Is this weather bugging you? Do you have uninvited guests?
By Missy Saila on May 29, 2012, 10:35am
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Hey, if they are relatives... so sorry, this isn't for you... you're on your own with that one! Relatives, like fish should be thrown out after a couple days!
I've noticed this year with all the wacky weather and the very mild winter... I am seeing ants in my home for the first time in 10 years! Well, let me be honest here, Coco is seeing the ants, I am killing the ants, she then looks at me wondering why I just stomped her toy.
***Before you try any solution to rid your home or yard of unwanted pests, please use common sense and think about who else you may be affecting! If it is your neighbors kids or your in-laws... well then this article is not for you! If it's ants... then read on!
You can try one or more, whatever you and your family are comfortable with. If you have any safe and foolproof remedies, let me know!!!
Here are some suggestions.
Outside your home:
Corn meal around the yard will control them, they eat it and the corn meal swells in their little tummies killing them.
If you can see the ant hill, pour boiling water on it. Yea I know it’s mean, but do you want them in your home??? They don’t care what you want.
You can use petroleum jelly on the lower part of trees... just smear it all around the circumference of the lower trunk and voila! They get stuck. They will not be inviting their friends to your home!
Plant mint, it is a natural repellant to not only ants but ticks as well. It also adds a nice refreshing flavor to some tea or a mojito! (The mint, not the ants lol)
Talcum powder and borax are also things you can spread around the outside of your home... if any ants do get in... at least they will be baby fresh and clean lol. Seriously they shouldn't be getting in after running into that stuff.
Inside and Out:
Crushed red pepper, cloves, cinnamon as well as bay leaves are not a favorite of ants... so serve them up a nice cocktail with some or all of these things and they will have their last call and it is highly doubtful they will recommend your home on foursquare!
Inside your home:
First off, I state the obvious... vacuum & clean often!! Wipe up any food or drink spills immediately! Wash down surfaces with an eco friendly cleaning product of your choice... or go with vinegar and water. It's your home, use what you want.
You may want to try mixing up some peppermint oil - the real deal not the extract you find in the baking section. Use a 1 part peppermint to 20 part water ratio. The peppermint will help deter the ants and make your home smell nice and fresh! Be careful with the peppermint oil though, it can irritate if it is not diluted! Put it in a spray bottle and spritz around the windows and doorways... wherever you see the ants coming in. If you have a weird pet like I do, be careful... you never know what they may like. For example, Winston loves cantaloupe and watermelon, Maxi loved Paul Mitchells Freeze and Shine. Coco, well, apparently she likes ants.
The peppermint will pretty much disorient the ants by removing their scent trails. Ants are not too fond of mint; remember that planting mint outside is also a deterrent!
If you see one lone ant, go after that ant! It's most likely a scout! If you just finished making a batch of sugar cookies... do not let him get back to tell his buddies!! Do a little hokey pokey all over that sucker! Change the words to and dance... Slam your left foot down, slam your right foot down and that's what it's all about! Yea whatever, make up your own lol. I prefer the 'Dammit! It's not a cat toy Stomp!’
Ok, now that I have killed one already today and just finished writing this… I feel like there are ants all over me… (she shivers and laughs when she realized the “ant” was just a strand of hair, yup just looked like a total idiot shooing & slapping the “strand of ant”)
I will now be keeping an eye to the sky in hope of an awesome thunderstorm at some point today… yes, I know I have been waiting and they have been avoiding me!
Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!
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