You can pour some over their ant hole and you can box them into a perimeter with it.

 

[ZcottD]

I've had ants, almost every year for the past 5. I started using bait and placing it along the path that they take looking for food/water the last 2 years and its gotten rid of them quickly.

Haven't had any liner damage from them. I'll have to try the DE trick as well.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I sprinkled some pool grade DE in a few ant trails overnight and all it did was make a mess and temporarily annoy the ants. By morning they had forged a clear path right through it. I can say with confidence it doesn't work on Argentine ants. I'm not sure if food-grade DE would work. Time to make some more bait traps.