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Ants are one of the most important contributors to a yard's health and we need ants in our gardens. They rid it of detritus, protect the plants from some pests, and improve soil conditions.
However depending on the type of ant that you have, they can bite, get into your food, cause allergic reactions and build mounds in the garden. There are several ways to combat ants, the choices are yours.
1 Instead of hurting outside ants, set out a bowl of breadcrumbs or sugar and watch them, they are fascinating. Turn the bowl on its side so that no rain enters, this will keep ants busy for a long time (fill the container as needed).
2 If you don't find ants as cute and cuddly as a three-year-old boy does, here are a few alternatives: Place rhubarb leaves on ant hills. The leaves are poisonous and once positioned on a hill they will be carried to the queen. Tip: If ants are entering your home, lay cucumber peelings under door frames at doorways and basement window frames.
3Create liquid bait by mixing 1 tsp. boric acid with two and one half ounces corn syrup. Heat until the boric acid dissolves. Saturate cotton balls with the solution and put into jars. In theory the ants will take the food back to the queen.
4 Cover the colony with hot pepper flakes (not liquid sauce) and several types of powdery pepper flavouring and within a few hours, the entire colony should disappear. Ants are irritated by hot pepper. Tip: Paprika also works.
5 Leave cola inside of a two-litre pop bottle; ants get in but then they can't get out.
6 Another natural deterrent to an invasion of ants is to plant mint, (bearing in mind that mint is a very invasive plant and may take over more of your garden than you would like). If the mint plant proves too aggressive for you, brew a strong mint tea to create a natural insecticide and pour it on the mound.
7 Diatomaceous earth, available at swimming pool supply stores is one chemical proven to kill ants. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around mounds and across the path of the ants to dehydrate them.
8You can also mix half-cup of water with 15 drops of peppermint oil and 10 drops citronella oil. Cut cotton strips, and soak them in the solution. Hang them up outside on trees, shrubs, or in windows.
9 Purchase pipe tobacco from your local store. Soak it in warm water overnight. While wearing gloves throw away the soggy tobacco. Pour the liquid over the anthill.
10 Mix mustard with powdered bleach, and pour onto a napkin. Ants eat the mustard, but can't handle bleach.
11 Spray Windex around any entrance that ants like to enter from.
12 Fill a spray bottle with 50/50 water and rubbing alcohol, spray anthills. A stronger concentration is even more effective.
13 Keep ants out by doing your part. Seal your home, caulk openings and fill holes.
14 Artificial sweeteners will zap ants, as will yellow cornmeal. Open three packages and sprinkle the mounds.
15 When drastic measures are required you will need ant poison and it needs to be applied often, as these ants are very resilient. Make sure that you are not purchasing ant repellent, but rather ant poison. The correct poison (make sure that no kids or pets can get into it) will have a picture of an ant on the front, it lasts six weeks. Or combine dish soap and boiling water and pour it into the ant holes each day for at least three days. If you are desperate purchase Raid Ant Killer it has a two-week residual kill.
Warning: Use caution around children and pets, some of the points listed above are poisonous!
These tips are compiled from various sources: ehow.com, ca.answers.yahoo.com, onceuponalife.com, sg.answers.yahoo.com, essortments.com, wikihow.com, lifehacker.com. Similar information may be found elsewhere
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