Naturalmama

I'm pretty sure I used this years ago and it seemed to work then - from what I remember anyway. Sometime in April they've returned and are getting worse. It's driving me crazy. The ant bait things aren't working at all. I'm going to try boric acid and powdered sugar tonight. I hate to use insecticides - hope this works!!

magpie

I've read you can use cornmeal. They carry it back to nest, eat it and bloat and that's all she wrote.

redkimba

couple of other threads suggest cures:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-47238-1.htm

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-57277-1.htm
**from here Ditter43 suggested:
his homemade treatment has worked very well on both carpenter ants and pharaoh ants.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of Boric Acid, 1 tsp of Sugar, 4 oz water, Cotton Balls.
Mix Boric Acid and Sugar in a bowl. This can be poured over a cotton wad in a small dish or bottle cap. Keep this from drying out for continued effectiveness. Place Cotton balls in path of Ants.

Summer Spice

I use Arm & Hammer baking soda, I don't know one ant from another but I think it will work on all of them and is harmless to your pets. I just use a funnel to put it where I need it, also sprinkle it around the outside if the house.

cjomomma

I just bought some boric acid and as soon as the rain stops I'm going sprinkle it outside against the building.

jayelee

Baking soda and sugar mixed sit on back of counter and ants are gone two days

Ramona Byrd

Last year I noticed that the ants were helping my cats eat their dry food. Since I had a package of Mint flavored breath mints, I took 3 or so of them out of their little individule plastics and put them beside the cat food. After a day or so no more ants, still have not returned. That was so successful that I took more of them outdoors and put them around an ant hill, THOSE ants loved it and swarmed all over them. Had to resort to the old faithful Boric Acid and Sugar for them.

I asked a friend for some of her Aspartame for the ants in my far back yard, I'd heard that it was good for them. They are little tiny things that crawl all over the water hose and then up my arm while I'm watering my plants!!

Airwick156

We had carpenter ants in my apartment right after we moved in here. I told my property manager, and she contacted some pest company and they told her to make sure there is no gap under the sink AROUND the pipes in the wall which there was. She sealed up the gap and I have never had another carpenter ant in my house and we have now been here going on our 7th year. But that is how they were coming in. And we live literally next to a mountain and have tons of trees.

Naturalmama

Thanks for all the tips! Dh said he couldn't find the boric acid at Walmart, so he came home with a powder you sprinkle outside around the perimeter of the house. I am still going to get boric acid as soon as I can - and meanwhile I'll try the baking soda and powdered sugar.

quiltsRfun

I read a hint to sprinkle cinnamon on their trails. DD has problems with ants and doesn't want to use poison. She tried the cinnamon and said it worked. Plus its smelled good.

Same hint suggested bay leaves, cayenne pepper or leaves from mint tea bags.