SUGAR ANTS

This year my home kitchen has MILLIONS of tiny little ants....I don't know where they came from, we have never had an infestation of bugs before at my house, we are generally pretty neat and tidy, why is this happening???? Anyway, my question is, does anyone have and tricks to getting rid of the little beasts? I really would rather not set off a bomb in my kitchen... I just hate the thought of that stuff touching anything in my kitchen and I would surely spend hours washing everything after we bombed! Exterminators give me the same feeling as bombing! Any natural ways to get rid of them?

[Kimmie]

I understand completely. Once a year, we get them. It's a real pest.

Start here

Natural insect repellents

or here


Good luck!

[ June 22, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[Pastachef]

It seems that everyone is complaining about ants this year. I'm having a time out of them myself. An exterminator once gave me some ant pellets that I sprinkled all around the outside of the house. The ants were to carry them into their nests, and this was supposed to destroy the whole nest. My daughter says that wiping bleach along the doorways keeps them out. I haven't tried that one yet.

[monpetitchoux]

I'm sorry to hear you have ants in house. I get them all the time. I don't like to use Raid or other chemical sprays because I'm a little paranoid about poisoning myself and they smell really bad. So the method I use is to get a spray bottle and mix in 1 teaspoon of dish soap per pint of water. Spray on the ants and watch them drown. Then wipe up with a sponge. Yes it's time consuming and it doesn't really keep them away as effectively as Raid. But it's a safer alternative for me. If you use Dr. Bronner's Castille soap (the peppermint one), it keeps the ants away longer. I think its the peppermint oil.

Ant usually travel in trails so follow the trail and find out where they are orinating and terminating. Clean up whatever food it is that they have found. At the entrance, sprinkle talc powder or draw a line in chalk. They won't walk over it.

Good luck getting rid of them. Waiting for my invasion.

Thank you so much guys... glad to hear I'm not the only one with the little buggers!!! Lots of great tips on the web sites and I am now armed with peppermint soap!!!!