Kimi Harris
Ants are making their way into homes this
time of year. Thankfully there are natural pest control methods to help
you cope with and eliminate the problem. Plus, many of the solutions use
what you already have in your cupboard!
Little tiny ants have been spotted in
our new home, and many people are suffering the same fate across the
country. As much as I love spring, I don't like bugs — especially bugs
that can infest a house. Last week I asked for some advice in
how to deal with ants naturally
as I hadn't time to research it myself since I moved this last weekend.
I got such good advice, I had to share it with the readers here at MNN
as well.
Some of these measures are deterrents. That is, they deter the ants
from coming in your house. This seems to work well for those with a
mild problem. Others found that they needed to use a method that kills
the whole colony of ants. I've compiled the comments and suggestions by
category, allowing you to compare the different methods a little more
easily.
1. Lemon juice
Teresa: We just spray around the openings with pure lemon
juice … and it always works for us … something about the acid messes up
their sense of tracking…
2. Cinnamon
Shayla:We use ground cinnamon around where there are coming it. It works really well.
Peggy: We spray cinnamon essential oil all around the
doors, windowsills, floors, etc. keeps them from coming in. I put the
sugar water and borax OUTSIDE!
Letia: Another vote for ground cinnamon. Easy to clean up afterwards and worked great for us!!!
Jean: Cinnamon and cloves. Makes your house smell nice and the ants just hate it sprinkled right in their path.
Patricia: We also use cinnamon oil. We draw borders around everything with a Q-tip dipped in it. They won’t cross it.
3. Peppermint
Heather: My mother-in-law has success with peppermint
essential oil around windows and doors (any entries). Plus her house
then smells awesome.
Julie: Dr. Bonner’s liquid soap in the mint aroma. Mix 1
to 1 with water in a spray bottle. Spray on the ant invasion and watch
them suffer.
4. Borax, water and sugar
Kristi: We use borax, sugar, water and a touch of peanut
butter. It takes a couple of weeks but really works. We used it last
year in our old house and are implementing it again this spring in our
new house. Pesky ants! Here is the site where I found the recipe:
http://naturalantkiller.blogspot.com/
Christy: I second Diana’s comment about borax and sugar.
I’ve made a thin paste before with water, sugar and borax, then spread
it on little pieces of thin cardboard or stiff cardstock and placed them
near where it seems they are coming into the house. They’ll eat it and
take it back to their colony (just like the
Terro liquid you can buy).
The paste will dry up in a couple days, so you’ll have to make more. But
I think I only had to do it twice before they were gone.
Chookie: What worked for us was a mixture of borax and
sugar in water. Several years ago, we lived in a house where there was
an ants nest in the walls. Removing it would have meant virtually
demolishing the entire front wall of the house (not practical!), so
instead, after a year or two of having flying ants swarm into our
bedroom every year we decided to go on an ant killing
spree. Conventional ant killers didn’t work. Borax and powdered sugar
didn’t work. But adding water to the borax and sugar mix to make a thick
sugary borax-y syrup DID work…. the worker ants took it back into the
nest and it positioned the queen – result = no more flying ants. OK, so
borax does need to be kept away from pets and small children, but it is
relatively safe beyond that as it is only toxic if you eat it. my
solution was to put it somewhere where the kids and the cats would not
reach it but the ants could.
BeverlyC: We live in China and had a HORRIBLE ant problem
in our house. Tried cinnamon, black pepper, vinegar, etc. etc. We were
concerned about the borax because we have guests in and out regularly
and the little children are often, well, naughty and undisciplined. When
someone suggested Terro liquid ant bait and we found it was just Borax
and sugar, we asked someone to bring us some. We could pick the traps up
and put them away when company came and put them back out after they
left. They worked wonders!!
5. Boiling water and dish soap
Jennie: We make sure all of our food is sealed up. The
honey jar is usually the biggest ant magnet, so it gets a thorough
washing and then is placed on a small water-filled saucer in the
cupboard. We use a spray bottle filled with water and a squirt of liquid
dish soap (I use Seventh Generation) to kill any visible ants. I also
look around outside to try to find their hill; pouring a kettle of
boiling water on it solves the problem.
Christy: I’ve done what Jennie mentioned too – boiling
water will destroy an ant colony, or weeds popping up between sidewalk
cracks or in mulch. It’s an easy, purely natural way to kill things that
we don’t often think about.
6. Diatomaceous earth
Karen: Yes … diatomaceous earth (DE) works well … use
food-grade not swimming pool DE. It should be sprinkled around the
perimeter of your new home and you can also safely sprinkle it inside
where you see them. Do not wet the DE or it will not work. DE isn’t an
instant kill but should resolve the problem within a week or so.
Jami: I have a pretty serious any invasion at my house
too. When I moved in last April they had already made themselves at
home. I did the cinnamon thing last year and worked ok, but they just
kept finding new ways in. My ants weren’t attracted to sugary things,
but protein, especially the dog food. This year I made some borax
cookies and put them in the old fireplace where I noticed the ants
returning a week ago. I also sprinkled DE around the perimeter of my
kitchen and that seems to have worked better than anything so far for
immediate results.
7. Chalk
Natalie: Oh! And they will not cross a line drawn in
chalk. I drew a line around my window where they were coming in and it
kept them at bay.
Anali: My grandparents has really good results with the
line of chalk, they used powder that you can get at home improvement
stores. It comes in a squeezey bottle so it’s easy to lay down a line
with.
8. Baking soda and powdered sugar
Jennifer: Ants carry an acidic substance with them always
for protection. I do a mix of baking soda and powdered sugar in a
plastic lid set in strategic places. I think a little volcanic science
experiment happens inside their bodies. Over the course of several days
it has made a huge difference.
9. Coffee grounds
Lea: I have had success with used coffee grounds, I did
know where their entry was, after putting it in the cracks they never
returned. I also do know it doesn’t kill them, it just makes them move
homes, (we have put them on beds outside and we just see them pop up a
small distance away.
10. Cornmeal
Jill: One more thing to add to this. I saw somewhere to
use corn meal. Well, it worked out since some moths got into my
cornmeal, and I felt bad wasting it. That’s when I saw the idea and
tried it. I sprinkled a little bit just off the back porch. Every day I
would check and every day the same trail of ants was still there. Then I
forgot about it. My daughter found another ant nest further out in the
yard, and it made me remember to check the last trail. It was gone,
completely gone. So, I sprinkled it on the new nest, and less than a
week later, it is gone. If you google it there are a ton of places where
it mentions it. Here’s just one link, and if you scroll to the Tip
there is still another idea using molasses. Although if cornmeal will
work I think it’s cheaper, and safer around kids and pets.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6395566_kill-ants-corn-meal.html
11. Cream of Wheat
Rebecca: Cream of wheat! They eat it & it expands
& they explode! Ha! I used it in my garden for ant problems. Kind of
makes you wonder what it does to our insides when we eat it too
12. Vinegar
Kristie: Vinegar! Since we switched to using a
vinegar/water solution for mopping the floors and cleaning the counters,
our ant problem has vanished.
Mysty: Vinegar is the one sure solution, but you need to
pour it where the ants have their nest, not just to where they walk
around. If you find their nest just pour about 0.5-1 L of white (cheap)
vinegar. I never had ant problems but my grandparents sometimes has as
they has a big farm and there is always an ant problem is some corner of
the farm
Cath: We used a mixture of vinegar, washing up liquid
(ecover) and peppermint oil last year. Tracked them back to their nest
and syringed it into the cracks. They never came back.
13. Equal
Tea Leaf: We killed our ants by mixing Equal packets with
apple juice. It is a neurotoxin to the ants. Scary that people put these
in their coffee.
Little tiny ants have been spotted in
our new home, and many people are suffering the same fate across the
country. As much as I love spring, I don't like bugs — especially bugs
that can infest a house. Last week I asked for some advice in
how to deal with ants naturally
as I hadn't time to research it myself since I moved this last weekend.
I got such good advice, I had to share it with the readers here at MNN
as well.
Some of these measures are deterrents. That is, they deter the ants
from coming in your house. This seems to work well for those with a
mild problem. Others found that they needed to use a method that kills
the whole colony of ants. I've compiled the comments and suggestions by
category, allowing you to compare the different methods a little more
easily.
1. Lemon juice
Teresa: We just spray around the openings with pure lemon
juice … and it always works for us … something about the acid messes up
their sense of tracking…
2. Cinnamon
Shayla:We use ground cinnamon around where there are coming it. It works really well.
Peggy: We spray cinnamon essential oil all around the
doors, windowsills, floors, etc. keeps them from coming in. I put the
sugar water and borax OUTSIDE!
Letia: Another vote for ground cinnamon. Easy to clean up afterwards and worked great for us!!!
Jean: Cinnamon and cloves. Makes your house smell nice and the ants just hate it sprinkled right in their path.
Patricia: We also use cinnamon oil. We draw borders around everything with a Q-tip dipped in it. They won’t cross it.
3. Peppermint
Heather: My mother-in-law has success with peppermint
essential oil around windows and doors (any entries). Plus her house
then smells awesome.
Julie: Dr. Bonner’s liquid soap in the mint aroma. Mix 1
to 1 with water in a spray bottle. Spray on the ant invasion and watch
them suffer.
4. Borax, water and sugar
Kristi: We use borax, sugar, water and a touch of peanut
butter. It takes a couple of weeks but really works. We used it last
year in our old house and are implementing it again this spring in our
new house. Pesky ants! Here is the site where I found the recipe:
http://naturalantkiller.blogspot.com/
Christy: I second Diana’s comment about borax and sugar.
I’ve made a thin paste before with water, sugar and borax, then spread
it on little pieces of thin cardboard or stiff cardstock and placed them
near where it seems they are coming into the house. They’ll eat it and
take it back to their colony (just like the Terro liquid you can buy).
The paste will dry up in a couple days, so you’ll have to make more. But
I think I only had to do it twice before they were gone.
Chookie: What worked for us was a mixture of borax and
sugar in water. Several years ago, we lived in a house where there was
an ants nest in the walls. Removing it would have meant virtually
demolishing the entire front wall of the house (not practical!), so
instead, after a year or two of having flying ants swarm into our
bedroom every year we decided to go on an ant killing
spree. Conventional ant killers didn’t work. Borax and powdered sugar
didn’t work. But adding water to the borax and sugar mix to make a thick
sugary borax-y syrup DID work…. the worker ants took it back into the
nest and it positioned the queen – result = no more flying ants. OK, so
borax does need to be kept away from pets and small children, but it is
relatively safe beyond that as it is only toxic if you eat it. my
solution was to put it somewhere where the kids and the cats would not
reach it but the ants could.
BeverlyC: We live in China and had a HORRIBLE ant problem
in our house. Tried cinnamon, black pepper, vinegar, etc. etc. We were
concerned about the borax because we have guests in and out regularly
and the little children are often, well, naughty and undisciplined. When
someone suggested Terro liquid ant bait and we found it was just Borax
and sugar, we asked someone to bring us some. We could pick the traps up
and put them away when company came and put them back out after they
left. They worked wonders!!
5. Boiling water and dish soap
Jennie: We make sure all of our food is sealed up. The
honey jar is usually the biggest ant magnet, so it gets a thorough
washing and then is placed on a small water-filled saucer in the
cupboard. We use a spray bottle filled with water and a squirt of liquid
dish soap (I use Seventh Generation) to kill any visible ants. I also
look around outside to try to find their hill; pouring a kettle of
boiling water on it solves the problem.
Christy: I’ve done what Jennie mentioned too – boiling
water will destroy an ant colony, or weeds popping up between sidewalk
cracks or in mulch. It’s an easy, purely natural way to kill things that
we don’t often think about.
6. Diatomaceous earth
Karen: Yes … diatomaceous earth (DE) works well … use
food-grade not swimming pool DE. It should be sprinkled around the
perimeter of your new home and you can also safely sprinkle it inside
where you see them. Do not wet the DE or it will not work. DE isn’t an
instant kill but should resolve the problem within a week or so.
Jami: I have a pretty serious any invasion at my house
too. When I moved in last April they had already made themselves at
home. I did the cinnamon thing last year and worked ok, but they just
kept finding new ways in. My ants weren’t attracted to sugary things,
but protein, especially the dog food. This year I made some borax
cookies and put them in the old fireplace where I noticed the ants
returning a week ago. I also sprinkled DE around the perimeter of my
kitchen and that seems to have worked better than anything so far for
immediate results.
7. Chalk
Natalie: Oh! And they will not cross a line drawn in
chalk. I drew a line around my window where they were coming in and it
kept them at bay.
Anali: My grandparents has really good results with the
line of chalk, they used powder that you can get at home improvement
stores. It comes in a squeezey bottle so it’s easy to lay down a line
with.
8. Baking soda and powdered sugar
Jennifer: Ants carry an acidic substance with them always
for protection. I do a mix of baking soda and powdered sugar in a
plastic lid set in strategic places. I think a little volcanic science
experiment happens inside their bodies. Over the course of several days
it has made a huge difference.
9. Coffee grounds
Lea: I have had success with used coffee grounds, I did
know where their entry was, after putting it in the cracks they never
returned. I also do know it doesn’t kill them, it just makes them move
homes, (we have put them on beds outside and we just see them pop up a
small distance away.
10. Cornmeal
Jill: One more thing to add to this. I saw somewhere to
use corn meal. Well, it worked out since some moths got into my
cornmeal, and I felt bad wasting it. That’s when I saw the idea and
tried it. I sprinkled a little bit just off the back porch. Every day I
would check and every day the same trail of ants was still there. Then I
forgot about it. My daughter found another ant nest further out in the
yard, and it made me remember to check the last trail. It was gone,
completely gone. So, I sprinkled it on the new nest, and less than a
week later, it is gone. If you google it there are a ton of places where
it mentions it. Here’s just one link, and if you scroll to the Tip
there is still another idea using molasses. Although if cornmeal will
work I think it’s cheaper, and safer around kids and pets.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6395566_kill-ants-corn-meal.html
11. Cream of Wheat
Rebecca: Cream of wheat! They eat it & it expands
& they explode! Ha! I used it in my garden for ant problems. Kind of
makes you wonder what it does to our insides when we eat it too
12. Vinegar
Kristie: Vinegar! Since we switched to using a
vinegar/water solution for mopping the floors and cleaning the counters,
our ant problem has vanished.
Mysty: Vinegar is the one sure solution, but you need to
pour it where the ants have their nest, not just to where they walk
around. If you find their nest just pour about 0.5-1 L of white (cheap)
vinegar. I never had ant problems but my grandparents sometimes has as
they has a big farm and there is always an ant problem is some corner of
the farm
Cath: We used a mixture of vinegar, washing up liquid
(ecover) and peppermint oil last year. Tracked them back to their nest
and syringed it into the cracks. They never came back.
13. Equal
Tea Leaf: We killed our ants by mixing Equal packets with
apple juice. It is a neurotoxin to the ants. Scary that people put these
in their coffee.
Some of these measures are deterrents. That is, they deter the ants
from coming in your house. This seems to work well for those with a
mild problem. Others found that they needed to use a method that kills
the whole colony of ants. I've compiled the comments and suggestions by
category, allowing you to compare the different methods a little more
easily.
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