ants

[busyboysmum]

not sure if this is the right spot, but is there a natural/chemical free way to rid my house of ants? there are heaps of them! there is no food source and they are in my study, kitchen, dining table and just outside the back door (but not sure where their nest is). i have 2 kids and a dog, so i am trying to avoid anything posionous (eg ant rid). any help appreciated...!

[Maire]

I have this stuff from Hitman that they reckon is totally safe, they said you can store it next to food etc. Apparently it is derived from plant materials and is a natural substance that plants hate. It doesn't kill them - it's just that they wno't go near it. So you puff it out (it's a powder) on their tracks and they won't go over it. It works really really well here.... every time I see an ant I puff this stuff near one of thier tracks and they stop coming.

But having said all that I don't actually know what's in it... just that the pest control guy from Hitman said it's all totally safe around kids, food,pets, etc.

[Maire]

wouldn't let me edit ! i mean to say - it's made froma natural substance that ANTS hate! lol

[starbuckozzie]

Peppermint oil does the same thing. You can dab it on their tracks and it stops them following the scent trail. If you can find a peppermint oil castile soap (Dr. Bronner comes to mind) you can make a spray by mixing it with water. I'd still avoid breathing in the mist. You need to reapply as the oil will evaporate.

[emd]

I just put a bit of borax and icing sugar mixed together in an old plastic takeaway container (clear so I can see what's inside) and punch holes in the lid with a metal cake skewer. The ants are attracted to the sugar but poisoned by the Borax, and the lid means animals and children can't easily get into the container. Although I still place it out of reach of children, as my four year old could get the lid off if she wanted to.

[Nyree]

I do a similar thing with honey & borax.

[learnermum]

I posted about uses for Talc not too long ago and someone suggested using it to get rid of ants! Haven't tried it though.

Also my mum used vinegar in a spray bottle mixed with water, when living in Sri Lanka as they had a terrible problem with them. They never went near the vinegar!

Goodluck

[Craig&Kel]

I've heard that talc works too, though i've never tried it.
Whatever you do, you have to be vigilant. It might take a few weeks to get rid of them. Follow their trails everywhere. Once you stop them coming in from one spot, they will certainly find another way in, and you need to then attack that spot too.

[Dorasmum]

See if you can find out where they are getting in..not easy I know..but it might be easier to put whatever you use on the outside where they are trouping in. I had some once in a rental that were getting in under the kitchen window frame.

EM

[Natural Mommy]

Peppermint plants/ peppermint EO (make an oil and water spray or dab straight oil on an area where the ants are). We had this problem bad but I hadn't yet bought any.