View Full Version : How to keep ants off your food
In well travelled camp places, there is sometimes a problem with ants.
On our desert hikes, we usually spend a few days at the beach in a pretty basic but very nice camp.
There is a massive number of ants, which are so tiny that you could easily overlook them, just tiny black slashes of 2mm.
They can access any box or container, and will chew through most of the usual plastic wrappers.
So if you leave the backpack just plain resting on the floor, after one day your food most likely is spoiled.
Even hanging the pack or the foodbag off a chord will not solve the problem, but just postpone the issue for another day or so.
First solution I found so far is, to spray the chord the foodbag is hanging on with Moskito repellent.
Works fine for a few days, but eventually the repellent will fade and the ants come back.
Then I had the idea to apply a "Cup" to the middle of the chord, fill it with water and by this create a barrier that no ant will be able to pass.
Now I'm asking if anybody ever heard about or seen such a "Cup"?
If not, I'll produce one my own to see how it works.
For my humming bird feeders, I made one from a small aluminum can punching a hole in the bottom using a wire and JB weld. Kept the ants away.
One of my friends owns an exterminating company. Knowing my aversion to rampant use of insecticides and pesticides, yrs ago he told me to use ammonia. It works here in Georgia for the very tiny hard to individually see reddish black ants that rampage over food and drink around the kitchen and pantry.
I spray Dyneema packs with a WPing but on just the bottom how about applying Permethrin.
Baby bottle nipples might work:
https://www.google.com/search?q=baby+bottle+nipples&rlz=1C1CHZL_enUS721US721&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiygpj1roHfAhWB34MKHbm2DqIQ_AUIDygC&biw=1242&bih=569
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Bottle nipple - I'm afraid they won't work, as there is no geometry that would hold the "Cup" upright and the brim even.
What I would need is something like a bottle nipple (bottom-up), the nipple upended, and something to keep the stuff from tilting off.
When in this camp, I makeshifted a device from a piece of paracord and a plastic bottle srew-cap.
Looked nice and easy, but (a) was leaky and (b) didn't stay even.
This is (almost) 3rd world, so anything complicated would not work.
Best would be to makeshift something out of the all-present litter, like plasic bottles.
An idea hit me just minutes ago:
Cut off the top part of a syringe. Might just need some seal, wax could do the job here.
Thread the nipple onto the hanging cord and select the spot you want the nipple to be. Fill the long/narrow part of nipple with silicone caulk. center the cord and let dry. Nipple remains on cord during storage. Make it work! :-)
Lone Wolf
12-02-2018, 21:49
ants ain't a problem on the AT. walk on
True, the topic might fit better in a more technically related forum.
But maybe you could make good use of the experience with an ant-stopper to develope a bear-stopper?
MuddyWaters
12-03-2018, 15:18
Ive never had an ant eat thru a ziploc. And i dont want to run into ones that can
Maybe a brand new Ziplock can keep them off, but how long is a Ziplock in the backpack really brand-new?
Fact is, these tiny ants chewed through almost any bag, box or wrapper we ever had our food in.
Discussed the baby bottle nipple idea with my wife a bit, and as soon as our grandkids have a surplus one I'll give this a try.
One big advantage might be, that the setup would be rubbery and elastic so easy to store in the pack.
fiddlehead
12-03-2018, 18:25
Borax powder.
I live in the tropics.
We have lots of ants.
Spreading some borax around problem areas works.
Maybe a brand new Ziplock can keep them off, but how long is a Ziplock in the backpack really brand-new?
Fact is, these tiny ants chewed through almost any bag, box or wrapper we ever had our food in.
Discussed the baby bottle nipple idea with my wife a bit, and as soon as our grandkids have a surplus one I'll give this a try.
One big advantage might be, that the setup would be rubbery and elastic so easy to store in the pack.
Give me your address in a PM and I;ll send you 2 new ones to experiment....Christmas Gift. I ship to Austria :-)
Talk about Ultralight! No need to carry your own protein, just leave the carbs out for 15 minutes, and boil.
@Glenn:
Love the idea with Borax.
Will tell the owner of the camp about it (and lets hope they can get Borax in Egypt)
@Zelph:
Too big a honor!
Shipping baby stuff to us would equal to carrying water to the ocean.
@Zalman:
Those beasts are so tiny you'd need hundredthousands to ge a mouthful.
MtDoraDave
12-05-2018, 12:15
Treat the hanging cord with permethrin.
Similarly, treat a lightweight cloth bag (pillow case?) with permethrin and store the food in that.
.
Windex (glass cleaner with amonia) kills ants on contact. I use it on my kitchen counter when those little buggers show up. After it dries, however, it doesn't seem to be a repellent.
MtDoraDave
12-05-2018, 12:19
...and I have seen a hiker on the AT using one of those fabric bear-proof sacks whose food was ruined by ants - so this discussion could be applicable to AT.
I hate it when ants get in your hand soap
44203
MuddyWaters
12-05-2018, 15:29
.
Windex (glass cleaner with amonia) kills ants on contact. I use it on my kitchen counter when those little buggers show up. After it dries, however, it doesn't seem to be a repellent.
So does dish soap. In fact soap/water used to kill antpiles
So does dish soap. In fact soap/water used to kill antpiles
Only if it contains amonia as does windex.
Ammonia kills ants?
So, next time, I'll releave onto the foodbag to keep the ants off? <G>
What in the world have you been drinking:eek:
We usually spice up our food by loads of Chili oil.
But so far I've never seen an ant dying from it.
Just to add a bit of personal story:
I'm suffering from ants since ever.
Grew up (and am still living in) a very old tiny farmhouse, where ants invasions twice a year were common (so bad that in the past we had to thrash noticeable amounts of sugar, honey and other ant's favorites).
In the late 60ties we tried to get rid of them by severe poisons, which did more bad than good.
When I started travelling, mainly to the south, ants were a PIA on most places where hikers/travellers usually stayed.
Several times I had to decide whether to eat ants-infested bread or stay hungry.
We are still fighting ants here in our house occassionally, but nowadays there are extremely fine working "ants anti-baby-pills" available.
Now I'm on the way to find even better solutions to fight against ants while travelling, something that would work immediately, non-poisonous, without much additional stuff, something makeshift on-the-spot.
Borax powder.
I live in the tropics.
We have lots of ants.
Spreading some borax around problem areas works.
Leo, borax powder is a well known and used product for insects in the home and outside. it is used by people that have recreational vehicles in campgrounds when they stay for extended periods of time. They sprinkle it around the tires of their vehicles to so that insects will get it on their bodies as they crawl up the tires trying to get inside the vehicles and quckly die before they can do damage. Please look to see if the borax is available in your nearby cities. Spread it in areas that you think is best to eliminate the ants. Place it completely around your house foundation.
Borax is an aid in laundry detergent. Hope you can find it in your local stores.
Toxic Risks of Borax and Boric AcidAlthough Borax and boric acid is a more natural pest control than the sprays available through your local pest control source, or at the grocery store, it is not non-toxic by any means. If you (or your children, or your pets) eat borax or boric acid, the powder can cause nausea, vomiting, throat swelling, and other health problems. If you (or they) eat too much, a hospital visit may be necessary. That’s never a good thing.
To use the material safely, apply the powder in cracks and behind appliances, and do not use within a child or pet’s reach. Some people also report success with using the powder as a barrier around the foundation of their home and in any openings leading into the house.
https://cf3.s3.souqcdn.com/item/2018/04/24/33/53/20/26/item_XL_33532026_131418958.jpg
TexasBob
12-06-2018, 12:33
We were under assault by ants and roaches in an old apartment we rented years ago. What solved the problem was Roach Prufe (which is no longer available apparently) which was essentially the same as this product. Might be helpful.
https://www.amazon.com/BorActin-Insect-Dust-Lb-Bottle/dp/B00LCPIT1O/ref=sr_1_3?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1544113790&sr=1-3&keywords=BorActin+Insect+Dust+1+Lb.+Bottle
Funny thing, when I rebuilt our old house, I got adviced to use Borax to keep all kind of insects off the construction wood, so I took the effort to dissolve Borak in hot water (which was far from easy) and coated the massive beams with the solution.
Gave me extremely smooth skin on the hands for many days.
Never thought about using Borax as a common insect repellent, but sure will give it a try.
For hiking, downside is that if I forgot to carry Borax, I'm out of help.
Funny thing, when I rebuilt our old house, I got adviced to use Borax to keep all kind of insects off the construction wood, so I took the effort to dissolve Borak in hot water (which was far from easy) and coated the massive beams with the solution.
Gave me extremely smooth skin on the hands for many days.
Never thought about using Borax as a common insect repellent, but sure will give it a try.
For hiking, downside is that if I forgot to carry Borax, I'm out of help.
When used around an inside your house don't disolve it. Sprinkle the powder.
Have you tried using mylar ziploc type bags to put your food into. See link
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-x-8-Large-Multi-Purpose-Black-Mylar-Bag-Front-Side-Clear-/132209471331https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MtEAAOSw-3FZLMxa/s-l400.png
Not sure why, but this has been a fun thread to read. At my grandmothers house she always made up a batch of borax/sugar (3/1 ratio) soaked cotton balls. She'd place them around and it did a good job of knocking down the ant population. I had to look up the ratio, and when I did I saw that some people recommend using borax/maple syrup or borax/honey to make a hard candy kind of thing. Same idea; sugar attracts ants, they take it back to the nest, borax kills large amounts. Good luck.
fiddlehead
12-13-2018, 21:00
I first learned about borax as a remedy for carpet mites (I'm allergic to them)
Then I remembered that a good friend of mine talking about them for ant control and sprinkles the powder on his kitchen countertop.
He swore by it.
So, I found out where to buy some and made a solution from info found on this website: https://growyouthful.com/remedy/borax.php#borax-internal
And even tried drinking some of the weak solution.
I don't know if it did any good, but returning to the US and cold weather cured me eventually (at least I believe that was the solution)
But, you can find out a lot of useful info from that website about the benefits of borax.
I have since used it also to deter ants in and around our house in Thailand and it definitely works.
Good luck Leo. When is your middle east trip ?
Thanks for all the Input!
All I knew about Borax so far was, that old people used it to smoothen callused feet.
Zelph:
These tiny ants chew through normal plastic wrappers, but on bigger bags and containers they usually slip through tiny gaps.
Even Ziplocks that seem to be airtight won't stop them. I suspect they try and find the weakest spot and widen it by chewing.
To solve the issue on site, a low-tech solution would be best. High-tech you can't get in Egypt, and if you bring, nobody will understand how to handle it.
As it happened, my wife bought a few bags of Borax 40yrs ago when she started working as a nurse, and we still keep these in the garage, so I will give it a try this spring.
Glenn:
The big Sinai Trail hike will take place from Feb. 9th to Mar. 25th.
Not all of it will be hiking (South Sinai is not that big, after all) but as there will be various people joining me on and off, there will be several days sprinkeled in idling in camps, even in a hotel once.
I would look at Diatomaceous Earth. It's safe for humans and animals, and people even eat it for health benefits. It's dried plankton. The ants walk on it, and the sharp diatoms slice their exoskeleton. Death follows through desiccation.
HooKooDooKu
01-22-2019, 14:49
They can access any box or container, and will chew through most of the usual plastic wrappers.
Never heard of an ant that could chew thru plastic wrappers (especially not tiny 2mm sized ants).
However, they can get thru the tiniest of holes. Once had a loaf of bread closed with a twist tie and ants got to the bread thru the twist tie.
So if you leave the backpack just plain resting on the floor, after one day your food most likely is spoiled.
Why would you consider your food spoiled?
Ants pretty clean animals as they are loaded with antimicrobial agents to prevent disease destroying the colony.
Treat the hanging cord with permethrin.
That was my 1st thought.
I read that the way wasps prevent ants from accessing their larva is by building there nest off a stalk, and they treat the stalk with some chemical the ants won't cross.
atraildreamer
01-24-2019, 13:56
Bottle nipple - I'm afraid they won't work, as there is no geometry that would hold the "Cup" upright and the brim even.
What I would need is something like a bottle nipple (bottom-up), the nipple upended, and something to keep the stuff from tilting off.
Try pushing the nipple down thru the rubber body until it is almost inside out. Then thread the cord thru the nipple and fill the inside of the nipple with silicone, or whatever, to hold it in place.
Flip it upside down, hang it and fill it with water. It should be stable.
MaryaliceRitchlin
02-03-2019, 04:16
That is a big problem. I think we should keep ant repellent but don't think it would work appropriately.
Try pushing the nipple down thru the rubber body until it is almost inside out. Then thread the cord thru the nipple and fill the inside of the nipple with silicone, or whatever, to hold it in place.
Flip it upside down, hang it and fill it with water. It should be stable.
That will work nicely.
Still have a few days before we'll leave for the desert, will give some of the ideas a try.
Diatomaceous earth is less toxic around human food.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Safer-Brand-4-lb-Diatomaceous-Earth-Bed-Bug-Flea-Ant-Crawling-Insect-Killer-51703/206857782
https://www.seekyt.com/get-rid-of-ants-with-diatomaceous-earth/
https://www.diatomaceousearth.com/blogs/learning-center/natural-indoor-ant-treatment
It can be found in the pool supply or plants supply Depts at HD, Lowes, hardware stores and pool supply stores. I use for ants, fleas, snails, slugs, cockroaches, centipedes, etc. I spread it on fire ant mounds as a non toxic to humans alternative. I still, don't rec breathing the dust! It has no side affects to lawn or ornamental plants I know of. I spread some around and in garbage pails during summer. Maggots and flies don't like it either. Spread a circumference ring around the food. I use it in the garden and house spread around doorway thresholds, behind refrigerators, and along baseboards. If used outdoors it has to be reapplied after a rain. It dissolves. Still, a 4 lb bag usually lasts me in GA at home and in gardening use 12 months. A Ziploc full should be more than enough on a hike for several days.
If you have a dog or cat where it normally beds sprinkling some around these areas will repel not only fleas, but hookworms, roundworms(both these worms can infect humans too), mites, ticks and other parasites. Sprinkle some food grade DE under furniture and under chair and couch pads. I buy larger bags sprinkling it entirely on lawns where my pets and children roam. It helps not only prevent fire ants but ticks and chiggers. I've met some dog breeders who will add a small amt of food graded DE to animal to feed.
http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com/diatomaceous-earth-for-fleas.html
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/benefits-diatomaceous-earth/
Solutions don't always have to be gained through chemicals.
atraildreamer
02-06-2019, 13:38
Diatomaceous earth is less toxic around human food.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Safer-Brand-4-lb-Diatomaceous-Earth-Bed-Bug-Flea-Ant-Crawling-Insect-Killer-51703/206857782
https://www.seekyt.com/get-rid-of-ants-with-diatomaceous-earth/
https://www.diatomaceousearth.com/blogs/learning-center/natural-indoor-ant-treatment
It can be found in the pool supply or plants supply Depts at HD, Lowes, hardware stores and pool supply stores. I use for ants, fleas, snails, slugs, cockroaches, centipedes, etc. I spread it on fire ant mounds as a non toxic to humans alternative. I still, don't rec breathing the dust! It has no side affects to lawn or ornamental plants I know of. I spread some around and in garbage pails during summer. Maggots and flies don't like it either. Spread a circumference ring around the food. I use it in the garden and house spread around doorway thresholds, behind refrigerators, and along baseboards. If used outdoors it has to be reapplied after a rain. It dissolves. Still, a 4 lb bag usually lasts me in GA at home and in gardening use 12 months. A Ziploc full should be more than enough on a hike for several days.
Diatomaceous earth works by cutting into the bodies of the insects that crawl on the stuff. It is also very effective in killing bedbugs. If they swallow it, they die from internal injuries. In other words, in both cases, they bleed to death. :eek:
Don't breathe in the stuff, or accidentally swallow it.