Home made or cheap way to get rid of ants

[wendylovesdisney]

I have an issue at my home with small ants. They invaded recently and are making me crazy. I have young children so don't want to spray something poisonous everywhere (although would consider something if it was spray once and be done) ... and can't afford an exterminator. Any ideas?

 

[Sarahlovy]

Terro! It works quickly, and while it is not something that you want your children to ingest, it is contained- you put a couple drops on a bit of cardboard and set them around. I have never seen it not work in a couple of days.

 

[LuLuO]

Boric Acid. Ants were coming in around my DD's window (the tiny black ants). I bought those ant traps and those didn't work. I paid an exterminator and that didn't work. I put the boric acid between the window pane and the screen and they were gone within two days.

Supposedly it is safe to use around kids and pets but for my peace of mind I would not put it where it is easily accessible to the kids and pets. Do you know where they are coming in?

 

[disneydreamersx4]

Until you can get the Terro, I would use a container of baby powder and spray it at the ants path and along the window and door in the area of the path.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I used cinnamon around my keurig and have not seen any since.

 

[smokeyblue]

My parents had read somewhere about cucumber peels detracting ants. They put them outside where the ants were coming in and it worked! It was big black ants though. Don't know if it would work for your problem.

 

[butterflygirl3]

I know this sounds REALLY silly and weird but it worked for us My hubby drew a chalk line around the perimeter of our house below the cedar siding of our house ( where the ants would be entering our house). I had tried EVERYTHING!!! And although it sounded silly (something about ants not crossing over the chalk line??? ) I figured even if it didn't work we have TONS of chalk at our house The only downfall was every time it rained we had to redo it but really it wasn't that bad for cheap ant removal... HTH!!!

 

[smokeyblue]

My parents had read somewhere about cucumber peels detracting ants. They put them outside where the ants were coming in and it worked! It was big black ants though. Don't know if it would work for your problem.

 

[dyna]

Chalk linedid it for me The ants was coming in a corner of my kitchen in an area that unless you went to cabinets that was not used often you never saw ther corner an to top it off my walls was painted a very light pale yellow I used yellow sidewalk chalk that just about perfectly matched the walls . Used it all along edge of countertop down the wall between cabinets an wall an once I did that di not find anymore ants in kitchen.

 

[tink2dw]

Okay this is a battle I waged for years!! Thow an open bag of powder sugar as far from your house as you can get it! Make sure there are no water leaks anywhere IN your house! look high and low and behind your fridge and washer!! under sinks, too!

AHHHHHH I found It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For Ants even fire ants, when it is dry spread dry grits over the hill or on the ant trail. Then when it rains and the queen drinks.... and the grits swell, no more ants!!!

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

Gotta agree with the Terro. We get ants every year and after putting Terro out each time we see them you don't see them again after about 2 days until the next year.

 

[starwood]

So what do you do if you can't pin point where they are coming in? We get these little ants every year but I never see them coming in the house. I find them in the middle of the floor usually in the afternoon and evening.

 

[ellone]

Ants hate used coffee grounds. Place them where you think they are coming in.

 

[brymolmom]

ANother option if you have an idea where they are coming in or where they 'live' outside - boiling water. I have a garden just in back of the house and they love to make their homes there. Every spring I fill up a few tea kettles with boiling water and saturate the area with it.

 

[dlhvac]

mix boric acid with grape jelly 4 to 1 jelly being 4,
they take it to nest queen eats it no more ants buy at drugstore

 

[tinker&belle]

Spray the area where you are finding them with peppermint oil mixed with water. They will be gone in no time. You have to repeat the spraying every day or two to keep them away.

 

[tink15823]

Terro! It works quickly, and while it is not something that you want your children to ingest, it is contained- you put a couple drops on a bit of cardboard and set them around. I have never seen it not work in a couple of days.

Terro also has crystals to sprinkle around the out side of the house I used both the crystals and the drops and have never got them back. We had them bad for the first 3 years after be built our home . I used terro and they have never came back

 

[elcodfish]

In the spring I take black pepper and spread it outside my house and then inside where I see them.

 

[asgt]

Instant potato flakes! They blow up in their stomachs and kill them. Not so nice for them but a natural and safe way for you to get rid of them. good luck!

 

[sherry7]

We had a problem with tiny ants, and none of the natural remedies worked for us. We have 3 cats (and now a crawling baby), so most commercial remedies weren't an option.

We were told about Ortho Home Defense Max. As soon as it dries (about 20 minutes), it's safe for both pets and children. It only takes us one application per year to get rid of the ants. It's fairly inexpensive, about $10 or $12 for a large container.

Here's a link to what it looks like: http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/p...roId=prod70044&itemId=cat10040001&id=cat50008