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Get Rid of Ants In
Your Home
Introduction:
Every year we go through the battle of the ants. We get a variety;
little brown ants, black ants (otherwise known as carpenter ants), and
red ants. One or two of these little creepy varmints wants to gain entry
to our pantry or kitchen once or twice a year. Most homeowners who try
to get rid of ants in their home try variety kinds of ant poisons and sprays.
Some of these help but none
really do the job very well. I consulted with a neighbor that is a lot
wiser than I and they offered several solutions of which none involved
poisons, and we got rid of ants in our home. To my surprise most of the suggestions worked. The bottom line
is that you can get rid of pesky ants without expensive poisons or
calling an exterminator.
To get rid of the ants in your home or garage you first
must find their entry point. Plug the entry point using a caulking
compound and make sure that there is no banquette (garbage) enticing
them in. Windowsills should
be clean and clear of any food substances. Any spilt sweet liquids
should be cleaned and the area rinsed thoroughly with clear water. Wash
pantry shelves that may have spilt sweet or sticky substance.
After you have done all this it
is time to add one of two magic potions to distract the ants. Most are
already in your kitchen or pantry. The key is to find the ant’s entry
point or the trails leading to the entry point.
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Chili pepper, black
pepper, and cinnamon work well. Sprinkle it around the entry point or
along the ant trail. In most cases the ants will not cross it and make a
hasty retreat.
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Place bay leaves dipped in
mint mouth wash on the kitchen counter or pantry shelves.
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We found that using
Vaseline is poorly effective. It really just creates a mess.
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Using white chalk around
door thresholds or window frames is somewhat effective. Simply draw a
heavy chalk line across the entry point. The ants will not cross the
line.
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Placing cornmeal or cream
of wheat in the entry path is very effective. For some reason ants
cannot digest cornmeal or cream of wheat. After consuming it they die
very quickly.
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A 50/50 mixture of vinegar
and water sprayed on the entry points and on pantry shelving we found
very effective. The acidic acid in the vinegar either kills the ants
immediately or the odor drives them away.
I recommend trying any one or all of these
remedies to resolve your ant problem. You will find one, if not all,
work well and they will not endanger the health of other pets that
may be in your home. Don’t waste your money on expensive poisonous
sprays and pest control services. You can do it yourself by
following one or more of these recommendations.
See more DIY Projects and Ideas
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