http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sugar-ant-hotel.html
Sugar Ant Hotel
By Annie B. Bond
The ants go marching one by one into this homemade sugar ant hotel. We make three to six of them every ant season—a family tradition—and place a few in the kitchen, and wherever else ants like to frequent. These ant-trap hotels completely rid our house of these common spring and summer pests, but I also have a nontoxic ant spray up my sleeve, which I share, here, too.
Sugar Ant Hotel
- 1 cup borax
- 1 cup sugar
water - 4 shallow glass jars with screw tops (small jar of marinated artichoke heart jars are ideal)
- 4 loose wads of toilet paper
In a bowl, mix the borax and sugar. Place a loose wad of toilet paper into each of four different screw-top jars. Pour a quarter of the sugar and borax mixture into each of the four jars, over the toilet paper. Fill each jar with water to one inch of the top. Screw the lids on the jars, and with a hammer and nail, make four to eight holes in the lid. Place the jars in areas where you have ants (but keep away from pets and children).
This ant trap will catch the workers but not the queen. A more comprehensive solution is to blend 1/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar and one tablespoon of borax and sprinkle it in ant traffic areas. There is not enough borax with this method to kill the worker ants immediately, so they take it back to the nest, ultimately eradicating it. (If the worker ants do die at the powder, cut back on the borax.)
Caution: Keep borax products away from pets and other animals.
Citrus Solvent Spray
Place 1/4 cup of citrus solvent (such as Citra Solve) in a spray bottle, and add 2 cups of water. Spray in areas where there are ants. This works!
There are also a number of herbs such as mint and pennyroyal, and spices such as cayenne pepper, that repel ants.
Go to the Source
Common-Sense Pest Control by William Olkowski, Sheila Daar, and Helga Olkowski
Least-toxic solutions for your home, garden,pets and communitybuy nowrelated stories
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47 comments
add your comment »Diatomaceous earth can be had at most hardware and lawn & garden centers, though I have had little luck with it - my ants plow right through it :-(
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a pool supply company.
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Does anyone know where I can buy diatomaceous earth?
I've never heard of it.
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I have used (of all things) vodka. Just pour a little at the cracks/holes you see them coming in at and it works like a charm.
The cinammon and other spices mentioned work too, but I have a dog that eats everything and if I sprinkled cinammon on the floor she would just lap it up; so for me the vodka works because it seeps into the cracks and she can't get to it.
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Here in Florida, we get ants who will come and eat the soap for doing the dishes! they are teeny tiny...and they don't bite, so I just leave them alone. We also have horrible fire ants here...really they are the only insect I kill, because they can literaly kill or severly injure animals and humans. for they I use diatomaceous earth, and it works like a charm! I eat it and give it to my animals as well....everyone should try it!!!it is amazing stuff...kills fleas and ticks too!
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ants also hate cloves, so you can sprinkle that where they get in and it will stop them. i am not sure why this article is linked to in another one labeling it as a natural solution, when something toxic like borax is used.
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I NEVER kill ants. As soon as the first one or two explorers enter the kitchen, I pick them up, put them outside, and immediately place a line of vinegar (you can use non chlorine bleach) anywhere they might gain entry. I also keep the kitchen SCRUPULOUSLY clean, with all tempting foods sealed tightly. I haven't had ants indoors for the past two years.
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I think I will try sprinkling cinnamon and corn starch together, a small strip all along the kitchen wall where the ants come in every year. Maybe I will mix in a little sage, too - I figure if each one of these works well, then together they will be a super-powered ant repellant! Thanks so much for these humane, pet-safe tips, everyone.
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I just used Citra Solve and I'm afraid I've killed them. :(
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I find out where they are coming in and I use a q-tip to smear the area with Vick VapoRub. They leave immediately and never come back.
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