My recycling system is attracting ants. Can you help? I rinse out cat food cans, plastic bottles, and place them in a plastic bag hanging from my kitchen doorknob. I take the bag every couple of days to a local recycling center, and sort through the bag there.
But I have an invasion of small black ants crawling on and through the plastic bag! If I store this sort of bag outdoors instead, I'll likely attract wildlife. Can't afford to buy several trash cans. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Try to store it off the ground and treat the outside of the container with a residual insecticide. Free food in any form will attract bugs so make sure you rinse out everything and let it dry. To get some other helpful hints check out this article http://pestcemetery.com/roaches-prefer-pepsi/ I hope it helps. Good Luck
I know from experience that baby powder will keep ants away (they can't breathe in it). I'm not sure how this would help you but maybe it's something to keep in mind for the future.
My mom swears by cinnamon. She used it on the floor around her trash cans and the ants wouln't go near it. And the good thing is that you can get it for less than a dollar at discount stores. I don't know what you'd do about the ants already on the bags, but next time you take them to the recycle center, sprinkle a thick line of cinnamon all around the area where you put your bags before you atart a new one, or wherever you see the ants coming from. Hope this helps!
My mom swears by cinnamon. She used it on the floor around her trash cans and the ants wouln't go near it. And the good thing is that you can get it for less than a dollar at discount stores. I don't know what you'd do about the ants already on the bags, but next time you take them to the recycle center, sprinkle a thick line of cinnamon all around the area where you put your bags before you atart a new one, or wherever you see the ants coming from. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the responses! I absolutely agree about the waste of water. And my shed is small & too far away for any workable solution. About the orange or peppermint oil: I can try that.
I've had good luck getting rid of ants by using peppermint oil (not the extract but the OIL; can be found at health or gourmet food stores) and cleaning products (like Pledge, Fantastic, etc.) that have orange oil in them. I'd just sprinkle or spray some of either oil in the bottom of each bag. If that doesn't work, try also adding some of the oil on the outside of the bag, like around the opening. Good luck!
Unfortunately, you will have difficulty keeping ants away unless you meticulously clean all your recyclables...which to me wastes much more valuable water. A covered trash can outside your home is probably your best bet. Do you have a shed or a garage?
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