How to Use Natural Ant Killer

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By Elizabeth Farrell
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Use Natural Ant Killer

You can easily make a natural ant killer to get rid of ants in your home. One type of ant found in the home is the Argentine ant. The Argentine ant is a one node, small, shiny, brown ant found primarily in the Southeastern United States and Southern California. Argentine ants build very large colonies and can be hard to control. However, before resorting to harsh chemicals to eliminate these little pests from your home, try using the following natural ant killer and prevention methods to get rid of ants.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Sugar
Boric Acid
Diatomaceous Earth

Step 1

The number one rule when is comes to controlling argentine ants is DO NOT use ants sprays or ant poisons designed to kill the ants on contact. This will only kill the foragers leaving the majority of the colony unharmed. Using ant sprays will also cause budding of the colony or colonies. Budding occurs when the colonies are stressed and split into sub-colonies scattering into other areas or structures. This can cause your Argentine ant problem to be worse than it was originally.
Step 2

To eliminate the entire colony of Argentine ants, you must use a slow-acting bait that the foragers will carry back to the colony and feed the queen other ants. There are many of these baits on the market, but most, if not all, contain dangerous chemicals. You can make your own natural ant killer at home using a few simple ingredients.
Step 3

Argentine ants are omnivorous and feed on a variety of things in nature, but most often prefer sweet foods such as syrup, fruit juices or plant secretions. In addition to sugars, they are also attracted to proteins and grease/fat inside the home.
Step 4

We will use a sugar bait for our natural ant killer since that is what most argentine ants are attracted to. The “secret ingredient” in this natural ant killer is boric acid which can be found virtually anywhere, including home improvement stores. The sugar bait consists of 1 cup water, 2 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons boric acid mixed together. The ratio of boric acid to sugar water is very important. If you make it too weak, it won’t kill the ants. If the mixture is too strong, the foragers will die before getting back to the colony to feed the queen.
Step 5

Put drops of the natural ant killer in areas where you have seen ants entering your home. If you have small children or pets, you can put the mixture in a small container or jar (such as a bay food jar) with a lid. Making small holes in the lid will allow the ants access to the mixture, but keep kids and pets away.
Step 6

Leave the bait in place for a few days. You should see a reduced number or elimination of ants after this time. If ants are still a problem in your home, you can reduce or increase the amount of boric acid in the natural ant killer until you find a level that works. If you notice the ants aren’t attracted to the sugar bait (most will be), you can try using a protein (e.g. canned pet food, tuna) or grease/fat (e.g. mayonnaise) instead of sugar.
Step 7

Once your argentine ant problem is resolved, you can take preventative measure to prevent their return. Make sure there are no food sources to entice the ants to enter your home. Clean up all spills, crumbs (even behind the range and refrigerator) and avoid eating in multiple areas of the house. You can also put a band of diatomaceous earth around the foundation of your home. Diatomaceous earth is completely natural and consists of the fossilized remains of microscopic shells created by one celled plants called diatoms. It physically kills (no chemicals involved) ants by scratching the insects’ waxy coating, causing them to dehydrate.