Ants - solution?!

[Debbie]

½ icing sugar ½ baking soda

Apparently, the sugar attracts the ants and the baking soda mixes in their digestive system in the same way it would vinegar. Volcano eruption! I put some out for the earwigs, too, and I haven't seen them around the past week or so, so maybe it worked.

 

[Dotsie]

For the first time ever we've had ants in our kitchen. We used white vinegar and it seemed to work. I wiped down every surface in my kitchen with it. The cupboards, windows, counters etc. It took about a week but it seems to have worked.

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Apparently the borax and icing sugar works wonders - my cousin that works for a federal park told me that's what they use....and they are VERY envir-friendly. It is probably less toxic than any of the ant traps or sprays....

 

[smacky1]

Im so glad I found this. We are having a huge problem with the large black carpenter ants. I did buy ant traps about a week ago, but it has made no difference. I actually think they are getting worse. I cant figure out where they are getting in. I do have small children and a cat so I dont want to try anything toxic. Maybe I will try the borax/sugar/water on cotton balls and place it in places I know the kids and cat can't get.

 

[cbond5]

Thanks so much for the tips. I keep finding the tiny black ones on the kitchen floor and hate using chemicals. I'm going to pick up borax next time I'm out......

---now if you have any suggestions for mosquitoes, I'll be all set!

 

[cglaura]

Im so glad I found this. We are having a huge problem with the large black carpenter ants. I did buy ant traps about a week ago, but it has made no difference. I actually think they are getting worse. I cant figure out where they are getting in. I do have small children and a cat so I dont want to try anything toxic. Maybe I will try the borax/sugar/water on cotton balls and place it in places I know the kids and cat and get.

Just a note on carpenter ants. They are usually coming in for food because of nests in your wood. I would check the crawlspace, etc and make sure there is nothing going on. They don't eat wood, but they tunnel to make nests. It could be wood piles in the yard too.

Carpenter ants feed on living and dead insects as well as anything people consume. Their presence inside your home is usually an attempt to find food. Ants may also be carried into homes via infested firewood. Once inside, carpenter ants establish nests in hollow doors, window sills, roof areas and wall voids. Outside, carpenter ants commonly nest in stumps, landscape timbers, hollow logs, telephone poles and cavities of trees. Effective carpenter ant control requires finding the nest, which is often difficult for most homeowners. When dealing with carpenter ants it is best to seek a professional pest control professional.

 

[smacky1]

Thanks for the info on carpenter ants. I have been watching them all day and trying to figure out where they are coming in and where they are going. It looks like they are coming in through the kitchen exterior door which leads to our garage. From there it appears they are heading up to the roofline of the garage. I have to wait for DH to get home to get the ladder out to see what is going on up there.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Carpenter ants love moisture so make sure there isn't any rot or mold/moisture problems where they are coming in.

 

[RNMOM]

We live in an area that always gets ants in spring. I am still having good luck with Terro but wanted to give you my idea.

We have a dog and 3 cats so we have to protect the Terro. We use plastic tubs like margerine tubs. We cut two or three ant sized holes aroud the top and put the bait on the lid. Put the base on up side down and secure well with duct tape strips. You can tear them lengthwise if necessary. We wedge them behind things like the fridge, the desk and if necessary we can tape them to things. This way the cats can't open them and most likely the dog can't chew it open without getting caught. I guess you could put a bell in it also to have a warning if he gets it.

Do you think the borax/sugar mix could be handled the same way?

 

[pixieprincessmom]

For Mosquitos:

It's not cheap, I think $70-80 a bottle, but search mosquito barrier. You spray it with a garden sprayer and one bottle should last all summer.

We put in a pool 2 summers ago and could not enjoy it after dusk. My DH hates mosquitos and when he sees the first one he is inside. A friend suggested this this summer and we sprayed really well and it lasted about a month. I could not believe the difference.

I really stinks when you first spray it (garlic smell), but the smell goes away within an hour. Worth the expense to be able to spend time outside at night when it cools off a little, temps here have been in the mid to night 90's

 

[KKB]

Terro comes in plastic traps so I don't have to worry about the cat getting into it (we put one right near her bowl as the ants were attracted to her food). Typically we put out Terro when we first see ants & never see them again...this year we have had to put traps out every month or so--but always in a different part of the house!

 

[Duckiedee]

Another for Mosquitos and blackflies - as a alternative to Deet... Rub coconut oil (actually looks like Crisco consistancy) on your skin. You can usually get it in the heathfood section.

They won't bite you. You might feel them bounce off you - but they won't bite. A little goes a long way. Great for babies, doggie bare bellies etc.

I learned this one this year too. AWESOME as I HATE having Deet leftover on your hands. I am one of those people that blackflies approach and say "HEY EVERYONE - HERE'S the YUMMY HUMAN BACON!!!!"

The Coconut Oil (and I DON'T mean TANNING OIL!) will feel a tad greasy for up to a 1/2 hour - but then it absorbs. And at the end of the day your not getting that I HAVE to shower feeling you get from repellent. Mind you - I'm not trying to discourage people from showering....

 

[Duckiedee]

BTW - in the last two days I've seen four ants in total in my house and in the vicinity of my house - so it is working.

 

[C.Ann]

I've used just plain Borax in the past - here at the lake.. Once my DGD was born and my adult DD was up here every weekend I switched to powdered chalk - which can be purchased in most hardware stores.. Both worked equally well.. Just sprinkle either around the outside perimeter of your house..

 

[kayla87]

Oh, this thread hits close to home! Every year we have at least one mass ant invasion. This year we had a small one in the spring and a massive one a few days ago.

All of the home remedies listed work, just to varying degrees. Caulk lines, cinnamon, cyan pepper, ants won't pass. They love cream of wheat, but so far that hasn't been effective in killing one colony in my garden. I just wiped one cabinet with vinegar a few days ago, and it actually seems to keep them away. I might try spraying full strength vinegar outside too.

I have never found those little ant houses with bait inside to work indoors. I'm never seen a single ant in one. However, we've found the ants like them outdoors.

I still haven't found a way to eradicate the large colonies in our yard, but I've learned a lot about managing them indoors

 

[highwayg]

Thank you so much for posting this! We've never had ants before and they are driving me crazy! I am going to try some of these solutions tomorrow!

 

[Duckiedee]

Just to let you know it's been six days. I have had no more than five ants in my home.

I did find out DH had not used the entire amount of the borax/sugar mixture.

He saw some around a front garden and put some of the mixture in a corner and within five minutes there was a whole bunch of ants working in a long row to carry it back.

 

[cdrn1]

I had a big giant infestation early this summer. It was awful.
I got Terro (which I think is just borax and corn syrup) and in a few days they were gone and I have had NONE since.

 

[kldmom2000]

Glad I came across this thread! Years ago we had a massive carpenter ant infestation in one wall in which we had to hire Terminix (ugh) to get rid of them... you could actually HEAR them chewing the wood in the early morning/late evening hours since it was the wall that our bed was against There were hundreds and hundreds of them...

He dumped something down the wall from the attic and it killed them all... but I can't help stressing what harmful chemicals were in it.....

We haven't had an ant problem again until this year... I think due to all the heavy rains we had in the spring and the fact that we are surrounded by tall oak trees. Now we've been getting anywhere between 2-15 ants per day. I'm going to try the Borax method first and see how it works!!!

 

[PrincessMom4]

Yeah we have the tiny little ones, but they seem to be everywhere. I might try that vinegar or borax...just don't mix the two together