|
[ Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Archive ] [ Main Archives Page ] [ Glossary/Index ] [ FAQ ] [ Recommended Books ] [ Bulletin Board ] |
Search this site! | |
Does anyone know a natural, safe remedy for geting rid of ants indoors? I've just been invaded. My bathroom is crawling with them. They seem to be coming up through a crack in the baseboard which will have to be repaired, but today is Sunday. I covered the crack with duct tape, but they're still getting through somehow. I also sprinkeld the floor with some boric acid powder. Will this help at all? Any quick responses will be greatly appreciated.
I really don't want to use commercial pesticide spray, as I am very chemically sensitive. Thanks.
Naya
In Reply to: Ant invasion -Help! posted by Naya on January 12, 2003 at 19:14:23:
I don't know about ants but boric acid works great on roaches. Best to follow the trail back as far as you can. Hopefully you can track them outside. then blast em as far back as possible. I have used pesticides outdoors, but stopped using poison indoors years ago. Almost anything will kill ants on contact. Alcohol in a spray bottle works. Of course a good cleaningand sealing up all food helps. This is stuff ou probably are already doing or know of. I haven't had the little visitors in eons.
good luck,
sounder
In Reply to: Ant invasion -Help! posted by Naya on January 12, 2003 at 19:14:23:
Hi Naya
We just experienced an ant invasion. Unfortunately, they were making their way through my dogs puppy door, and heading for his food bowl. :)
I hate using any chemicals to get rid of pests and I wont use it in the house or living areas. So I came up with the idea of using raw garlic cloves right around where they were coming in. They really didnt like it! Slice the garlic clove, as that releases more of the pungent aroma that they dislike.
You do have to replace it with fresh garlic cloves after a few hours though, as they tended to dry out, but that may have been more from the hot weather we were experiencing. Now that the cool weather is back, they are nowhere in sight.
Is it quite hot where you live?
In Reply to: Ant invasion -Help! posted by Naya on January 12, 2003 at 19:14:23:
Ants hate essential oils. Oregano oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, are the ones I've tried. Mix drops of oil into a carrier oil such as olive oil and paint it around the opening where the ants are coming in. This repels the advancing hordes so buys you time to fix whatever the problem is. Use maybe 1 part essential oil to 10 parts carrier oil. The carrier just helps so that it doesn't evaporate so soon - stays on there for days. I like oregano oil the best because the smell is least noticeable to a human. (hope you're not chemically sensitive to these)
Of course you have to consider the surface so as not to deface anything, but I find with most surfaces, the oil washes off later on w/o damage.
Also, ants will not cross a line of ground black pepper. This comes in handy too.
Maybe some help here too - Non-Toxic Pest Management good luck!
In Reply to: Ant invasion -Help! posted by Naya on January 12, 2003 at 19:14:23:
The Boric Acid works well most of the time for us, but there is a type of ant that we needed something stronger so we got Terro. Terro is also non toxic and non smell and just takes a few drops by the area the ants are coming in to the house at; Terro is a sticky substance. I think there are other brands similar, i found one in a long box and it had a tube of thick like gel in it, it was two colors you squeeze out, now i have a gel called Terro in a small bottle; Good Luck.
In Reply to: Ant invasion -Help! posted by Naya on January 12, 2003 at 19:14:23:
Thank you all for your very quick responses. Temporarily, I seem to have stopped them with the boric acid powder, but will try some of the other remedies you suggested that aren't so messy. The ants were coming out from the base of the toilet, it turns out.
Thanks, Jan for the link - very helpful. I have bookmarked it for future reference.
And Bliss, no, it's not hot here now, but we did have a few hot days recently which may have screwed up the ants usual behaviors.
Thanks again,
Naya
In Reply to: Ant invasion -Help! posted by Naya on January 12, 2003 at 19:14:23:
Hi Naya,
Uncooked instant grits work great. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup near the baseboard, they'll carry it back to the hill. I think the dehydrated grits expand after they eat'em and that's what does them in (sorry, ant brothers!)
Hope this helps...
ktj
In Reply to: Re: Ant invasion -Help! posted by ktj on January 12, 2003 at 23:17:52:
Sprinkle some diatonaceous earth around the openings. It is non-chemical method to kill small insects. It is safe - and used in feed bins to control bugs in animal feeds. (cows eat it) They scratch their bodies on the slicon dioside crystals, and dehydrate. Works for almost any small insect, including hatching fleas, earwigs, etc. This stuff is cheap - buy it at a swimming pool supplier - it is used in pool filters. You may be able to pile some around the outside entrance also.
In Reply to: Ant invasion -Help! posted by Naya on January 12, 2003 at 19:14:23:
Thanks, Naya, for opening the door to such a wealth of info!
The only method I have experience with is the diatomaceous earth. It it totally non-toxic to anything physically larger than a bug because of it's mechanism of action. It is especialy healthy for things as large as any mammal.
Let us know what works for you.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Ant invasion -Help! (Archive in MCS.) Non-toxic pesticides. posted by Walt Stoll on January 13, 2003 at 15:35:19:
Walt, glad to be of help, although I would have preferred to post the question just out of curiosity, rather than of necessity. The boric acid seems to have worked for now.
Naya
|
[ Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Archive ] [ Main Archives Page ] [ Glossary/Index ] [ FAQ ] [ Recommended Books ] [ Bulletin Board ] |
Search this site! | |