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When Ants Come Marching In - Natural Remedies for Ants

6/9/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Ants may be amazing creatures in their own right, but when they begin to invade the home these pesky insects quickly lose their appeal. Because they are attracted to both sweets and grease, the kitchen is typically their haven, as they carry food back to the nest leaving a trail for other ants to follow.  Getting rid of them often involves nasty chemicals - but there are some natural remedies you can use that won't pose a risk of contaminating your food or endangering small children and pets.

  • Cornmeal - Believe it or not, ants love cornmeal. The good news is they can't digest it and die after consuming it. Sprinkle cornmeal in the corners of shelves or any area where ants are a problem. They will happily carry it back to the nest where it will kill even more ants.
  • Cream of Wheat - Similar to cornmeal, Cream of Wheat seems like a tasty treat for ants, fortunately for you, they can't digest this either. Once ingested both cornmeal and Cream of Wheat swell in the ant's body and kill the ant.

Prevention
  • Wash down counters with a bleach and water solution.
  • Mop down floors every night with bleach and water.
  • Rinse glasses - especially those from juice or other sweet beverages.
  • Throw away all candy and freeze pop wrappers.
  • Store food in airtight containers - but beware! Ants can chew through plastic bags. Opt for food storage containers or glass jars instead.

                                   Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!

Please take a moment to explore the site. Have a question not answered here? Drop me a line in ASK A GARDENER and I'd be delighted to find it for you.


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1 Comment
Michelle link
6/18/2012 08:55:32 pm

Thank you for the wonderful gardening ideas I found on your website!

Reply



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  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables