How to Get Rid of Ants Outdoors

Ants are one of the biggest burdens that Mother Nature could have devised. If you see one in, outside or near your home it's only the beginning. Where there's one ant, there's guaranteed to be many more that you haven't yet seen. Aside from being creepy, ants bite so there stands to be no good reason to let them stay around your home. Fortunately there are several safe and proven methods for eliminating these unwanted houseguests.

Things You'll Need

• Scented baby powder
• Cornmeal or polenta
• Borax
• Sugar
• Aspartame
• White vinegar

Instructions

Several Simple Suggestions

1. Sprinkle scented baby powder wherever you see ants. The smell isn't their favorite. If you can find where they are nesting, sprinkle the baby powder on that, too. The smell of the baby powder will have them soon looking for a new home.

2. Sprinkle cornmeal or polenta around their nest or wherever they are becoming a problem. The ants will carry this back home and give it to their queen. Ants can't digest cornmeal or polenta and it will soon wipe all of them out.

3. Mix two tablespoons of borax into a cup of warm water with a half cup of sugar. Dip cotton balls into the solution and set them out for ants to find them. The sugar will attract them and the borax will kill them.

4. Sprinkle aspartame around your garden or yard. Ants can't stand the stuff and will stay out.

5. Mix white vinegar and water in equal parts in a spray bottle. Spray areas where you don't want ants. This is best on your porch or deck. Be careful using it around plants as vinegar is slightly acidic.

Tips & Warnings

• Cinnamon and cayenne pepper also are not real popular with ants, so use them wherever needed. Just be careful of nearby plants.