Making poison residue inert?

I don't expect to necessarily get advice from any chemists here, but that would be nice . I just thought I'd run this across the forum in case anyone might have some information. It seems difficult to find the answer on the internet.

As the title says, making poison residue inert... (Ant spray, weed killer) I know, the first answer would be, "use only pet safe products!!" And believe me I would if it was just ME who was in control of that!

Let me explain a little. As the weather warms up (and yes it is believe it or not nearly 90 Fahrenheit lately out here ugh), we and I think our whole neighborhood, starts to get ants in warm or hot weather. Wasn't like this year's ago.. Somehow the ants thought our area would be a perfect place to establish their colony .

My elderly dad who suffers from Alzheimer's insists on using poison granules wherever he sees ants... The logical thing to tell me is to not let him use it, right? Well not only would he throw a fit, but my eyes can't be on him literally 24/7, and he will use it when I'm not watching, and I see evidence of it around the sink later.

Then hubby is almost as bad, he gets so fed up with seeing ants in the shower too (although it gets cleaned all the time!) we think that bathroom is their port of entry through the walls somehow? We have tried and tried last summer with pet safe orange oil spray and other "pet safe pest killers" but they do NOT work! At least not on ants. Don says that's it I'm spraying real pesticide! Last summer he used it once, and I have to admit it... it DID work wonderfully for some time! He says that because we use the shower, the poison will get washed off the surfaces.

SO... I do take extra precautions when preparing bird food and water in the kitchen. Just in case I don't know if poison was used. Daily, (even days or months when I don't have to) I put a huge paper towel 'tarp' down on the counter. Nothing the birds touch comes in contact with any kitchen surfaces.

The shower too is a problem. I'd rather stick them under the shower head for a bath rather than spray in the room and get everything all wet and or humid in there. I worry when they leap off my hand (cause they hate baths) and if they should land on a surface with poison residue. Last year, after about a week I felt the residue was gone, and it wasn't a problem, they probably get no more residue ppm than eating non-organic veggies :54:. Anyway, I'm just thinking ahead for 'other options' and preparing.

I have pretty much thought of all possible solutions and or precautions at this time, unless someone has a suggestion I might not have thought of. So now I'm wondering if by chance anyone knows of an ingredient that I can clean up any leftover residue with that should make pesticides inert...

I figure it's a long shot to ask... Anyone know of anything?? Thanks...

The first thing that comes to mind, Julie, is spraying bona fide pesticides outside, surrounding the perimeter of the house. I wonder if that would be sufficient, or do they enter from slightly under or deep under ground?

I've tried all sorts of remedies for ants, from talcum powder, chalk, wipies on the surface, etc. Many years ago swap meets used to sell "Miraculous Ant Chalk" sticks in a yellowish box - imported from China. It seemed to work, but I was shy of continued use not knowing the active ingredient(s).

Ants are a terrible scourge, and some variants give a nasty bite. Sorry I don't have an answer to your specific question!

Thanks Scott. We really don't know exactly where their home base is, but probably a huge underground colony, or lots of separate colonies? NOTHING works permanently. As far as spraying all around the outdoor perimeter, we did that last year when it was bad, but it didn't help!

Those little ant motels are a joke too. They're supposed to take poison back to the queen and kill the colony, but it never happens that way!

The best thing to do is find the point of entry, which is often some out of the way place that might very well solve your problem instead of putting it where you see them on countertops. Usually it's as easy as following the troop as they come and go in lines. I noticed mine were coming in around a window sill last year. Because I have teens in the house, I put small drops of gel poison down low under the bottom of the sill where no one was going to touch it. I also warned them, but it was really out of the way anyway. Soon a crowd of ants gathered round and ate it up to take back to the colony. Ant problem solved.

You could try to neutralize the toxins with clay...preferably clay-water sprayed and then cleaned up.. Bentonite clay is ideal (health food stores). Most toxins have a molecular structure that adhere to clay, an inert substance....which is why so many parrots and other animals ingest it that have toxins in their diets (such as unripe fruits, seeds).
I usually get ants every winter at some point, but always get rid of them with those little ant hotels...inaccessible to the birdies of course. They take the poison food back to the nest, and the nest is wiped out within a few days it never fails. I will even lure them to the ant hotel with a few drops of maple syrup, and put a drop inside the hotel itself. A few drops of maple syrup will bring every able-bodied ant out to get it, killing them faster.

The gel? Oh wow, I'll have to look into that. IT SEEMS LIKE I recall.... Last time I was at Home Depot and talking to the guy about it, he said the gel is for roaches not ants! Maybe he didn't know, or they didn't have the ant kind.

It is so hard to tell where exactly their point of entry IS. Although there gets to be many ants on days when the weather is hot everyday, they don't seem to ever (come to think about it) travel in those typical "lines". These just scatter and don't follow each other.
We THINK they enter from the back bathroom, but we have not positively identified from where...

As far as scattering the poison on the countertops, that is my dad, and he suffers from Alzheimer's related dementia, but refuses to be told what and what NOT to do in his home, and even if he hears us, he will forget and keep on doing things the way he did before... It is up to Don and I, mostly me, to be proactive and on top of it at all times.

I want to look into the GEL. What brand is it, what's it called?

Thanks Chris! The clay!!! I will look into it for sure. Makes sense about the parrots clay-licks and all. The maple syrup lol. I think we have a big enough underground nest that they just keep coming back. I'm thinking lots of colonies and different queens?

I swear by these folks, have used them for years.
Ant Control & Ant Killer Products - How To Get Rid Of & Kill Ants | Do My Own Pest Control

They have a gel that is great, even works on sugar ants (Pharaoh ants).
Maxforce FC Ant Bait Gel, Maxforce Ant Killer Bait Gel - Free Shipping

You never want to use a direct poison on ants, bait only! When a colony is threatened, it will produce more queens and divide!

Thanks David. So you say the gel is the way to go too.

I feel safe with gel, since it's applied in a concentrated area, rather than sprayed all over surfaces. Will have to find the hole(s) they are coming in from!

Interesting what you said about if they get threatened by getting direct poison on them.. I guess the ones that live to make it back home(?) makes the colony panic and make "new" queens! that must be why they're SO tough to eradicate!

The colony is very much aware when ants don't return! This makes them go into survival mode. Very smart little buggers!

Flboy said:

The colony is very much aware when ants don't return! This makes them go into survival mode. Very smart little buggers!

Click to expand...

Oh, so they take a head count of the many thousands of guys... LOL . They're definitely survivors!

Any time I used the gel (the other poster had it correct, that is the brand) they eat it and quickly disappear back wherever they came from and do not come back whatsoever. And it can be put on a vertical surface like a wall. They crowd around (really wild to watch how many appear and gather round it) and they eat almost all of it-I figure it must be sweet. They must take it back to the colony and die because they don't come back at all. Not at all, it's amazingly effective. I've had years where two different sizes of ants will arrive at different times so I know it's not the same group. I'll put it out again and they're gone in two days max.

Maybe if you get to them before your father does you can get rid of the problem before the sprinkle killer comes out? Maybe keep a close watch out for the little critters.

Thank you Tara! And David for posting the link to it too. Now I'm all excited about trying it!! I cannot wait to try some!! !! Wait.... I shouldn't be this excited about something like that :52:

Thank you. I will first see if Ace Hardware or Home Depot has it. If I catch it NOW before it gets to be noticeable, that would be great. I will be SO happy if it never gets to be a big infestation like it does when the weather is hot consistently everyday.

This might sound silly but we had a bad ant issue a few years back. Our home is 15 feet off the ground . We live right on the water . Anyway I have to watch what I spray because of my asthma. I came home from work one day and the older woman that lived next door told me she had taken care of my ant issue. I thought um ok sure. Well never did see any ants again. I asked her what she did......... She bought a large bag of Grits and sprinkled them under the house and around the outside edge. They would eat the grits and take them home and BOOM Every spring now I do the same and never had ants in the house again.
There is also something called Terra that works well. Just as a double check this year I will use some of that inside to be safe.

What about those sticky traps? The flat cardboard thing with sticky stuff on top (lol using my technical terms today!) I've had success with those in the past.

Christinenc2000 said:

This might sound silly but we had a bad ant issue a few years back. Our home is 15 feet off the ground . We live right on the water . Anyway I have to watch what I spray because of my asthma. I came home from work one day and the older woman that lived next door told me she had taken care of my ant issue. I thought um ok sure. Well never did see any ants again. I asked her what she did......... She bought a large bag of Grits and sprinkled them under the house and around the outside edge. They would eat the grits and take them home and BOOM Every spring now I do the same and never had ants in the house again.
There is also something called Terra that works well. Just as a double check this year I will use some of that inside to be safe.

Click to expand...

Grits will work, I have friends that because of their dogs eating the bait, only use grits. Some ants ignore it tho.

RavensGryf said:

Thanks Scott. We really don't know exactly where their home base is, but probably a huge underground colony, or lots of separate colonies? NOTHING works permanently. As far as spraying all around the outdoor perimeter, we did that last year when it was bad, but it didn't help!

Those little ant motels are a joke too. They're supposed to take poison back to the queen and kill the colony, but it never happens that way!

Click to expand...

When the ants arrive it's always a pain in the bum, That said, an ant colony will always have a Queen. The thing people may misinterpret is that the bait didn't work and the ants are still there. It can take up to a month. Here's why;
Ants are efficient lil' critters, they store food, the queen may not get o the poison batch for days. Depending on the status of the nest food supply.
Second, there will ALWAYS be more than one colony around, so there will be more than one queen.
Ants are highly attracted to sweets, you can always mix your own batch of sweet stuff, and add the tiny poison granules to it. Works like a charm.
I mix and match.... I take the little ant motels, add liquid drops to it which is also poison, into the little hole slots on the motel....spread them (the hotels around.....out side the perimeter of the house. Spray home defense spray around outside of house...Keep windows closed for a day to prevent fumes getting in. Ant problem solved in 3 weeks.

Sunset_Chaser said:

What about those sticky traps? The flat cardboard thing with sticky stuff on top (lol using my technical terms today!) I've had success with those in the past.

Click to expand...

Those are awesome, however, make sure your birds can not get to them...it's extremely hard to get a bird off them, I know I had it happen outside intended for mice, and ended up with a sparrow on it. Not fun.

Christinenc2000 said:

This might sound silly but we had a bad ant issue a few years back. Our home is 15 feet off the ground . We live right on the water . Anyway I have to watch what I spray because of my asthma. I came home from work one day and the older woman that lived next door told me she had taken care of my ant issue. I thought um ok sure. Well never did see any ants again. I asked her what she did......... She bought a large bag of Grits and sprinkled them under the house and around the outside edge. They would eat the grits and take them home and BOOM Every spring now I do the same and never had ants in the house again.
There is also something called Terra that works well. Just as a double check this year I will use some of that inside to be safe.

Click to expand...

Diatomacious earth mixed with Powdered lime, works very well as the powered diatomaceous earth has cutting properties that also rid of spiders and other creepies. Very effective on moles too.

I had a lot of those motels out, and for MONTHS... We never saw any reduction in the indoor ant population . Sounds like a good idea to put something additional inside the motels as a couple of you mentioned as an attractant. Otherwise they seem to ignore it and just walk around it, not inside.

I think there are LOTS of colonies around here. I was petsitting neighbors dogs, and they had ants too. With so many colonies and queens, it's practically impossible to permanently erradicate! I'll just be happy if they stay away for a month at a time. I think I'll TRY and guess where their port of entry might be, and start with the gel, backed up with motels...

What is it about grits that keep them from coming back?!