What are some environmentally friendly ways to keep ants out of the house? ?

Question

I have a huge problem with ants in my kitchen. What are some green ways to keep them outside? Also, I thought if I started a compost pile, they might go for that instead of coming into my pantry for food. Would that work?

Answer 1

Most pest control services offer an all-natural repellent. We use this mint spray. It doesn't kill them, it just keeps them out of the house! ~MaDiSoN

Answer 2

Here are a few eco-friendly methods you can try.

Method 1)

Locate their ant mound by following the trail of ants. Using hot water mixed with a high concentration of soap, pour the solution on the pile of ants and they will die instantly on contact. If you prefer a spray bottle, you can pour the mixture in a spray bottle and use it throughout your home on the ants. Make sure to clean up the dead ants and the crumbs they were trying to eat.

Method 2)

After locating the ant mound, sprinkle chili powder on the mound as it's a natural repellent and will kill them. This method is better for those that don't want to see them die as it may take a few hours.

Method 3)

Buy your children magnifying glasses or give them some old sneakers. :)

Answer 3

Try killing them with ant killing products.

Answer 4

Pl. keep some eating objects every day outside yr house.  All ants inside yr house will settle there.

Answer 5

I have never tried any of these methods, I just call the exterminator to get rid of them.

http://www.wikihow.com/Kill-Ants-Without...

Answer 6

My daughter uses cinnamon where the ants enter the house (if you can determine).  It confuses them and they end up wandering around in circles.  It seems to last for several weeks.  However, I use ant granules outside the house on the side where they entering (most prevalent).  Ant traps (so dog, cats or other animals can't access them) work inside the house if they're limited to an area like the kitchen.  The most green way is to find out where they're entering the house and seal their entryway since they usually live outside and only enter for food.  If they're living inside the house, you have a whole different problem.   It all depends on your needs, and goals.

Answer 7

All of the home remedies like cinammon or salt are ineffective.

The compost pile will help them grow larger colonies.  Then the colonies will split and search for new homes such as your kitchen.

In the rainy season, ants move to high ground.  This usually means entering buildings. They are always on the prowl for food but that might not be the primary reason that they like your kitchen.

The best plan is to use small amounts of insecticide.  Find the crack or crevice where they enter and spray any commercial brand of bug killer on the hole.

For continuing control, use baits such as Grants.  You can place bait trays or stakes in obscure corners.

To be thorough, caulk the entry holes.  This is the eco-friendly part.  Your home will need less energy to heat and cool after you plug the critter gaps.

Answer 8

Mix molasses with yeast (the kind to bake bread) up, into a thick paste.  I put it in soda bottle caps.  Leave where the ants will find it, and carry it back to the nest.  The yeast multiplies, and expands, killing the ants as they eat it.  The rapid rise yeast works the best.

Non toxic, and safe for pets and children, should they get into it (in small doses...yeast can do the same thing to a pet or child as it's doing to the ants).

Did you know ants actually do FAR more to airate the soil, and compost dead stuff than earthworms?  Everyone things the worms are the important critters.  It's actually the ants that keep the world clean.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Answer 9

My in-laws use chalk to keep ants away from the pumpkins around halloween.  So I guess that would work year round for household issues as well.

Answer 10

Well my grandmother would cover everything up apart from the sugar bowl.

They always were there wherever a sweet things were availible. She has a little wooden cabin and it was notorios for ants.

I also noticed (I stayed there quite a lot in summer over the years) that they come out at night.

1. try and track down where they are comming from and put boiling water down there,

2. set up sugar traps away from your house but near enough to their nest. This used to work for wasps as well. get a specially designed glass jar with a lid and holes on either side of it to enable the annoying critters to get in. Or parhaps just immitate this with normal glass jar or plastic bottle.

Fill this up with sugar/ honey and fill it up with water about1/4 full high enough for them to dorwn and low enough for the insects not to come out again. Again put away from the house, hang on a tree branch or something.

3.my grandad used to put some sticky stuff around a tree trunk, I have no idea what it was but it caught ants and other stuff that tried to get through it. Ask around or perhaps google it. If you do find out what this stuff is and you can probably get this at your local hardware store, put it in a place where it wont disturb your daily habits, this stuff is seriously sticky.

4. Very ridiculous: have a pet anteater?

Just make sure you cover the holes of the nest if you find it and leave sugar traps that was the best thing that I found worked, its easiest and cheapest and cover everything else up.

Perhaps also clean their 'route' with a very strong smelling cleaner perhaps this will distract them of their scent they produce?

Answer 11

When ants in large numbers are coming into the house there will be and hills close to the house. Collect all of those hills in a wheelbarrow and transport it a long way from the house.

Tackling them close by, with hot water will not work. There will always be ants outside the hill who will return and restart the colony.

When you move the anthill to far from the house, the ants spend a lot of time rebuilding a long way off.

You still need to repeat this process each year.

If you want to make a compost pile, put it at least as far out as you put the and hill material. By no means put a compost pile close to the house to attract the ants. (30 metres is a good distance.)

Answer 12

Here's some natural ways to get rid of them from eartheasy.com (more on site, these are ones I've tried):

Place cucumber peels at point of entry

Place mint tea bags, crushed mint, or cloves at active places

Place cayenne pepper, citrus oil soaked string, lemon juice, cinnamon, or coffee grounds across trail

Also drawing a border with chalk will keep them out - they can't walk across it.

Composting's a great idea and worthwhile for a bunch of reasons, but I don't think it will work as an ant diversion - they just multiply to cover the extra source.