# Ants and Urine



## tglazie (Jan 20, 2015)

Apologies for belaboring this topic, given that it comes up at least once per month, but I was wondering if anyone else had success using human urine to foil ant colonies. I recently returned from a friend who lives in Three Rivers, TX. He keeps a sulcata, and the topic of ants came up, about how much we hate them and my bemoaning the fact that they're impossible to kill lest one uses boiling water and poisons. During the discussion, he disclosed his method of dealing with them, namely, human urine. Now, this is going to sound disgusting, so fair warning to those with an especially stringent sense of hygiene, but my friend fills a few gallon jugs of urine every few months. He keeps these in reserve, and simply lets them "age." By the time winter is done and the ants are spreading their mounds onto his property in the spring time, anywhere he finds them, he just puts on a pair of surgical gloves and pours a gallon of rancid urine on the mound, after which he fences off the area like a biohazard and gives it a few days. He says if the ants haven't had enough, he lays on another gallon. He says the smell is eventually so awful that they leave. Anyone else experimented with this? Steve swears by it. I myself don't live on as big a piece of property as he does, so I don't know if my homestead is large enough for me and a few gallons of "aged" urine, but if it works and it poses no risk to the animals, I just might be willing. 

T.G.


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## ascott (Jan 20, 2015)

tglazie said:


> Apologies for belaboring this topic, given that it comes up at least once per month, but I was wondering if anyone else had success using human urine to foil ant colonies. I recently returned from a friend who lives in Three Rivers, TX. He keeps a sulcata, and the topic of ants came up, about how much we hate them and my bemoaning the fact that they're impossible to kill lest one uses boiling water and poisons. During the discussion, he disclosed his method of dealing with them, namely, human urine. Now, this is going to sound disgusting, so fair warning to those with an especially stringent sense of hygiene, but my friend fills a few gallon jugs of urine every few months. He keeps these in reserve, and simply lets them "age." By the time winter is done and the ants are spreading their mounds onto his property in the spring time, anywhere he finds them, he just puts on a pair of surgical gloves and pours a gallon of rancid urine on the mound, after which he fences off the area like a biohazard and gives it a few days. He says if the ants haven't had enough, he lays on another gallon. He says the smell is eventually so awful that they leave. Anyone else experimented with this? Steve swears by it. I myself don't live on as big a piece of property as he does, so I don't know if my homestead is large enough for me and a few gallons of "aged" urine, but if it works and it poses no risk to the animals, I just might be willing.
> 
> T.G.




http://deborahlayman.blogspot.com/2010/08/fire-ant-control-one-mans-methodology.html


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## Tom (Jan 20, 2015)

Hmmm... Worth a try. Don't know if you need to store it verses using "fresh", uhh, product.

It also seems to keep other wildlife away too. As if it announces, "Hey. This territory is already occupied by a dominant male..."

Doesn't seem to keep other humans away after the fact. Only if you get a direct hit during deposition of the "repellent".


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## WithLisa (Jan 21, 2015)

My neighbour tried fresh urine. It only killed her plants, but the ants didn't care.
She's a small, weak old lady, so maybe not enough "dominant male" odor? 

I guess rancid urine can chase away every living thing. I would only try that in a very large enclosure, so the tortoises can keep distance, the acrid smell is horrible.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jan 21, 2015)

Doesn't old urine loosely translate into pure ammonia? Would ammonia work? It is interesting. Would ants even care about a dominant male mammal?


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## leopard777 (Jan 21, 2015)

guess so , maybe its ammonia , are you talking about fire ants ? damn.... i hate their bites


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## Moozillion (Jan 21, 2015)

tglazie said:


> Apologies for belaboring this topic, given that it comes up at least once per month, but I was wondering if anyone else had success using human urine to foil ant colonies. I recently returned from a friend who lives in Three Rivers, TX. He keeps a sulcata, and the topic of ants came up, about how much we hate them and my bemoaning the fact that they're impossible to kill lest one uses boiling water and poisons. During the discussion, he disclosed his method of dealing with them, namely, human urine. Now, this is going to sound disgusting, so fair warning to those with an especially stringent sense of hygiene, but my friend fills a few gallon jugs of urine every few months. He keeps these in reserve, and simply lets them "age." By the time winter is done and the ants are spreading their mounds onto his property in the spring time, anywhere he finds them, he just puts on a pair of surgical gloves and pours a gallon of rancid urine on the mound, after which he fences off the area like a biohazard and gives it a few days. He says if the ants haven't had enough, he lays on another gallon. He says the smell is eventually so awful that they leave. Anyone else experimented with this? Steve swears by it. I myself don't live on as big a piece of property as he does, so I don't know if my homestead is large enough for me and a few gallons of "aged" urine, but if it works and it poses no risk to the animals, I just might be willing.
> 
> T.G.



Okay, now I've officially heard everything!!!


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## tglazie (Jan 21, 2015)

All interesting points. I'm lucky, given the fact that the fire ants keep popping up in one spot where nothing grows (open patch of ground, burns up in the sun every year; the dirt is practically petrified given all the ant colonies that have come and gone over the years, but they keep reoccupying the spot). It's in my biggest enclosure, occupied by Gino, a large thirteen year old marginated tortoise. So, I've never had to worry about plants in that particular spot, so I wouldn't have any concerns about poisoning plants. But that is certainly something I'd have to consider in the future. I poison any ants foolish enough to set up shop in my front yard, which I consider the frontline against the invasive threat, but once they get into the backyard, my options are limited to boiling water. If this urine thing works out, I'm definitely going to add it to my arsenal. 

T.G.


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## Tom (Jan 21, 2015)

I have found that different strategies work for different species of ants. I don't have fire ants here so I don't know what works for them. For the big red ants I use Amdro Ant Granules, but I don't follow the directions on the package. Its says to broadcast it and let them collect it. I find it works better if you dump it right down the hole and make a little mound over their entrance. Then they clear the obstruction by dragging the bait into the hill and feeding it to the colony. This will knock out the majority of them and a second application destroys the stragglers when they resurface a few weeks later.

I've had no problem doing this in the tortoise pens. I just block their access to the ant hill and granules until its all gone.

I'd be curious about how well this would work for fire ants, and the ammonia too.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jan 21, 2015)

tglazie said:


> All interesting points. I'm lucky, given the fact that the fire ants keep popping up in one spot where nothing grows (open patch of ground, burns up in the sun every year; the dirt is practically petrified given all the ant colonies that have come and gone over the years, but they keep reoccupying the spot). It's in my biggest enclosure, occupied by Gino, a large thirteen year old marginated tortoise. So, I've never had to worry about plants in that particular spot, so I wouldn't have any concerns about poisoning plants. But that is certainly something I'd have to consider in the future. I poison any ants foolish enough to set up shop in my front yard, which I consider the frontline against the invasive threat, but once they get into the backyard, my options are limited to boiling water. If this urine thing works out, I'm definitely going to add it to my arsenal.
> 
> T.G.


I have a supply of a product called "Cease fire". (Granules)It is no longer available. It eradicated my fire ants. They have been gone for years. I'd be happy to send you some.


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