I am adding this topic because we are bombarded on a daily basis with ideas to fix this and that, or to change this or that. People are always asking me, probably because I live in Florida, ” how do you get rid of the ants?” We have a lot of ants of every variety, fire ants, red ants, black ants, carpenter ants, sugar ants, Pharaoh ants, big ants, small ants – you name them we have them. With the war on pesticides taking place everywhere today, what do you do. Being a naturalist, I found a few ideas of how to get rid of ants with things you might have in your kitchen. You might want to try them.
- VINEGAR: Mix it with water in equal amounts into a spray bottle. Spray on the ant’s entry paths (if they are in your house). Ants don’t like the smell and avoid it. Also spray in corners, and on your counter tops, sink, and windows. Allow the vinegar to dry completely.
- TABLE SALT: Boil some water and add salt to it. Pour the salty water into a spray bottle and use where you see ants.
- PEPPER: As effective as salt, you can use black pepper or cayenne pepper. Again, mix with water and spray on areas where the ants appear or travel in your home.
- LEMON: Mix some lemon juice with water and spray it around all of the areas in your house where you see ants traveling. I did not know that this is one of the most effective way of getting rid of ants. I plan to try it.
- CUCUMBER: Guess what? Ants can’t stand the taste of cucumber. Cut a cucumber into pieces and place a piece in any ant affected area. Will they leave your house? Yes!
- BABY POWDER: You may not have this in your house, but if you want to try it, buy it and sprinkle it wherever you see ants. Ants are suppose to hate scented talcum. If you can figure out where the ants are coming from – sprinkle it at their place of entry.
- CORNMEAL: Spread the cornmeal over the affected areas, mainly the entry. Ants cannot digest cornmeal and they will die. I have used this on the ant bed in my yard and garden. It does seem to work. The ants explode as the cornmeal expands in their stomach.
- DISH SOAP: Liquid dish soap is an item most of us have in our homes. The components of soap are very harmful to all types of ants. They break down in waxy layers of the pests’ exoskeleton, causing dehydration. Mix the soap with water and spray it at the entry point. I also spray it on the counter tops and let it dry. As well, after cleaning my kitchen sink (this is where the ants are in my house), I use it full strength on the sink area. I spread it on with my hand and just leave it. Walla, no ants.
These are methods that I found can be used outside the home as well as inside the home. The best way to not have ants is to use preventative measures to keep them out.
- Clear away liquid and food spillage immediately
- Always cover the food you leave in the kitchen. I do not leave food in the kitchen, covered or uncovered.
- Check you garbage bin lids. Be sure they are tightly sealed.
- Clean off the counter tops to be make sure there are no food particles hiding underneath appliances, etc.
- If you have pets, be sure you keep their area clean as well.
- Outside? Keep compost covered if you are into making your own. Inside, keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
The SECRET I have found is to keep all areas of your home CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. Ants seem to be scavengers.
GOD BLESS!
FYI-HEALTH TALK 