Sugar Ant Hotel

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.

Read more: Pets, Pests

By Annie B. Bond

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Bonnie S.

2:09PM PDT on Jul 6, 2011

Diatomaceous Earth does a good job and it is even something that people take as a medication. I used it in the kitchen without worry to get rid of ants. It wasn't instant as poison is, but it is safe. It is also useful in the garden - got rid of cucumber beetles & little black bugs that were eating the lettuce.

send a green star

Hasan Y.

12:50PM PDT on Jun 9, 2011

Thanks

Chelsea M.

2:03PM PDT on Jun 2, 2011

I will definitely try this hotel thing! I have a huge ant problem at my house. They are everywhere! Thank you sooooo much for posting this! Very helpful

Lindsey W.

2:13PM PDT on May 2, 2011

thanks

Danielle H.

6:38AM PDT on Apr 29, 2011

INTERESTING

Marie W.

1:36PM PDT on Apr 18, 2011

Ants check in, but don't check out of this hotel.

Lin M.

1:11PM PDT on Apr 18, 2011

thanks but the ants try getting in my sugar,, how's come?? leave those outside alone as that's where they need to be, not on my cabinets......

John S.

7:01AM PDT on Apr 12, 2011

Thanks, I use cinamin sticks and it seems to chase them away.

Elizabeth M.

3:20PM PDT on Apr 8, 2011

Oops! Entered twice. My apologies.

3:19PM PDT on Apr 8, 2011

Thanks for the interesting and helpful article Annie B. I have tried powdered sugar and borax but it didn't get to the queen I guess. I have so many ant hills in my backyard and some are the red ants that bite. I use a chalk line across the backdoor and it helps to keep them out of the house. I haven't tried vinegar yet, and I will be trying your sugar ant houses. I don't like to kill them...I wish they would move
down the street or elsewhere!