16 Natural ways to get rid of ants A: Prevention 1. Empty out the trash frequently. 2. Keep your place clean – especially pay attention to food debris (in particular anything sweet). 3. Don’t leave unwrapped food, partially consumed food, leftovers and bagged food (they can get in!) laying around. Keep food supplies in jars – my favorites are the “Fido” brand big food jars with the seal and the metal clip on the lid. No plastic! 4. Wipe down countertops regularly, using a natural cleaner such as a white vinegar solution. Clear up spills of anything sweet – honey, syrup, sugars etc thoroughly – and be sure to clean out food cupboards – a favorite place for ants to raid. 5. Fix broken screens, seal cracks and other places where the ants get in. Note this may not be totally effective – many doors simply don’t seal properly and will allow place for them to squeeze through. 6. If you see ants, see if you can figure out what they are eating. While you’re at it – follow the trail in both directions and find out where they are getting in. Removing the food source will force them to look somewhere else. They’re pretty good at finding stuff – but if you truly have nothing for them, they will move on. B: Deterrents 7. Barricades. Numerous substances can be used to make lines that ants don’t like to cross. Here is a list of some that have been suggested: turmeric, cinnamon, chili / cayenne pepper (the hotter the better!), crushed cloves, cucumber slices (has anyone tried this one??), chalk, Vaseline, diatomaceous earth (use food-grade DE, not swimming pool), thin strips of sticky flypaper. 8. Essential oils. Essential oils such as lavender, camphor, peppermint, clove, bay laurel. Add to spray bottle of water, perhaps with a few drops of liquid soap as an emulsifying agent, shake and spray around areas where ants are known to get in. Cinnamon essential oil is another one that gets good feedback in this application. It’s also said that the ants will not cross a line drawn with a Q-tip dipped in pure cinnamon essential oil – so you can use this wherever an effective barrier is needed. 9. Plants. Try growing mint, lavender, Pennyroyal and citronella (either in the ground or in pots) in places where you want to deter the ants. 10. Lemon juice. Spray pure lemon juice around the areas they get in – the smell is said to scramble their tracking system. C: Substances that are highly toxic to ants but low toxicity in the human environment If the “good karma” methods aren’t cutting it, you’re just going to have to up the ante. (Pun intentional) :) 11. Boric acid. Add 2 tablespoons of boric acid and half a cup of sugar to a cup of warm water. Soak cotton balls in it and place in areas frequented by ants. Or, mix boric acid with syrup and leave out for the ants. 12. Soapy water spray. Add some liquid soap to water and spray! 13. Raw cream of wheat powder. They will eat it but apparently it expands in their stomachs and finishes them off. 14. Coffee grounds. According to some, they will take it home and eat it and the caffeine kills them. According to others, if the grounds are dumped on anthills, the rich aroma overpowers their scent trails and therefore breaks their communication system, forcing them to abandon ship. 15. Baking soda mixed with powdered sugar. 16. Cornmeal. Said to be a good one – and very safe for use around kids and pets. Note – These solutions are for the “ordinary” little ants that get in cupboards and eat your snacks. If you have carpenter ants, termites or fire ants, you have a much more serious problem and will need a professional solution asap. Can you think of any more? Let us know in the comments or on our facebook page! Info Sources / further reading: getridofthings/pests/ants/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant naturalantkiller.blogspot/ huffingtonpost/2012/03/28/how-to-get-rid-of-ants_n_1385182.html wikihow/Get-Rid-of-Ants-Naturally lifehacker/5817218/how-to-get-rid-of-ants-naturally
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 22:55:47 +0000
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