Hope you can help. Do you have any home remedies to control or get rid of ants? I’ve tried almost everything, [commercial] sprays, ant dust — you name it, I’ve tried. … They worked — but temporarily. They just keep coming back. I have a dog and kids, and I would like some suggestions for non-toxic solutions. Thank you.
— Tom Greco, Liberty Grove
No, thank YOU: Every spring I think, “This will be the year that that little marching band of black dots won’t come into my kitchen playing `Hi, ho, hi, ho … ‘ ” but, what can I say, they’re a loyal bunch. Those little plastic off-the-shelf ant traps (about $2.50 to $3.75 for four traps) end their visits, but I never thought of looking into non-toxic solutions. And perhaps I should have.
But what exactly does “non-toxic” mean? If you ask the National Pest Management Association or a commercial pest control company, they’ll be quick to tell you that anything that gets rid of the ants is going to be toxic to the ants. Pest control humor? No, they’re serious. And their point is: You can turn to a commercial pest control company for “non-toxic” solutions; just be sure to communicate what your concerns are (i.e., pets, crawling-age children).
Non-toxic products to try: There are many non-toxic offerings sold on the Internet; search for “non-toxic” and “ants.”
Make your own: “Home remedies can be effective. … It will take longer to get rid of them, but it can work,” says Ron Harrison, director of training at Atlanta-based Orkin. Here is one natural bye-bye ants recipe from The Green Guide newsletter, which writes about products and practices that are “better for your health and the environment”:
– You’ll need: 1 cup borax, 1 cup sugar, water, 4 shallow glass jars with screw tops and 4 loose wads of toilet paper.
1. Mix borax and sugar in a bowl. Put toilet paper in each jar. Pour 1/4 the borax/sugar mixture into each jar, over the toilet paper.
2. Fill each jar with water to 1 inch of the top. Screw on lids and with a hammer and nail, make 4 to 8 holes in the lid.
3. Label jars “poison” and place in areas where you have ants, but away from children and pets — such as under kitchen sinks (a good spot as ants are attracted to moisture).
If you’re considering turning to the pros:
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– Ask the company what green and environmentally-consconsious approaches they use.
– Ask about eco-smart products that are made from 100 percent botanical products.
– Ask for mineral-based, boron- or boric acid-based or botanical-based pest-control products, or insect growth regulators, which are pheromone-based.
The best preventive tactics: Eliminate the ants’ food, water and shelter sources.
– Eliminate any source of moisture or standing water (check spigots and make sure they’re not dripping, check pipes under the sink for leakage — ants are attracted to moisture and will follow a moisture trail into your home)
– Keep wood and debris away from your home’s foundation.
– Keep tree and shrub branches cut back so they’re not touching the house. Otherwise they act as a highway for ants to walk into the house.
– If choosing plants to put in near the house, pick plants that aphids don’t like (such as ornament grasses, not roses) because ants feed on aphids.
– Seal cracks at the base of the house
– Keep kitchens clean.
– Make sure to keep all sweets in closed containers.
– Wipe counters frequently.
– Empty garbage religiously.
– Avoid leaving pet food dishes out for long periods of time.
For more advice:
– The Green Guide has a great product report on controlling ants. It explains the active ingredients in store-bought pesticides and their effects, alternative solutions and strategies and a ton of resources for additional info. The reports is also available on their Web site (www.thegreenguide.com).
– The National Pest Management Association’s searchable Web site, pestworld.org has a message board where you can post questions of entomologists.
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— Elaine Matsushita, [email protected]