Ant Invasion
Having an ant invasion in your home or garden is no fun. Apart from the annoyance factor, an ant infestation can be unhealthy and can cause embarrassment given the misbelief that ants only move into your home if it is not clean. That is simply a myth: Ants are drawn to warm conditions and available food sources. If they find a way to get into your home, they will. If you do not want to use chemicals to prevent or treat an ant invasion, there are a number of effective organic methods you can use that are also fairly inexpensive. Does this Spark an idea?
Wash Down Kitchen Surfaces
There are a number of simple solutions you can make to keep ants from your kitchen surfaces. A simple household bleach and water solution with a dilution of 10 percent bleach will deter them. You can also use a solution of water and garlic. Simply boil five cloves of chopped garlic in a gallon of water and strain the liquid. That also make as effective spray to deter ants in the garden
Kill the Queen
Try to find the ant's nest. One way to do this is by following the trail of ants as they come into your house (they usually take the same route). Once you have located the colony, mix a solution of one gallon of boiling water with a 10th of a gallon of bleach. As an alternative to bleach. Be careful not to splash the hot solution onto your skin. Applying the hot liquid to the ant nest will kill many of the ants and also the queen. Once the queen is dead, any surviving ants will move on.
Use Cornmeal
If you have ants inside your house and you can follow the trail from their source into the house you can effectively use cornmeal to kill the invaders and possibly prevent more. Simply sprinkle a fine trail of cornmeal along the ant's regular route. The ants will feed on the cornmeal and it will enlarge inside their body as it absorbs water, eventually killing them.
Use Dish Soap
Surprisingly, dish soap is also a simple way to rid yourself of ants. All you need to do is mix a solution that is one part dish soap to four parts water, shake well, and spray. It kills ants quickly and is good for disposing of large numbers of the pests.
Use a Commerical Organic Pesticide
There are also a number of organic pesticides available from garden centers and online. Those can be just as effective as their chemical counterparts but are safer for family members, pets, and the environment. They will usually contain substances such as neem oil, hot pepper oil or boric acid.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is made up of sedimentary skeletal remains of a type of algae (Bacillariophyceae). The minute particles are razor sharp and when they come into contact with an insect they cause tiny abrasions that cause insects to die from loss of body fluid. Diatomaceous earth is effective for killing and preventing ants when spread around their nests or along their traisl. It is not harmful to birds or mammals. Diatomaceous earth can be found in garden centers and DIY stores.
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