2006-06-30 17:59:12 · 20 answers · asked by sagatela 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
What kind? Fire ants, sugar ants, regular red or black ants, and what area do you live in? Northern or Southern United States?
Fire ants are nearly impossible to get rid of without using chemicals. The little black sugar ants are looking for sweets. The rest are looking for anything edible and easy to take back to the queen.
Ants communicate by smell. They form trails by applying scents to where they are going. When they find a food source their numbers will multiply and that's usually when you notice. I found a lot of success of putting all of my perishable foods in the fridge and watching where they are coming from. I then concentrate on erasing their scent trails by cleaning those areas vigorously. It's demanding, but effective. It's difficult to eliminate ants with natural products because they adapt so well. If something is in their way they go around, if it kills them they build immunities, and if it's too big they bring more troops.
Good luck.
2006-06-30 18:40:47 · answer #1 · answered by Michael T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've always used plain oatmeal, the kind that comes in the big round can with the Quaker oatmeal guy on it. Nothing fancy or flavored just plain oatmeal. The reason it works is kind of cruel if you're concerned about the ant's feelings (which if I'm trying to kill them I'm not) the workers see the oatmeal as food and carry it down to be eaten. The queen ant eats it and when oatmeal gets wet it expands and pop goes the queen. No queen and the colony has to find somewhere else to go.
2006-07-01 01:06:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get some Boric Acid from your pharmacy.
Mix it with some sugar, and either put it where the ants come in, or by thier hole. They will take the combination into the hole and it will kill all the ants and the queen.
Some people mix the boric acid with syrup and pour it along the trails, but, the crystals mixed with sugar is good too.
I wish you well..
Jesse
2006-07-12 21:47:13 · answer #3 · answered by x 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know some don't like the smell but wash or spray vinager on areas and wipe off will repell the ants also spray corners of room once a month and you will not get cobwebs.
2006-07-13 11:35:01 · answer #4 · answered by B4 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Baking soda,Oatmeal (dry); wipe with the vinegar or spray 50% H2O and Vinegar ; there are insects that love to prey on ants,if you want them around afterwards...You did inquire about Naturally!
2006-07-14 11:01:16 · answer #5 · answered by K9 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A product called 'TERRO' liquid ant killer works great. Ants appear as the weather gets hotter and whenever we get lots of rain.
2006-07-10 14:22:14 · answer #6 · answered by retepsumdac 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sprinke dry rice around the beds, like you would ant killer. It has kind of the same effect the oatmeal and pepper do.
2006-07-01 01:58:29 · answer #7 · answered by Lauryn B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put Pure Black Pepper down they hate it where ever you see them it's a poison they'll bring it back to the queen ant then they all die my Grandma told me that one lol.Not sure why they appear
2006-07-01 01:06:04 · answer #8 · answered by sugarbdp1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Borax and/or chalk. It clogs their respiratory airways so they avoid it. I have no idea why late spring is ant season.
2006-07-01 01:06:02 · answer #9 · answered by mom2babycolin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can not survive without moisture. Run a dehumidifier and they will go away. Air conditioner will have the same effect.
2006-07-02 07:52:39 · answer #10 · answered by talllis 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋