Jango, ad75, sammyboy : HIT - Point noted. Will HIT them hard now on. Have murdered a few with my bare fingers as a lesson to their comrades, but they never learn. Bad. Haldi i should try.

Deepak : What name should i quote when asking for the chalk? Or should i just say 'Ant Killer Chalk', and chalk the plan?

DCEite : Rather than change the house, maybe burning it down will help? LOL !! Not a practical option, pal. Just moved in here in May, all for the sake of the car, as the previous flat where we stayed in the same apartment had no covered parking allotted. This one has, and is good in all respects besides this damned menace.

DriverR : Been desperately trying to find out their source of entry, but had no luck so far. They seem to be everywhere, and have more than one vantage point, which they seem to have camouflaged quite well. Sleuths to tackle the same will be appointed (which is myself and wifey).

Terminator IV perhaps?

spadival : PET containers are being used, but cant store everything in there/them.

That was the last straw before i decided to launch this operation. Put up with them so far, now they have irked me. Their latest attack on the wastebin/packet has sealed their fate.

Guys, thanx a lot. HIT and the chalk will be pressed into action with immediate effect from tonite.

P.S. : My granny used to stop ants from attacking sugar by keeping the PET container in which she stored sucgar immersed in a plate with water. Soon, the ants mistook that for a swimming pool and plunged in to meet their fate.

In our house, the problem is worse....
we have 2 coconut trees which have zillions of black ants... (the small ones...but they bite!!)
We have 2 mango trees which have zillions of BIG black ants
And red ants problem.... add to this termites attacking the trees...

I spray "hit" and pesticide around the tree trunk to keep them stuck to the tree

For red ants.... best solution is to keep a bait....a small piece of jaggery (brown sugar) around....they will mind their business.. :-) and red ants usually increase in summer....from now on it should be better....

Its called 'Lakshman Rekha' and is used primarily to get rid of cockroaches.

Benny,

According to a friend's wise grandmom, putting turmeric powder will drive away ants from that area. According to the same friend's grandmotherly knowledge, placing cut onions near the area of swarming flying insects will also pack them off. And it works.

You are right. It has worked on ants too.

I have heard about this. I have never tried though.

Turmeric powder works, but you have to be regular with it. Have to repeat it every few days.
Ants are a big menace all right!
One way to deter them is to ensure no sugar etc., particles are spilled. Difficult to implement in real life.
Use DDT as the last resort as its a harmful pesticide.
As for Laxman rekha, it did not save sita, right? The effectiveness against ants is also the same. Its just a useless piece of chalk.

I think boric acid works too

Call Pest Control. I am sure you would have a few in Bangie. Forget these home remedies or handling harmful chemicals on your own. Let the experts do their job.

Nitin, thats the last resort. I guess some of the remedies mentioned above should help to an extent. If the ants are beyond them too, time to call 911.. ahem.. the experts.

Three options:

1. M62 Carbine.
Note from mods - yours comments and generalisation of people is wearing thin!!

2. Pest Control.
Find your local PCI or whatever office & ask them to come over immediately.
If that doesn't work, use option 1 above on them first, then the ants.

3. Live in your car.
Unless the ants are there as well.

Tried that when my area was reeling from power shortage issues. Came back with a paining backbone, and dark circles under the eyes from lack of sleep.

Yes darling, but to paraphrase Jimmy Hoffa ... did you sleep with the ants?

Aah.. no sleeping around for me. Sleeping with the enemy, perhaps, not ants.

Elf - you were definitely needed on the forum !!!