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Cleaning Up:  How can I get rid of these tiny black ANTS?!  |
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NudeFoodFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
433 Posts
Heide
Benton City
WA
433 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 09:25:03 AM
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I know this is gross. It's our dirty little secret.
***My house is invested with tiny little "pee" ants (luckily these ones don't stink when you squish them). We don't want to kill anything or use poison but they are so intelligent, it seems they are conspiring against us. Now that the sun is starting to shine on our exterior walls they seem to be hatching and coming out of the interior cracks. This is war.
Does any farm chick out there have the natural weapons of choice?
Thanks,
Heide
Nude Food Farm
~Grown so good,
Dressing is Optional. |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 09:33:58 AM
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Salt...lay it down, like near the entrances to your house. If you see them coming from one particular spot, put the salt down their too. We have those tiny black ants here in Texas and I clean like a fiend.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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NudeFoodFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
433 Posts
Heide
Benton City
WA
433 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 09:39:34 AM
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Correction:
Im a dork, I know y'all know I meant
INFESTED not
INVESTED
with ants.
I never have tried salt, so I will today.
I don't mind cleaning endlessly but it is so disheartening to see the ants drown in my honey jar. . . or whatever they can squeeze into.
Nude Food Farm
~Grown so good,
Dressing is Optional. |
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Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 10:43:31 AM
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Another safe alternative is Cornmeal. IT will take a couple of days, but you will see a big difference in the amount. They eat it and cant digest it and just die. They wont walk through it if they can help it. Its like a little wall. We had to use it last year because the sugar ants were driving us nuts! hOpe it helps:)
hugs
Jessie
Farmgirl Sister #235
"Every man's life is a fairy-tale written by God's fingers."--Hans Christian Anderson
Stop by my blog for a visit www.messiejessie2.blogspot.com |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 10:51:11 AM
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I have the stinky black ant invasion at my house. Every spring like clockwork. I keep hoping one day they will disappear as I try not to leave food out for them. But, no, still they come. I have some cornmeal and I'll give that a try.
Karin
Farmgirl Sister
# 18 :)
www.perfectlittlemiracle.blogspot.com
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britchickny
True Blue Farmgirl
1048 Posts
Angie
Port Orange
Florida
1048 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2009 : 03:13:07 AM
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I use cayenne pepper in the cabinets where they like to hang out and I think I read (maybe here) that wiping down the inside of the cabinets with a vinegar wash might help too.
ANGIE
"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance" JUDE 1:2
http://www.pinkroomponderings.blogspot.com/ |
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prairielandherbs
True Blue Farmgirl
690 Posts
Maggie
Iowa
USA
690 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2009 : 2:09:46 PM
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| Peppermint! I havne't had this problem but a friend of mine did. She used a peppermint essential oil/water rinse on her countertops and anwhere they were bugging (ha) her, and put peppermitn essential oil cotton balls and put them wherever she saw ants. She said it worked,and her house was minty fresh to boot.:) |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2009 : 12:08:23 AM
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I have been having the sugar ants! In my kitchen and also in the laundry room. I got Taro Ant Killer - it's borax in a sticky base. That's what my grandma used. They are attracted to it, eat it, then carry it back to the nest. I'm still seeing them in the laundry room and an occasional one the kitchen. I also heard that baking soda will kill them too. I'm going to try some of your suggestions to see if that will work better.
Handmade Soap & Lotion Bars http://www.therusticcottagebath.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
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StasiaSpins
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Stasia
Augusta (Eau Claire)
WI
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2009 : 09:44:34 AM
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I won't put anything dangerous down because of the pets (I'm not convinced Taro is safe around animals!) so I have always used red/cayenne pepper with excellent results. They won't cross it, so you put it at points where they are entering. Never heard about the cornmeal before, that is very interesting!
http://www.TuppinzFarm.com Heritage Sheep ~ Goats ~ Donkeys ~ Poultry
http://YarnAndABarn.blogspot.com Spinning ~ Knitting ~ Weaving ~ Quilting ~ Crocheting |
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marcy jo
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Marcy
Wawaka
Indiana
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 11:19:11 AM
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I have a recipe for ant killer and it has worked wonders for me! Its safe and non toxic so you can use it around animals and kids!!
Mix in equal parts
regular amonia
dish soap
listerine mouthwash(generic of this works)
I usually mix it in a gallon jug and then put it in a spray bottle. Spray whereever you see those little buggers and as often as you like (sometimes 2x daily) it will only take a couple of days for this to work. They dont like the soap -its slimy and they dont like the smell either, I forgot how but it takes care of all ages of ants.
Marcy #257
http://marcyjosmarket.blogspot.com |
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Lizabeth
True Blue Farmgirl
560 Posts
Washington
560 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 2:21:57 PM
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| simple green sprayed right on their trail and on them. works great. we had a house in california when I was little that the ants loved more than we did ;) |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2009 : 07:31:23 AM
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I have the little black varmints also...even in my freezer! I posted about them in the cooking section cuz they are around my food. Nudefood posted about this post. We have a lot of extra rain this year and they are just multiplying! There are some suggestions I'm going to try.
Winona ;-)
To read funny stories about my cooking 'skills', please visit http://lostadventuresincooking.blogspot.com/
For uber-opinionated, pleasurable horse related reading, please visit http://horseinfoperson.blogspot.com/
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9325 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9325 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2009 : 08:56:48 AM
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I used Taro one year and have not had them since. But when the weather gets nice I keep my eye out for them. I did not use it where small children or animals would be able to get it. Just put the thing on the counter around the sink where I saw them and they swarmed to the stuff and after a few days I did not see any more of them.
Denise
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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ClaireSky
True Blue Farmgirl
1792 Posts
Julie
Arcadia
WI
USA
1792 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2009 : 4:00:40 PM
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I always use cucumber peels. Just put them where you see the ants and by morning they should be gone.
Julie
Farmgirl Sister #399
West-Central WI Farmgirls
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog...Charles F. Doran |
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Cleaning Up: How can I get rid of these tiny black ANTS?! |
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How can I get rid of these tiny black ANTS?!
