You need a bottle of Melaleuca's laundry pre spot!! I had ants in my kitchen and just sprayed some of that around and let dry and I haven't seen em since!!!! They also have other recipies for like spraying OUTSIDE the house so they don't come near the house to get in! It's definately cheaper then pest control companies and SOOOOO much safer!! It says the prespot is for killing ants but maybe having it sit there dry keeps them away? I dunno! LOL It says for prevention to use sol u guard, which is one of the least safe products Melaleuca has and the only one that has a child proof cap on it, but it says to use 2oz of that with 16oz of water and spray around to keep them away, it's still safer then anything you can buy at the store and SUPER cheap! The prespot is safer though, you just may need to spray it more often to keep em away!
DH always plugs up the entry holes for the little black ants with toothpaste. They don't like it - too strong-smelling. If they're like our little ants (they have a weird name, something like "malodorous" but not that) then they can be sprayed with just vinegar and water, and they'll kick it. I sometimes sprinkle cayenne pepper along their trails... They hate that. But it's not really safe around kids.
Grandma always washed and dried the kitchen top to bottom after every meal - worked like a charm. But I'm SOOOO not Grandma.
But the main thing is that they are just likely to come in any time there's a drastic change in weather. If they don't find much worthwhile inside, they'll give up.
Okay, here are a couple suggestions. Put black pepper and draw chalk lines at all entry ways (doors, windows, etc) . If you find they are coming in at a particular spot, draw a chalk line there. Also, put some peppermint and/or tea tree oil in a spray bottle with water and spray at the entries if the chalk line doesn't help, or before you put the chalk line down.
Mint works well. Years ago we had ants getting into the kitchen and we bought this poison free ant spray. We sprayed it around all the windows, the door, and the vent. We haven't had an ant problem since. The spray had no chemical smell whatsoever and smelled strongly of mint.
I have since read that you can make your own, I think with a combo of peppermint EO and vinegar, maybe mixed with water . It's worth a shot.
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Blessings,
Amy
Mama to Brendan (08-18-98), Ian (01-15-01), and baby Connor (6-1-05)! Also mom to my beloved goldens, Haley and Chase
Thanks so much Mamas! I'm going to try the free stuff first--sugar and borax and see how that goes. I'll move on to buying something if that doesn't work.
Turn your ac off and let it get 93 degrees in your house and they will leave. LOL No seriously, our ac is broke and I haven't seen an ant since.
The borax and sugar did not work for us. I use Dr. B's peppermint with water to kill them (inside and out). I just got some orange guard and some type of green goo. I put the green goo where they were coming in and then when I had time I sealed it with caulk.
The best thing that really works is diatomaceous earth - this stuff rocks! It's completely safe and it's actually good to feed a small amount to animals. And that's a good thing because dh didn't put the lid back on (the dog food container) all the way and the next morning the food was covered with ants. I sprinkled a little bit on the food and the ants died. I bought small bags for $1 at the hfs, our food co-op also sells it. I have heard hardware stores have it, but I haven't checked.
And I'm with Nicole on this one, the ants in the house and mosquitoes get killed.
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Shannon
Mama to a 7 year old superhero and and a new wee one.
smoosh em'!!
Melaleuca! LOL
. It's worth a shot.
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