In some areas, ants are a constant problem, and the problem often gets even worse in the wintertime, when ants are looking for a warm home and food. Ants are annoying, and there can be hundreds of them traveling together.
You certainly don’t want ants invading your home, so what can you do? Your first instinct might be to call a pest control company but hold off. There are lots of eco-friendly things to get rid of ants that you can do yourself so calling a pest control company can be your very last resort.
Identify the Entry Point(s)
Try to follow the trail of ants and learn where they’re entering your home. If you look carefully, you’ll often be able to find an obvious space that they’re traveling through. If you can, use caulk to close up the crack that’s allowing them to come inside.
Sometimes this is enough to keep ants out, but other times they’re determined enough to find another way, and you’ll have to get tougher on them by trying some of the following tips.
Use Powder to Stop Ants
When you know the general area that ants are using to enter, you can sprinkle the powder in front of it. When ants walk through, they’ll suffocate. You don’t need store-bought ant poison, however; you can use any type of powdery substance you have at home.
For example, try baby powder, black pepper, cinnamon, or nutmeg. These substances will kill the ants, but they won’t harm the environment or pose a threat to your children and pets.
Vicks Vapor Rub
Not only is Vicks Vapor Rub a good thing to have on hand for winter illnesses, but it’s also great for getting rid of winter ants. Vicks Vapor Rub works as an excellent ant repellent because the fumes are so strong to ants that they don’t dare try and walk through it. In front of their entryways, dab generous amounts of Vicks Vapor Rub, and use the substance to clog up any nearby cracks and holes.
DIY, Eco-Friendly Ant Poison
You can make your own homemade ant poison, which will be poisonous to ants, but not to your or the environment. Create the ant poison by dissolving some sugar and boric acid into water. Put the mixture into a spray bottle, and spray a little in the area where the ants are traveling.
They’ll pick it up and carry it back to their hives, and the poison will then spread to the queen bee and larvae, which will effectively eliminate an entire ant colony.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is a naturally occurring, rock-like substance that crumbles into a fine powder. You can purchase it at your local hardware or garden store. Sprinkle it near the ants’ entryways or in their path, and it will kill the ants by dehydrating their bodies.
Diatomaceous Earth is actually composed of fossilized diatoms, which is a type of algae, meaning it’s totally harmless to the environment and other creatures.
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