SO FED UP!! do you guys have this issue?

[turtlepunk]

So summer is here in So Cal and my apartment (that doesnt have central a/c) is getting pretty hot. This is only my second summer in this apartment and i know i didnt have this problem last year: ANTS SWARMING AND EATING MY FEEDER INSECTS!
No matter how clean i keep my apartment it seems that ants just keep coming in from EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY! They hang around water sources i noticed but while they are around scouting THEY FIND MY FEEDER INSECTS!! they found my superworms and FREAKING SWARMED!! it was a massacre! just today they found my repti-worms AND SWARMED!! ITS A NIGHTMARE!!! I had to throw out my supers and my reptiworms! I dont know what to do!
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to rid ants? (theyre the black sugar ants). I dread spraying, I have way too many animals! they like hanging around my turtle tank for water! and bait traps dont seem to be working =( im pulling my hair out!
THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!
any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rhetoric]

We had an ant problem last summer. We got the little "Terro" bait stations. They seemed to work well and it was safe to use around the dogs. We didn't want to use any sprays or anything because we have animals as well. Terro was the first we tried and it worked within a week or so. It takes some time because the ants would have to bring it back to the colony and spread it to the others. The way it worked was by stopping their digestive tracts. I'm not really sure what else to try, you've said you used the bait traps, what brand?

 

[Shadowgamer21]

I've never had this problem but maybe depending on what you keep your feeders in, line the outside with flypaper. The way ants find things is with their scouts, if their scouts never return to report they found food, then in theory your feeders should never get swarmed. Doesn't even have to be fly paper, something super sticky or kills them in some way.

 

[Kebechet]

Ants don't get along well with cinnamon. line the outsides of your enclosures with cinnamon, and see if it helps. It burns the ants if they step in it. If you're feeling particularly vindictive, pour cinnamon on some of them. Eventually they may get back to the nest and warn the others to stay away.

 

[Rhetoric]

Ooo yeah I also remember trying dish soap and water, something about regular dish soap that kills them almost on the spot.. But I didn't want to sit there with a spray bottle all day.

 

[brutus13]

Yes I know work with Lloyds pest control!! I remove all my animals for 8 hours then I scrub down my cages and ibnrver worry about bugs!!

 

[turtlepunk]

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR INPUT!! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!
im going to try everything mentioned!
@ ALEXI: i Used raid ant baits. the ants aren't attracted to it at all! I will definitely try terro. for now ill sprinkle cinnamon and lay down some fly paper!