Despite their minuscule size and non-threatening nature, a line of ants inside your home is enough to trigger a panicked reaction. Before you reach for harsh bug spray as your ant killer of choice, there’s a simple 3-ingredient recipe that works wonders on even the worst invasions. By using this formula, you’ll be tackling the problem at the nest to get rid of these pests once and for all.
First, it’s important to understand these tiny bugs better. Knowing how they live and operate–as well as why they tend to wander indoors–can help prevent a massive infestation in the first place. This 3-ingredient ant killer should only be used after other preventative measures are exhausted.
Try Prevention First
With more than 13,000 species of ants on the earth, these tiny workers are found all over the globe. Their tenacious ability to find food, bringing it back to a colony of hundreds to millions, ensures their survival year after year. By using pheromone trails, a single worker or scout ant can direct the colony to a tasty morsel just waiting to be consumed.
This search for sustenance often results in ants invading our homes. After all, a counter full of crumbs or a half-full dish of dog food are easy pickings for hungry bugs. They often make their way through cracks or holes in walls, doors, or windows. If the colony lives in the dirt under or around your house, access may be especially easy. During the summer and winter, when food or moisture outside is scarce, the push to move indoors is often more intense.
Before trying this ant killer, it’s important to employ preventative measures. While pesky, ants are nature’s cleanup crew and play a vital role in our ecology. By sealing up cracks, storing food in airtight containers, and keeping surfaces free of crumbs, you’ll have less available for scout ants to find. If, though, the infestation is out of control, try using this easy 3-ingredient ant killer made from household items. (1)
3-Ingredient Ant Killer Recipe
Since ant sprays only kill the ants you see, it won’t be effective in solving the problem. Using this recipe, the ants will take the food back to the nest, thereby eliminating the source of your infestations.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Borax
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
Instructions:
- Mix Borax and sugar until well combined.
- Add the Borax/sugar mixture to warm water and stir constantly until dissolved.
- Soak a few cotton balls in the solution–this will be your bait.
- Using shallow containers, jar lids, or squares of waxed paper to hold the soaked cotton balls, place the bait where you’ve seen the ants or think they’ll likely enter your home. You may need to wait awhile for ants to find the bait, but once they do, give them time to consume the entire solution
A Note Of Caution: Make sure that your pets or children cannot get to the Borax/sugar bait, as Borax is toxic. You’ll also want to be sure to label the container of solution if you don’t use it all, as it will look like water. Place it somewhere that little hands can’t reach. (2)
While it may take a little bit of time for this ant killer to reach the colony, this simple recipe will keep the pests at bay when preventative measures fail.
