How to Mix Boric Acid & 1 Gallon of Water to Kill Ants

A boric acid mixture will kill ants.

Ants can be a real nuisance, and it's unpleasant to think of these tiny insects crawling around the house. Even the tiniest amount of crumbs on the countertop or a few drops of juice on the floor can attract ants to the inside of your home. Of course, several commercial products exist to get rid of ants, but these can be costly and are often ineffective. Try making your own ant killer with boric acid, sugar and water.

Things You'll Need

• 5-gallon bucket
• 2 gallons white sugar
• 2 cups boric acid
• Long-handled spoon
• Eyedropper
• Rags
• Dish soap

Instructions

1. Fill a 5-gallon bucket with 1 gallon of warm water. Add 2 gallons of white sugar and 2 cups of boric acid.

2. Stir up the mixture well with a long-handled spoon.

3. Use an eyedropper to place drops of the solution into paths where you've seen ant activity. If you see ants eating the mixture, don't wipe them up or clean up the liquid. The idea is for the ants to take the boric acid solution back to their nest and essentially kill the source -- the queen.

4. Wait three days, then wipe up the solution with a rag and warm, soapy water. Reapply the boric acid mixture as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• The recipe above makes a very large amount of the boric acid ant killer. A smaller ratio would be mixing 1 cup water, 2 tbsp. boric acid and 2 cups of sugar.

• Store the unused solution in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

• Although boric acid is much less toxic than most pesticides, keep children and pets away from the solution.

References

• Grinning Planet: Sugar Ants
• Golden Harvest Organics: Ant Controls