In my own home I've fought the battle of ants many times over. With two dogs, pet food is a constant snack for that tiny army to carry away in the middle of the night. We've mentioned many ways that have worked for folks in the past, but one writer put 8 different ant deterrents to the test with rather surprising results.
We're still gleaning advice from others on how to deal with this problem, and recently DIY LIfe put 8 common ideas to the test. There's everything from cinnamon, to bay leaves, and even vodka. It's a real life account of what worked, what didn't, and what the ants just considered their own personal buffet. The winner in the end — dish soap and water!
• Read more on ant removal over at DIY Life
(Image: Flickr member Il conte di Luna licensed for use by Creative Commons)
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Yep, to the article, diluted dishwashing liquid sprayed on the ants trail, kills them and deters more from entering, I had a horrid ant problem a few weeks ago, they were everywhere even though food was nowhere, I just used a solution of dawn and water and sprayed wherever they were and now I am ant free.
I have a large ant mound in my backyard. I tried killing them with boiling water but only managed to kill my grass. :|
I have had luck using cornmeal on mounds in the yard. I usually just sprinkle enough to cover the mound and just around the edges. It is usually "vacant" in a couple days, providing there hasn't been any rain.