It's normal to spot an ant or two around your home, but if you place food down and it's suddenly swarmed by a colony of ants then you may have a problem.
Every couple of years, my home seems to be the target of ants, and this drives me insane. I'll admit that the first time I had an infestation, I panicked.
I wasn't sure what to do because I did not want to call pest control right away, not until I understood the severity of the infestation, and neither did I want to use chemical insecticides to get rid of them.
I took to the internet, but searching for solutions online was even more overwhelming than you'd think. Everyone has their "best" method to get rid of these nasty little buggers, but surprise, surprise many don't actually work.
It took a while, but I finally stumbled upon one solution that finally did the trick.
The simple homemade ant poison is from Food.com, but it works so well that everyone started sharing it on their blogs and social media, especially Pinterest.
The concoction only requires three ingredients and they're all common items you already have at home. The best part is that unlike many other do-it-yourself solutions, this DIY poison will also get rid of the ants that remain in the nest.
So before we get into the recipe, let me quickly explain how this ant poison works.
See, when ants set up a nest, they don't all leave it at the same time in search of food and drink. Only a fraction of the colony will go hunting, and then they'll carry their loot back to the nest for their fellow ants.
So, when you leave out this liquid poison, worker ants will drink it and transport it back to the nest, where they'll share it with the rest of the colony.
The recipe calls for Borax, which damages the ants's digestive systems and their outer skeletons, so before you know it, they'll all be dead.
Here's What You'll Need:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons of boric acid
- 3 cups warm water
- Cotton balls
- A small container or the cap of an old medicine bottle
Directions:
1. Mix the sugar with the boric acid until combined.
2. Slowly add warm water while continuously stirring to prevent lumps from forming.
3. Soak a cotton ball in the solution, then place it in the small container or cap.
4. Place it in an area where you've spotted the most ants and watch the sweet scent of the sugar draw them into the poison.
Note: If you don't have a small enough container or cap, you can place the soaked cotton ball on foil or wax paper instead.
You should notice a significant decrease in the number of ants in just a couple of hours. If you think your home is housing a larger colony, try placing soaked cotton balls in different spots so you can get as many ants drinking as possible.
However, if your problem persists, it may be wise to call professional pest control to handle the situation because certain types of ants, like sugar ants are hazardous as they can contaminate food and cause illnesses like salmonella.
Do you have an ant problem at home? Let us know in the comments!