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SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)

Posted by Ants in Band Hall on 4/17/2025, 8:56 am

We've had a problem with ants in our entire school this past school-year and ants have gotten in instruments as well. They do not bite, but are a nuisance. Every month we've had pest control come out.

Anyone have a safe solution on how to deal with ants without it affecting the instruments over the summer? This cannot continue next fall. Some of our band lockers cannot even be used, and students are having to store instruments elsewhere.

Re: SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)

Posted by Kramer on 4/25/2025, 7:59 am, in reply to "SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)"

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Put in a maintenance request EVERY DAY you still see ants and put in picture proof with your request. It's likely that the maintenance department has to report every month to the board on "number of requests submitted" and "number of requests completed." There needs to be a paper trail for your requests.

You absolutely should not be spraying any ant killer in your room. There are people in the district that are required to be certified to spray for pests, or at least have to hire an outside company that is certified. You are opening yourself up to a liability issue if you spray something that a student negatively reacts to in your room.

Re: SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)

Posted by Pictures! on 4/22/2025, 7:50 am, in reply to "SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)"

Make sure you take pictures of all those ants to send to maintenance. Ants have a knack for hiding when people come to check things out for pest control, so those pictures will show them the problem.

Re: SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)

Posted by Ant Man on 4/21/2025, 11:24 am, in reply to "SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)"

I use Maggie's No Spill Ant Kill bait traps. They work great when we get our twice a year visit from tiny black ants (regardless of food or no food).
But if you are talking about a LOT of ants, I would just harass your school/maintenance/admin about handling pest control instead of you finding a solution.

Re: SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)

Posted by Me on 4/17/2025, 7:03 pm, in reply to "SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)"

1. No more food in the band hall. At all. Ever. Even yours.

2. Open up the bottom panel on your lockers (assuming Wenger or equivalent) and place ant baits under every single one.

3. Let the professionals do their jobs this summer.

Re: SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)

Posted by ForeverN00B on 4/17/2025, 2:54 pm, in reply to "SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)"

Diatomaceous earth is a non-chemical way of dealing with them. It's just sand filled with tiny diatoms which are made out of basically microscopic bits of organic glass. The ants walk over it, and cut themselves to pieces.

Re: SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)

Posted by Me on 4/17/2025, 1:39 pm, in reply to "SUGGESTIONS...Need to fumigate (or any other alternative for ants)"

Do you allow food in the band hall? If so that is the first thing that has to go.

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