# "Organic"-living pregnant tenants & sugar ants **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884 "2015-06-18T19:20:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/1 "2015-06-18T19:20:01Z")
Sub. line is pretty much the the problem. And please don’t tell me to tell them that this organic whatever is woo. Whatever your opinion-landlords don’t ask those kinds of questions routinely, and pregnancy is protected. So what to do. We’ve tried the usual organic remedies-cinnamon, bay leaves, vinegar, citrus and nothing. So I want to use my tried and true never has failed me yet Terro (found out about that here!) spray and traps. They’re hesitant about the chemicals but still complaining. Old building, no lease, we have for years (7 yr. tenancy) pretty much shared varmint killing responsibilities. It’s her first, she’s miscarried once so naturally she’s cautious. BUT, that said, they have open food around, a lot of open food. Like their cereals and grains. I can only preach that that stuff needs to be in jars and things. Latest infestation is bad. We’re on the other side of the duplex, and Terro loving me has no ants. I can spray the hell out of the outside, but am at a loss as to what to do inside. I seem to be in a corner on this. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/2 "2015-06-18T19:24:02Z")
I take it that Borax counts as non-organic? If not, see here: > **[Step-by-Step Instructions](https://boraxantkiller.com/step-by-step-instructions/)** > > There are three basic steps that you will need to do to create your own borax ant killer traps and use them to start killing ants. You will need to mix the poison, create and fill the traps and then place the traps. Below is a complete step-by-step... If yes, then: 1. Damp sponge to get rid of the ants. 2. Clean up after every food prep. 3. Put the dang food away where the ants can’t get at it. 4. If (3) offends their sensibilities, learn to live with ants. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/3 "2015-06-18T19:25:59Z")
[Boric acid.](http://www.omri.org/simple-gml-search/results/%22Boric%20Acid%22) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/4 "2015-06-18T19:40:56Z")
Why AREN’T they storing their food better? Is it a matter of the cost of better, sealable packaging? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/5 "2015-06-18T20:16:56Z")
Agree, boric acid or maybe diatomaceous earth. Not sure if the latter works on ants, but it does on other insects. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/6 "2015-06-18T21:02:31Z")
Tell them to eat the ants. They’re generally tasty, high in protein, and easy to catch and kill. I’m only kidding a little bit here. If they’re crunchy-granola-enough folks, they might get on board with this. Then you can cut back on the Terro as they graze your ants away too. Convincing them that a little cleanliness is important for the baby’s health will do wonder for your vermin problem. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/7 "2015-06-18T22:04:10Z")
I’ve never tried it, but I’ve heard from a number of people that ants can’t digest cornmeal and it kills them. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/8 "2015-06-18T23:04:28Z")
If they don’t cut off the food supply by properly storing their edibles the outbreak will never end. Honestly, you’ll just have to keep repeating that until they get it. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/9 "2015-06-18T23:17:27Z")
What state are we talking about? While landlords are generally responsible for controlling pests, there are always going to be some provisions there about tenants who create the problem for themselves (such as with open food containers). Furthermore, I can’t imagine a law that would allow the tenants to dictate your pest control methods, especially if those methods are questionable in effectiveness. Anyway, the best suggestion I can make is a sticky trap. Example: [http://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Count-Ant-Glue-Traps/dp/B002GTZOJU](http://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Count-Ant-Glue-Traps/dp/B002GTZOJU) ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/10 "2015-06-19T02:42:44Z")
I think the tenant needs to take reasonable precautions to store food properly. Then they need to clean their counter tops (hot water and soap should be fine) and mop all hard floor surfaces. After THAT, you should apply pesticide for the ants. Because if you try to kill the ants while there’s an open and easily available food source, you might as well try to hold back the sea. I agree with dracoi that nothing in the landlord agreement says that you have to follow their \*preferred \*method of pest removal, especially if it could lead to a larger problem for your property. “Organic” pest control just doesn’t work as well as conventional, so you use more of a less-effective product. Also, as a landlord, you have a vested interest in telling them to store their food properly so this isn’t an ongoing problem. Ants today, roaches tomorrow, then mice in the winter. Can you imagine trying to humanely and organically remove mice with a new baby in their house? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/11 "2015-06-19T18:08:05Z")
Answer [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Anteater). Cute, fuzzy and completely organic. Comes in several varieties and sizes. Just doesn’t come when you call. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/12 "2015-06-19T19:29:03Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Answer [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Anteater). Cute, fuzzy and completely organic. Comes in several varieties and sizes. Just doesn’t come when you call. Pretty sure the landlord will not be happy about this feature (quoted from Wikipedia): “They use their large, curved foreclaws to tear open ant and termite mounds” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/13 "2015-06-19T21:00:35Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Pretty sure the landlord will not be happy about this feature (quoted from Wikipedia): “They use their large, curved foreclaws to tear open ant and termite mounds” 🙂 It’s OK, they’re organic foreclaws. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/14 "2015-06-21T13:35:32Z")
Hey, they’re aerating the soil. That’s good, right? ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/15 "2015-06-21T14:33:36Z")
I’ve met way too many crunchy-granola people who seem to use it as some excuse to be pigs to be very tolerant of the “food all over” if I were a landlord. Have a serious talk. As in I will not help you until all the food is in proper bug preventing containers. The mention upthread was correct, ants now, roaches, pantry moths and mice later. Just. Gah. Tell them to stop being slobs. The only compromise I can see working, between them storing foods correctly and then you helping with pest control, is what works for me. Since I have cats I don’t like using pesticide sprays either, and instead use the little baits by Raid that you set around the baseboards and outside doors. Different from the Terro products I’m looking up, it’s a solid so there’s no chance of spilling or anything where it might come in contact with hands if those are concerns for the tenants. They’re also 0.01% pesticide and very effective, and say child proof on the package. And one pack of 4 baits is about $6 at the grocery store, so way cheaper than those Terro borax baits. Each time I’ve used these, it’s been in the spring and then they worked for two years, so I’ve only had to put them out every other year. [http://www.raidkillsbugs.com/en-us/products/raid-ant-baits/tabs/ingredients](http://www.raidkillsbugs.com/en-us/products/raid-ant-baits/tabs/ingredients) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organic-living-pregnant-tenants-sugar-ants/722884/16 "2015-06-21T15:31:30Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > We’ve tried the usual organic remedies-cinnamon, They want to use “organic” pest control, meanwhile cinnamon is considered a natural abortifacient. 😕 > **[Cinnamon Side Effects](http://www.med-health.net/Cinnamon-Powder.html)** > > Cinnamon is commonly used around the world and it has been associated with many benefits. However, there are certain cinnamon side effects that may occur for certain people so it is important to take precautions with this spice. [http://www.getpregnantover40.com/having-natural-miscarriage.htm](http://www.getpregnantover40.com/having-natural-miscarriage.htm) > [@](#): > > Cinnamon is also popular to use to help with a natural miscarriage. Cinnamon is taken from the bark of the cinnamon tree and can be purchased as a quill (the tube shape) or as ground powder. It stimulates the uterus and can cause contractions. Cinnamon supplements may be best as they are already measured in safe doses. Too much cinnamon can cause liver toxicity. Cinnamon may also be helpful after a miscarriage because it can help stop bleeding and encourage healing because of its affect on blood platelets.