Warm weather means lots of outdoor time, barbecues with family and friends, gloriously long hours of daylight and … plenty of ant invasions. Ants sure know how to ruin a picnic, and they’re pretty good at sneaking into your kitchen (gross).
The folks from Household Hacker rounded up some genius ways to deal with ants, whether you’re already living with these six-legged pests or if you’re simply trying to prevent them from wreaking havoc on your life and home.
From picnic table moats to vinegar, some of these ideas are pretty creative. Check out their advice below and watch the video for more details.
1. Wash Your Soda Cans
Before you toss your soda cans into the recycling bin, give them a quick rinse to remove any remaining sugary soda that ants will feast on.
The same goes for other food containers that will be in or near your house until trash day (syrup bottles, juice boxes, etc.).
You’ll also want to purchase airtight containers to store opened food packages in your pantry.
2. Build A Picnic Table Moat
The next time you’re sitting at a picnic table enjoying lunch, build a line of defense to prevent ants from joining you.
Simply place four disposable pie tins or some other container under each leg of the table, then fill with water. The ants won’t be able to march over these tiny moats to ruin your lunch!
3. Make A Borax-Sugar Trap
If you’ve got kids or pets, tread lightly with this tip, as sodium borate should be kept away from children and animals. Household Hackers recommends mixing Borax and sugar with enough water to create a syrupy paste that ants will love to eat and share with their friends.
Use a Tupperware to house the mixture, poke a few holes in the top and sides, and let the ants come and go until the Borax wipes out their colony.
4. Cayenne Pepper
You can also sprinkle a little cayenne pepper around the entrances to your home or directly onto the anthill (if you can find it).
Though they’re looking for sugar, the ants will get a spicy (and repellant) treat instead. If you do find the anthill, Household Hackers recommends dousing it with cayenne-laced boiling water in order to kill the ants inside.
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5. Spray Some Vinegar
In order to destroy an ant’s home, you first have to find it. Vinegar won’t kill ants, but it will throw off their sense of smell.
The next time you see one in your house, spray some vinegar near it and watch where it heads. Household Hackers’ advice says it’ll likely lead you back to HQ.
6. Destroy Their Homes
If you can follow the trail of ants back to their home, your best defense is simply destroying the anthill.
You can do this by running your garden hose on it for 10 minutes or by pouring some boiling water on it until you don’t see any more signs of life.
7. Safeguard Your Space
Once you’ve rid your space of ants, you’ll want to be sure to erase any pheromones they may have left behind.
To do so, fill a spray bottle with a mixture of vinegar and water with a drop of dish soap. Then spray your mixture everywhere those little pests once lived, making sure to spray any entryways where they may have been entering as well.
What are your tried-and-true methods for getting rid of ants?
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