Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

Last post 05-17-2008 9:58 PM by saw-whet. 8 replies.
Page 1 of 1 (9 items)
Sort Posts: Previous Next
  • 05-03-2008 3:15 PM

    Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    This is only the second time in 8 yrs. I have had ants crawling on the countertops and the floor. So far I have only seen 6 but my eye's are bad so I may have missed some. I read somewhere that they don't like lemon so I took some lemon juice on a paper towel and wiped the countertops. I did buy some "ant traps"but I really don't think them little things do any good. Any idea's? Here in WI it has been sooo very rainy and we sure did have a lot of snow so I was wondering if maybe it is so wet outside they decided to come in!!

  • 05-03-2008 3:27 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    Boric acid (Borax) is the most common ingredient in house ant control products, and get this: it's abolutely 100% natural. the best way (in my opinion) to use boric acid is to mix 1 cup of warm water with 1/2 cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of boric acid. Then soak the boric acid up with cotton balls and place those cotton balls near any trails the ants have estabilished in your home.

    Home Remedies For Ants

    Boiling Water

    Put a quick end to ants that are ruining your garden or invading the house itself with one of the quickest home remedies for ants.

    Locate the ant hills and pour a kettle of boiling water down each of them.

    Instant Grits

    Take 1 tablespoon of Instant Grits and sprinkle it over each ant mound.

    Duct Tape

    This is one of the most effective home remedies for ants that are destroying your trees, plants and shrubs. Wrap a piece of Duct Tape around the trunk of the tree or plant, sticky side out.

    Yeast Molasses Sugar Mix

    Mix together 1 part sugar, 1 part active yeast and 2 parts molasses. Drop the mixture, 1 teaspoon at at time, onto small pieces of paper.

    Strategically place the pieces of paper along ant trails or where the ant problem is obvious. This is one of the safest home remedies for ants because it contains no chemicals.

    Garlic Onion Pepper Mix

    Take a quart of water and add 1 clove of garlic, 1 small onion and 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper. Let that mixture set there for about 1 hour.

    Next add 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Put the concoction in a spray bottle and spray it around the house where you have ant problem areas. This is also one of the safer home remedies for ants.

    Salt

    Janice from South Carolina writes: "For control of ants in the home, find the infested area and the source or trail where they are coming from, and use household table salt. Sprinkle around window sills, baseboards, door thresholds, anywhere where needed.

    For some reason they will not pass the area that's been treated (a barrier). Test it out on a area where you see ants and make a circle of salt around them, and you will see that it repels them. This is one of the safest home remedies for ants".

    Borax

    Debbie from Wartrace, Tennessee writes: "Mix 20 Mule Team borax and sugar water to make a trap or sprinkle the 20 mule team borax on the ant trail of ants and they take the borax bake to the nest and kills them all."

    img
    Click for Greensboro, North Carolina Forecast
    img
  • 05-03-2008 3:48 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    Wow, Cubbybear what great idea's. Some I never would have thought of. Thanks so much.

  • 05-03-2008 4:33 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    Cleaning my kitchen with white vinegar has taken care of my ant problem.


  • 05-03-2008 4:33 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    I mix 20 Mule Team borax and granular sugar in a plastic Chinese take out container, punch holes just above the level of the mixture and put the lid on. This works great outside, Nothing else can get to the poison and the container keeps the moisture out. I got rid of those huge black ants that were invading.

  • 05-03-2008 4:37 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    Ive used red pepper flakes. I didnt want to use the actual flakes because that would have been a mess,so I sprinkeled some in a baggie,crushed them up a bit,then put my finger in it and ran my finger along the top edge of the counter several times. It worked great. It sounds silly,but it works.Embarrassed

    "Frankly,my dear, I don't give a damn."-Rhett Butler













  • 05-03-2008 5:25 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    I Just went through this 2 weeks ago. I had neglected to wipe up properly the sugar from the sugar bowl when DH got his coffee and the little buggers came marching in. I killed about 15 of them. Then I cleaned the counter top with vinegar and took a piece of chalk ( they do not like chalk) and drew a line all along the sliding glass doors where they seemed to be coming in and Voila - no more  ants.  Touch wood.

  • 05-03-2008 6:38 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    If they're pharoah, or aka sugar ants then use TERRO.

    I spent over 20 years trying to get rid of the blasted things, using every commercial and home-made product known to man...except TERRO.   I used it once and that was five years ago and haven't seen another ant since (in the house that is).

     

     

    Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


    Click for Conroe, Texas Forecast




  • 05-17-2008 9:58 PM In reply to

    Re: Any ideas on how to get rid of ants?

    BUMP 

    Susan
Page 1 of 1 (9 items)