Things You'll Need
Vacuum cleaner
Wire wool (optional)
Cleaning cloths
Household bleach
Bucket
Cement or other building materials
Broom
Dustpan
Borax
Sugar
Saucers
Talcum powder or diatomaceous earth
While ants are not usually dangerous or liable to carry diseases, they don't make appropriate kitchen guests. They tend to get everywhere and regularly die in your food or drown in drinks. A few species, such as fire ants, are even capable of inflicting painful stings. Ants may be particularly attracted to a stove because of spills or crumbs. If you prefer your meals to not contain crunchy little surprises, there are a number of simple tricks to keep ants away.
Step 1
Observe the ants. Note where they are coming in and their specific route to the stove.
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Step 2
Remove the cover of the stove, and vacuum up any stray crumbs. Repeat the process with the oven and the grill compartments before scrubbing all food residue away. You may need wire wool if your stove has not been cleaned for a while. Also, sweep or vacuum crumbs from behind or under the stove and from any other kitchen appliances.
Step 3
Wipe down your stove and other kitchen surfaces with a mixture of household bleach and hot water. Use a couple of cupfuls of bleach in a bucket of water. Wiping not only removes any spills the ants may be tempted to eat, it also removes the scent cues ants leave to show other ants the route. Focus on wiping along every part of the ant road you observed earlier.
Step 4
Block the crack that ants appear through using quick-drying cement or other appropriate building materials, such as plaster. Check the vicinity for other cracks or holes, and block them as well.
Step 5
Sweep up any ants that remain in your kitchen. You can put them outside if you don't want to kill them.
Step 6
Create ant bait from 1 part borax mixed with about 9 parts sugar and a little water if the ants are still getting in. Place the mixture on saucers, and position them in areas of high ant activity. They will take this bait back to the nest and poison most of the colony.
Tip
A line of talcum powder or diatomaceous earth around the ant entrance blocks the route. Ants refuse to cross these substances.
If the ants don’t appear to be taking the sugary bait, mix borax with a high-protein substance such as peanut butter instead.
Warning
Ensure that pets and small children do not have access to the ant bait. This mixture is dangerous to more than just ants.
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