Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Eliminate Ants
How to Eliminate Ants. Ants are social insects, but that does not mean that you want to have them in your home. If you want to eliminate them, here's what you need to do.
Ants are social insects, but that does not mean that you want to have them in your home. If you want to eliminate them, here's what you need to do.
Things You'll Need
Laundry powder
Mint or lavender
Petroleum jelly or chalk
Caulk
White vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
Peppermint oil
Bait: baking soda, powdered sugar and dry active yeast or powdered vitamin C
Baking soda
Make it more difficult for ants to get into your home. Caulk cracks in your exterior walls, trim branches that hang over your home, and tighten door frames and window frames.
Maintain a clean home. Vacuum daily and properly store food. Keep all trash secured so that ants cannot get into it.
Make a bait out of baking soda, powdered sugar and dry active yeast or powdered vitamin C. This will kill many ants.
Create barriers where you do not want ants to be able to go by drawing lines with petroleum jelly or chalk. Other deterrents include white vinegar, peppermint oil, baking soda and freshly ground pepper.
Spray nests with white vinegar or sprinkle them with crushed chalk or talcum powder.
Tips & Warnings
Keep a log of where you see ants in your home; this will help you to determine patterns and find the nest, which will make it easier for you to eliminate ants.
The best way to prevent an infestation is to keep things clean and keep your pets' bowls (including water bowls) off the ground.
Laundry powder, mint and lavender, as well as petroleum jelly, can all be used to deter ants.
Many pesticides are harmful to children and pets; try natural alternatives first.
Killing ants is not enough to eliminate them; in order to get rid of the pests you need to destroy the nest and kill the queen.
