Ants... Ew!

We had been lucky. In the year an a half we have lived in our house, we haven't really had any major "invasions" from creepy crawly things. An ant here, a spider there of course, but no infestations.

Last year while gardening I ran across a few ant colonies, but they were outside and easily taken care of. 

Last night I was cleaning up in the kitchen and just like the past year and a half, I didn't see a thing. 

This morning? Tons of little sugar ants all around the sink. 

Two days before the in-laws are arriving.

Perfect... just peachy perfect.

So before work I scrambled to throw together some ant bait and left it out. I went back at lunch to check on things, and there must have been three times as many ants. ICK! Don't worry, this is actually what I wanted. Let me explain.

There are worker ants that venture out to find food to bring back for the queen and babies. Then they report back where all the goodies are, and they come in droves. You can spray or put out poison that kills these ants, but you are treating the symptom not the disease: the queen and her colony. 

So instead, you give them exactly what they are looking for, sugar! (With a little sinister intention mixed in.)

They live long enough to take the solution back to the nest where the queen/larva get it and they send the "good" news to the other workers where the awesome food stash is. That means more ants get the tainted food, and you have a greater chance of killing the queen and larva. 

So what is this sinister sweetness? Borax. 

Found in your local grocery store in the laundry soap isle, it has a variety of uses but is known for it's detergent boosting power. (Check out this hilarious classic TV commercial!)

Sinisterly Sweet Ant Bait

- 1 part Borax

- 4 (to 6) parts plain white sugar

- 4 (to 6) parts hot water

- cotton balls

Mix together all ingredients until dissolved. (I use an old LABELED water bottle, and shake to mix. It will keep for up to a few weeks.)

Soak cotton balls with the solution, and place near the ants (out of reach of tiny hands and paws!) I find it easiest to place the cotton balls on a plastic lid that I was going to recycle anyway. That way I can put a little extra liquid bait in the saucer. 

Repeat this process every couple days, as the sugar-water will dry and harden. After 2-3 applications (less than a week!) you should hardly see any more ants at all!

After I came home from work, there were already fewer ants (about as many as this morning) but they were moving sluggishly and some were already dead. Yay!

Anytime I see an ant or two I set out a trap just to try and be proactive. 

So it's toxic for the ants, does that mean it is poison!? Yes and no... this is a fantastic site explaining what Borax is and isn't. Basically it can irritate the skin in strong solutions and is very bad if large quantities are ingested. So just be safe! Keep it away from pets and kids, and PLEASE remember to label any containers of ant bait!