How to Use Borax Mixtures to Kill Ants

When ants invade your yard or home they are searching for food and water.

Borax, or boric acid, is a natural substance from the earth that is toxic to ants and other insects. If you have an ant problem in your home and want avoid the use of chemical-laden pesticides, borax is an organic alternative that is also effective. When used to kill ants, borax is mixed with other ingredients that attract the ants to come and eat the borax bait. Ingredients commonly found in the kitchen are all that's needed to make your own borax mixture to kill ants.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 tbsp. honey
• 3/4 tsp. borax powder
• Spoon
• Yogurt containers
• Scissors
• 3 ounces sugar

Instructions

1. 

   Peanut butter and honey make an attractive treat for most ants.

   Stir a quarter cup of creamy peanut butter, six tbsp. of honey and three-quarters tsp. of borax together in a bowl. Mix the three ingredients well with a spoon to distribute the borax evenly.

2. Remove the lids from clean yogurt containers. Spoon some of your borax bait into the bottom of each empty yogurt container. Replace the lids on the containers.

3. 

   Create entryways so ants can come in and eat your borax mixture.

   Punch a few holes into the yogurt containers' lids using kitchen scissors. The lids keep pets and small children out of your bait, and the holes allow ants easy entry and exit.

4. Place the borax bait containers in areas where ants have been seen. The ants enter the yogurt containers, eat some bait and bring some back to share with those that remain in the colony.

5. Change the bait traps every three days. Alternate the honey and peanut butter bait with a bait made of one tsp. borax, three ounces white sugar and enough water to make it syrupy in consistency. Place your new bait traps out so they can continue to attract and kill ants.

Tips & Warnings

• Place bait traps out for four to six weeks in order to kill the entire colony.

• Alternate one tsp. borax mixed with a jar of jelly for a sweet bait. Changing baits every few days keeps the ants interested and coming back.

• If ants are still present after four to six weeks, call a professional exterminator.

References

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Ant Baits: A Least Toxic Control: Grease and Protein-Loving Ants
• Good Housekeeping: Heloise Hints: Solutions to Keep Your Home Ant-Free
• Texas A&M University: Making Baits At Home to Control Pesky Indoor Ants