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
The Borax Solution for Killing Ants
The Borax Solution for Killing Ants. Insecticidal sprays only kill the one to 10 percent of ants in a colony that come in contact with it, according to the Ecology Center. Foraging ants take poisonous borax baits back to the colony where many more consume it and die.
Insecticidal sprays only kill the one to 10 percent of ants in a colony that come in contact with it, according to the Ecology Center. Foraging ants take poisonous borax baits back to the colony where many more consume it and die.
Recipes
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln suggests mixing 4 tbsp. peanut butter, 6 tbsp. honey and 3/4 tsp. boric acid -- or borax -- as an ant bait for pavement ants, big-headed ants and little black ants as they tend to crave protein and grease. For sweet-loving ants, mix one 1 tsp. boric acid -- or borax -- with 1/2 cup honey or corn syrup and heat the mixture until the borax dissolves. Let this cool and then mix it with equal parts water.
How It Works
Borax, or boric acid, baits work because the poison acts slowly, giving the worker ants time to bring the bait back to the colony where other ants -- including the queen -- consume it. Quick-acting poisons only kill the ants that immediately consume it, leaving the colony largely unaffected.
Considerations
While borax is considered a less toxic solution than insecticidal sprays by organizations like the Ecology Center, it is still poisonous. Therefore, it must be kept away from children and pets.
