Go Away Ants

Go Away Ants!!!

We are being invaded by ants! I was doing some on line searching for ways to get rid of them. Here are a few interesting ones I found:




Mint Tea
Brew some strong mint tea and spray it on their pathway...they won't cross it.


Tape
Wrap double stick tape around legs of table, chairs, or whatever, that should stop them in their tracks.


Drown them
Run a rod down in the top of their anthill and...
Pour soapy water (1/4 cup liquid hand soap and 1 gallon water) into their ant hill.
Also you can,
Pour a boiling mixture of (Boil 3 gallons of water, add 4 cups of citrus peels in a pot, simmer 15 minutes).


Salt
Sprinkle salt in their pathway.


Petroleum Jelly
Rub fairly thick on whatever you're wanting to keep them off of.


Lemons
Put lemon slices where you don't want them...they don't like tangy scents.




Cucumbers
Scatter cucumber pieces on the ground in the area you are having trouble, they don't like them.


Mint
Scatter fresh mint in the problem area. If this is a picnic "spot", etc. plant some mint, that should deter them.




Cloves
Mix up a spray bottle with a cup of vinegar and a tablespoon of ground cloves and spray their trail.




Eggshells
Sprinkle eggshells around the troublesome area, they don't like them.




Sticky Trap
Place petroleum jelly, corn syrup,honey or something similar on a paper plate and you'll find several stuck in their tracks.




Borax
Set out shallow containers of equal amounts of borax, alum, sugar and flour mixed (with enough water to make a batter). Keep out of reach of children and pets though.






Mix 1 cup borax, 2/3 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a bowl. Dip cotton balls in mixture and place along their trail. When they eat them, that's all she wrote... Again, keep out of reach of children and pets.






Artificial Sweeteners
Pour a few packets of the generic version of the stuff in the areas that the ants are frequenting, and watch 'em disappear. I've had great luck with both the kind that comes in the pink, and the blue, packets (aspartame and saccharine). It's cheap, it works, and it won't kill your pets or your kids.


Cornmeal
Sprinkle in troublesome areas, they'll eat it...it swells in their stomachs and they die.


Flour
Pour a line of flour around the problem area. They won't cross it.




Baby Powder
Sprinkle in the troublesome area. They won't cross the powder.




Athlete's Foot Powder
Same as with the flour and baby powder. Sprinkle in problem areas...apparently they don't like white powder.




Boric Acid Solution
Combine a small amount of boric acid, sugar and hot water in a spray bottle and swirl mixing thoroughly. Boric Acid can be purchased at any discount retailer ,under the name Borax. Make sure to keep this away from pets or children as it is hazardous. This is a good option for long term control.




Bleach Solution
Combine a small amount of bleach with hot water in a spray bottle and swirl mixing thoroughly. Make sure to keep this away from pets or children as it is hazardous. This is a good option for long term control. Using the name brands, like Clorox, does not add any additional killing power.




Ammonia
Spray Window cleaner liberally and watch them stop in their tracks, dead. This is a good option for short term control. It will have to be reapplied to be effective as the ants appear.




Oatmeal or Grits
Leave a few pieces of instant oatmeal or grits (some sort of water absorbing food) out where the ants are appearing. Get it as close to the nest as possible. The ant will take it back to the nest and eat it. Once eaten the food expands essentially popping the bug. Nice visual huh? Cruel but effective and non toxic. This option has to be applied frequently.






Now, if you don't want to kill the ants, but just want to keep them away from a particular area like a garden etc place a few drops of peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle and fill with water. Spray this generously around the area but try to avoid the plants themselves.






Cinnamon
I sprinkled it heavily on the hills. Ants were gone completely in about 3 weeks, but definitely saw a difference in one week. I repeated every 2 months during summer. Then only needed it twice a year for the next year and now I use it once a year as a preventive. Plus the garage smells great! This is the best thing ever. Worked on red ants and black ants, that I know of. Make sure you know where they are coming from and sprinkle there.