A few weeks ago my husband awoke to some startling new guests- a horde, yes a horde, of tiny black ants had invaded our kitchen and were attempting to carry off our dinner plates! (I would've been quite tempted to let them, since that pile of dishes was looking pretty grim). He proceeded to kill them all without waking me in the next room- something I find utterly astonishing, seeing as if I had been the one to make the discovery, my shrieks of terror might've gotten us evicted!
The big question after the main squadron was killed was "what do we do now?". I have an abhorrence to commercial pest-control measures. One, because it costs pennies we don't have and two, because if it poisons the pests, chances are its not that great to have around anyway. Armed with the knowledge that others in my place have found ways of getting rid of these guys using everyday items, I went a-searching and found some useful information via the internet. So here begins the Abridged List of Things that Ants Find Yucky:
1. White vinegar- wipe counters, walls and floors down with this stuff (we found it kept them at bay only so long as it was freshly wiped, but this is apparently an old trick housecleaning services use).
2. Cinnamon- sprinkle it around the "infected" areas
3. Chili powder- same
4. Cucumber- this one was not tried and tested by me, but apparently a few well placed bits of this will be enough.
5. Peppermint oil- put in a spray bottle with an equal amount of water and spritz around. A few days of that should do the trick.
The peppermint oil has by far had the greatest and swiftest effect for us. This stuff actually kills the ants and if any are around when you spray, they promplty start looking for the nearest exit, but tend to pop off before they get far.
Hope this helps anyone else in dire straights!
*image obtained from http://www.clipartguide.com/
1 comment:
I love it! Hopefully I'll never have to utilize this fantastic advice, but I'm glad to know there are some natural remedies that actually work (because, let's face it, sometimes we go natural and things just don't work as well!). Thanks, Ash!
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