Ant Removal?

Athelas

My husband took off the mopboards and frames and we put boric acid down and then put the mopboards and frames back up.   Did a great job of taking care of the ants marching through my kitchen.

WendySue

I have read a lot about using DE (Diatomaceous earth) for ants. I have huge fire ant infestations in my front and back yards...it has exploded in the last 2 years. I live in zone 3 in pine tree country with lots of sandy soil. Don't know what correlation that has but it's out of control. It is recommended to dig down in the nest to find the queen and eliminate her, then pour copious amount of DE in the holes. Since there are like hundreds of holes all over my yard and when I walk near them the ants are on me immediately.  I'm stressing here since I need to prepare my garden beds and play outside. They are in my plant roots as well as all my wood piles. Any help  would be greatly welcomed!!!

SandraR

I also have tried DE and the ants keep coming back.

WendySue

Sandra....where they "fire" ants?  Did you try killing the queen?  You didn't say so that's why I ask.

SandraR

No not fire ants.  Small ants.   They came inside in the dining room.  I wouldn't have seen them if I hadn't moved a desk.  They had brought in what looked like dirt. I looked outside and the ants had made several large hills.

WendySue

Yeah....I know there are lot's of indoor ant removal tips. The one that comes to mind right now is Peppermint essential oil.  Probably any type of strong mint scent would work too around entry points of your house.

SandraR

Thanks for the tip.  I will buy a bottle.

dharma.refuge

I used to have ants coming in my kitchen, until I let my chickens free range in the backyard. Now I don't have any ants, my dogs and cats don't have fleas and there are very few mosquitoes. If you can have a few hens, they will help turn compost, provide eggs, fertilize and debug.

tomandcara

I realize this is an old topic, but I wanted to add my of Cherlynn's recommendation of boric acid.  It has worked wonders for us in the past.

LaurieLovesLearning

I have a solution that doesn't involve poison...I guess unless you want to eat 20 Mule Team Borax  (a different product than boric acid).

We tried putting down sugar laced with Borax...no luck. So, being desperate at the time, I sprayed them with cheap hairspray that I kept for runs in nylons. That stuff is horrible, and messy, but it helped...haha! Keep reading for a better, more thought out solution...

This past summer, our daughter had issues with small red ants, and lots of them, in her rented place. We figured they may have been in the walls. I did a lot of research and found that the secret to the sugar & borax mixture working is WATER!

Well, the ants had a party. A few days later, when some came back and the mixture was dry, she wet it again. She hasn't had an issue since.

So the method is:

Borax+Sugar+Water in a few milk jug lids (or something of that sort). Put it where you see them coming in. *If you have young kids or pets, make sure they can't access it.*

Enjoy your ant-free home!

tomandcara

Great suggestion Laurie.  I have learned that some ants are sugar eaters and some oil, so if the borax-sugar- water doesn't work, one might try borax and some cooking oil.  Our ants have always been attracted to sugar.