Comments on: WFMW Natural Insecticide

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:43:30 +0000

Susan,
It is amazing what those little devils will eat and get into. I have found them in an egg of all places. They just drilled a hole into the shell and feasted away! I have never found them in my hot pepper though, ha!
I will be looking for some of that boric acid to paint around the edges of their most common entrances.
I sure do appreciate all the suggestions!

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:12:57 +0000

I just cracked up at Zoe’s response–hot spices in Thailand! I’ll bet those ants are immune to any hot spice in existence! I’ve heard that borax works, too.

By: Louise

Louise — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:46:38 +0000

I’ve heard that it is Boric Acid, not borax, that works. Apparently they walk in it, then when they groom themselves by licking their feet, they eat the acid. It is not toxic to pets or kids, so you can sprinkle it around liberally.

We also use a citrus-based ant killer. It smells and looks like Simple Green.

By: zoe

zoe — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:04:07 +0000

Any hot spices. Apparently it absorbs through the skin on their feet and they can’t walk across it! But that only works for places you could leave a trails of spices lying around.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:36:29 +0000

Thanks for the ideas Krista. I know that many people here use powder in little cups to keep the ants from climbing up the legs of their tables and chairs, but I thought they just did not like to walk through it. I do not mind placing strategic piles of powder, especially if it works! I wonder if the baking soda/powder causes some kind of chemical reaction in their insides if they eat it? Sorry to be a bit graphic, but there is no love lost between me and these critters.

By: Amy @ Experience Imagination

Amy @ Experience Imagination — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:35:51 +0000

I haven’t tried it, but I was reading recently that cornmeal will kill/keep away ants. Don’t know how it works, but the suggestion was to pour lines of it wherever you see the ants coming in, and reapply until the ants are all gone.

Best of luck!!

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:33:52 +0000

Debbie,
I actually just had someone bring me some Borax from the states. My dear oldest daughter has some funky gym clothes that could use a bit of help in the laundry, but I will try it on the ants too!
Thanks!

By: Krista

Krista — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:40:10 +0000

I have heard that any kind of powder (baby powder, baking powder) will work because they track it back to their nest and it dehydrates them. Not sure it works, but then again now that I think about it I used baking soda…
and of course it’s non-toxic, but then you have powder everywhere…
Put it across their main pathways or in your corners and see if it helps!

By: Kathy in WA

Kathy in WA — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:26:46 +0000

Great pictures, Tina! Yuck. I can’t believe how many ants covered those instruments. My goodness.

Hope you get all sorts of ant killing advice. I’ve read borox mixed with sugar will kill them. Tell us what you’ve tried so far.

Duckabush Blog

By: Debbie

Debbie — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 03:14:35 +0000

Tina, I have heard/read somewhere that ants do not like borox…or they do like and bring it to their nests and it kills them. I’m not sure if this is something you can get in Thailand, but it might be worth a try.