Home Remedies to Help You Get Rid of Ants Safely
By Terry White
I believe if you asked 200 people about their home remedy for ants you would get 200 answers and everyone swears that theirs works.
There are many items said to repel ants if put in their path. Black pepper, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, catnip, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, cream of tarter, mint, powdered chalk, salt and talcum powder are just a few said to disperse or repel ants. The ants do not like to cross these things. Cucumber peels are supposed to send them away for a while. Comet or Ajax cleanser is also said to work, but I would be very careful of these around pets or children. Borax powder is also a natural insecticide but should be kept away from pets and children.
Borax powder can be mixed with items such as jelly, honey, sugar or peanut butter to make a bait that the ants will take to the nest. Normally these are mixed in a 50% to 50% ratio.
Care needs to be taken to keep any bait out of reach of pets and children.
There are a number of liquid sprays that can be made to spray on ants. A teaspoon of liquid dish soap mixed with a pint of water is said to make an effective spray. Fill a spray bottle with cheap white vinegar and spray the ants. Another recipe calls for 1 clove of garlic, 1 small onion and 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper to steep in a quart of hot water for about an hour. Then strain and put in a spray bottle for use.
Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. This white powder will cut through the skins of many insects and cause them to dehydrate.
Catnip, tansy, pennyroyal and many mints are said to repel ants. Planting these plants around the house and yard will be beneficial.
As when using pesticides, insects sometimes acquire an immunity to some things, after a while, so change you strategy occasionally to keep the ants at bay.
Terry White along with his wife are the owners of Paula’s Herbs and Plants a family owned business specializing in organically grown herbs and other plants. For more information on herbs and gardening in general check out our website and sign up for our newsletter.
http://www.paulasherbsandplants.com
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Posted under Pest Control
This post was written by admin on February 2, 2009
