Do I have to dislose to guests when I am treating for sugar ants? How do I handle this?

[Dawn150]

I have been treating for sugar ants for just over two weeks now. They are greatly reduced in numbers and those that remain are very sluggish.

I have guests arriving this afternoon, shall I leave the traps in place? They will be somewhat visible. Should I disclose this to them when they arrive? 

I have had guests since this was discovered to be a problem and all have been quite understanding and I just don't know what the best protocol is? Thoughts!

[Matthew285]

@Dawn150 I am not familiar with sugar ants, or what the traps would mean for a traveler.

You should probably use this reasoning: if you were traveling and staying at a place that was treating for sugar ants, would you want to be informed?

[Dawn150]

Thank you Matthew...I like that, turn the question around.

[Kimberly54]

@Dawn150,  You have an infestation problem you've known about for over 2 weeks and you still don't have it under control... with guests arriving?

[Lisa723]

@Kimberly54 this is a problem everywhere in this part of the country at this time of year. These ants are very difficult to eliminate as there seems to be an infinite supply; no matter how many you kill, more will find their way in. The only way I've found to control them is to make sure absolutely no unsealed food is anywhere in the space. Even when you warn guests of this, they don't necessarily take it seriously. 

[Kimberly54]

@Lisa723, please don't get me wrong.  I totally understand the ant situation.  Here in San Diego, summers can get a little warm and the ants want to come in from the heat, and perhaps a drink of water?  It can get a little crazy.  As in, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU LOOKING FOR????  No food out, no water in the sink, and a trail from (WHERE???).  Empathy, 100%.

AND... if I were a guest and someone didn't seem to have a handle on it, I'd be out in a second, asking for a refund and probably not giving a great review. (Even if I was staying in my own house!)

Best,

[Lisa723 · Accepted solution]

@Dawn150 I would inform the guests in advance, and offer them the choice of leaving the traps in place or not.

[Dawn150]

Thank you Lisa...for a couple of reasons;-)  I believe I will give my guests the choice and continue to learn as I go..I will continue to treat aggressively both inside and outside of my home, it is still early in the season for these tiny tyrants and I need to stay ahead of them.  I'm still quite green at this hosting and am so grateful for the community. Truly...I love my new job.

[Sandra126]

Once sugar ants find a source, they are unstoppable until the source disappears. Not sure what trap you use, but if it is as I imagine it will be a source in itself, and the trap keeps attracting them. So, is there a way to have the trap outside where they can enjoy the sweet goodness of toxic honey or whatever is inside it? It probably isn't or you would have done it... But wherever you put it, the ants will find it if it's the only way to eat. I find in the extreme dry they also look for water so will head for any kitchen they can find.

I would certainly stress to guests that keeping the kitchen immaculate is essential!

[Sandra126]

And can I add, in my own kitchen (have never had them in the accomm, thankfully) we store the sugar and honey in the fridge despite it going hard, and teabags are taken from the cups before sugar is added (otherwise the used teabags will attract them). This is how keen they are. We have found that poisoning them has virtually no effect other than attracting more, but they leave immediately there is no source. Hard in an accommodation where there will be a crumb, a used teabag... Especially if the guests are there for several nights.

[Dawn150]

Thanks Sandra, Wow....Sounds like I have a battle on my hands although we have never had them in this space before. Our home is very old and the suite is brand new..perhaps we upset them with all the pounding, painting and commotion;-) I appreciate your input and will consider it going forward. I certainly don't want this to continue.

[John7196]

yes these little tricks for those of us who grew up with ants in older houses especially know it keeps the numbers down...it also signals without a note (note best I think) what is working to keep the rental as ant free as feasible given climate/tropical and age of house etc. 

our 1950's mobile home was an ant resort but Tetra traps from bix box store along surfaces where wall meets and wiping dry all sinks all the time (not the bath, gotta stop somewhere but that would have helped honestly)...worked great for us...

so in our case pesticides outside wouldn't have solved it because the ants literally lived under the mobile home it was so old, not in a tropical place either but a place that goes below zero a tiny bit winters and below freezing a few weeks/ NW WA

[Paul154]

I ask myself, what's worse:

A guest who might see an ant trap and understands a potential problem is getting address 

OR 

Some corporate computer reading all your emails and finding the word "ant" and then alerting you to your "bug" and pestilence problem. And then that computer  scolding you and putting you in the naughty list.

Hide the ant traps or make them visible. You don't need to talk about them. 

And they are terrible here too.

[Dawn150]

Ha....Thank you Paul, This made me laugh out loud!

[Sarah977]

Sugar ants are harmless- they don't bite, don't carry disease. Many people are scared of insects because they are just insect phobes, or they don't know anything about that kind of insect- whether it could be in some way dangerous to them.

That said, if they are insect-averse guests, they could use that for a bad review, or a full cancellation. Actually those ant traps with sugary stuff and boric acid work great and do eventually get rid of all the ants, as the ants take it back to the nest and it poisons the whole nest, altho it takes awhile. When I used them, they did attract even more ants for a short while, then there were no more ants at all.

I'd inform the guests about the traps as far as just letting them know what they are there for in case they've never seen an ant trap before-  explain to them that they are just endemic to the area and you've been on it as far as keeping them out of the house and that if they leave ANY food or crumbs around, the ants will be back.

Ants do not like crossing a line of cinnamon- you can put cinnamon lines across the window sills and wherever they like to get in, and smells good, too. Won't kill them, but will help keep them at bay while the guests are there.