Spring weather is here and with it comes sprouting bulbs and birds chirping at dawn. But unfortunately for long islanders everywhere, it also means and the return of insects. More specifically the armies of ants have found a way inside your home and have infiltrated kitchens everywhere. Store bought ant traps and pesticides seem to work for a day or two and frustrations are at an all time high. Our home and garden maven did some thorough research and found the best tricks and tips to rid the home of ants for good
Mix one cup of sugar with half of a cup of water and a Tablespoon of Borax together until dissolved. Add some of the mixture into a small plastic container, like tuboware. Cover with an old lid you won’t miss and poke holes through the top. Lure the ants by adding a little sugar water on the lid. Another method of delivery is soak up a cotton ball in the solution and leave it where the ants seem to be coming from.
Note: keep the mixture away from pets and small children.
A second method which is non-toxic for pets and children is Cornstarch. Line the corners and edges of the room where the ants seem to be matriculating from with a small trail of corn starch. The ants will pick up the cornstarch and take it with them to the nest where it will kill more ants. You can also sprinkle Cornstarch over a cluster of ants on site which will cause them to scurry back to the nest.
If Cornstarch is not readily available, another non-toxic method uses powdered sugar and baking soda. Combine 1 part baking soda with 1 part powdered sugar. Add a spoonful to a large bottle cap like a snapple bottle cap or line the mixture along the surface where the ants are most common.
If you find ant hills close to the home or you need to save an outdoor plant from an ant invasion, keep vinegar in a spray bottle. Sprinkle baking soda over the ant hills and spray the vinegar solution on top. The solution will trap the ants and send any survivors fleeing.
To avoid constantly setting ant traps, clean kitchen surfaces with vinegar once a week. Scrubbing the ant trails with vinegar will make it difficult for the colony to follow previous ants and deter more from coming in.
Seal point of entries or holes around floorboards by filling the hole with Borax and glue shut with waterproof caulk.