Do you think it's OK (inhaling bug spray)???

[cloudcovering]

Well, I had a very serious ant problem centered around my bedroom window and after various attempts to shoo them away (found suggestions on vegweb.com for cinnamon, vinegar, etc) I broke down and bought TERRO brand ant baits yesterday. (borax + sugar water I think). It seemed to be the least cruel and least dangerous-chemical-ish of my options at that point... plus I live in a house w/ my mom and it was making her very unhappy... anyway, this hopefully won't turn into a discussion about the ethics of ant treatment(although if anyone does have any good suggestions, I'm receptive).

My question is that I have the bait set up on my bedroom window, which is pretty close to where I put my head at night to sleep. I looked it up, and TERRO seems pretty safe, but some sites do say not to inhale it. I was just wondering if you think it would be OK to sleep near it (in the same room, in a bed, w/ the door closed) at this point? I put it out yesterday, and last night I spent the night at a friend's, so it wasn't an issue. I know it's a little paranoid of me to ask but I just thought I'd get some opinions. Thanks everyone!

[cstadt]

Does it say it can be used as an indoor treatment? If so, it shouldn't be a problem...

[LadyFaile]

what we used when i was a kid to keep ants from getting in windows and doors was that blue chalk used by carpenters etc. make a line of chalk across the threshold and ants tend to not want to cross it. i've heard laying down a line of something rough like salt has a similar affect but the beauty of the chalk is you can do it across the sides and top of the window frame also seeing as how ants climb pretty well

[cloudcovering]

Yes, it's for indoors, but it seems that most people using it are doing so in their bathrooms/kitchens, not in places where they will be for 8+ hours. I just worry a lot :/

also, thanks for the tip ladyfaile!

[LovelyPerv]

My recommendation is citronella oil. Check eBay or Amazon for a good deal.

It's safe to use, and I'll admit that it smells a bit off for a day or so, but it works all summer long to repel a variety of insects. I use it to keep spiders, crickets, and "Palmetto bugs" <---giant nasty things that fly at the face of whoever is threatening them!!!

Just use TINY portions...like a few drops/smears here and there. It really doesn't take much. I wear a glove, dab a paper towel onto the end of the bottle, and smear it around window and door frames, and drip a drop into each of my vents.

Again, it smells a bit at first...but it's only temporary, and it's harmless to any little buggy visitors.

Remember, though, that there is a difference between a buggy visitor and an infestation. You have every right to protect yourself against an infestation. But, poisons are not species specific, and can not only have negative effects on other non-ant bugs, but also any animals that feed off of contaminated bugs. (lizards, birds, fish, rodents, etc...)

[Beachbnny]

Really? I didn't know you could use citronella to repel "friends" that shouldn't be inside lol. We sometimes get a line of ants or a spider but nothing that would warrant using any for-real chemicals so I like the idea of using citronella to keep bug-friends outside. Nice tip! I'll try it and see if it works :)

[cloudcovering]

Thanks you guys! I'll have to try these. For now though I am sleeping in the room with the TERRO bait... maybe tomorrow I'll put something different out. It's just that the TERRO seems to really be working so I'm hesitant to remove it. I might have to wait till next time I need something like that b/c unfortunately you have to wait for the ants to leave before you try to remove the bait and right now they are all very alive and crawling around on the bait. (learned this the hard way!)