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Annie B. Bond

Sugar Ant Hotel

posted by Annie B. Bond Jan 1, 1999 7:50 pm
filed under: Pets, Pests
Sugar Ant Hotel
40 comments

By Annie B. Bond, executive producer of Care2's Green Living channels.

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.

More on Pests (11 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3251 articles available)

40 comments

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 now

40 comments

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40 Comments       add a comment »
MILAN K.

THE MOST COMMON FLY FROM THE INSECT FAMILY ARE THE LARGE TETSIE FLYS WHICH COME OUT IN HOT WHEATHERS BUT THESE LARGE BLACK FLYS CARRY LOT OF DESEASE FOR EXAMPLE LET SAY THAT YOU EATING OUTSIDE IN YOUR GARDEN AND SOME FOOD WAS LEFT ON THE TABLE THESE LARGE BLACK FLYS WILL IMMIEDIATTLEY START FEEDING ON IT BUT WE HUMANS JUST BRUSH THEM OFF BUT WHAT DONT UNDERSTAND IS THAT THEY CARRY A POISON SALIVA THAT GOES IN OUR BODY THAN WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT GO TO THE DOCTOR TO GET MEDICINE TO GET BETTER BUT FROM NOW ON PLEASE COVER ALL YOUR FOODS TO KEEP THESE PESTS OUT OF OUR MEALS.

Angela Shintani-sandrowic

I just used Citra Solve and I'm afraid I've killed them. :(

Donna S.

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.

Pamela Horner

Does planting mint in your garden keep the little critters at bay? Does anyone have an idea for keeping four kitty children out of my newly planted garden? I water in the a.m. and that keeps the older 2 out but the babies don't mind getting their paws wet or muddy :)

Pat Tyler

All beings are sacred and need to be honored as such. Very humane comments above. Pat

Sara Breining

I,ve also heard that putting fresh ginger where they enter will detour them, but I,ve never tried it

B Wind
  • B Wind says
  • May 7, 2008 3:43 PM

I put white vinegar in a spray bottle and sprayed their trails. They left and haven't come back

Shelley V.

I wonder if you could mix pennyroyal essential oil and water and spray it on places you've seen ants? So far, the only solution I've found is keeping things consistently spotless so there's nothing for them to eat.

Simonne M.

The best way I've heard of working with ants is the way my friend has used in her garden for years. We recently tried it when ants visited our church kitchen recently, and have not used pesticides yet. (Pesticides includes the "sugar ant hotel"). My friend considers the ants messengers. Often there is something that needs fixing or that needs to be cleaned up. She talks to them, thanking them for their message, and advises them that for their own protection, they must leave. She gives them 12 (or 24...) hours to leave, and then she plugs the holes where they might enter. REcommended reading: BEHAVING AS IF THE GOD IN ALL MATTERED by Michaelle Small Wright. I appreciate this approach, because we are all part of the Earth community, and I feel it is our disregard for this that has brought on the current climate change crisis. Blessings to all.

Jillian Fernandez

I don't like killing anything either so I think I'll try the cinnamon tip.

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Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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