We were warned before we moved into our new apartment that there's an ant problem. So it came as no surprise that within a few days we saw the little pesky creatures making their way across a wall. Instinctively we reached for a paper towel and liquid hand soap -- it happened to be Avalon Organics lavender -- and wiped down the wall. We haven't seen any ants since.
However, while researching this dilemma (we refuse to use pesticides), we found all sorts of eco-friendly suggestions.
Since we can't find the nest to pour boiling water on it, we're more drawn to the tips that involve sprinkling products on the ant trails. Some of these are: aspartame, black pepper, borax, catnip, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, crushed mint, cucumber, a mixture of baking soda and powdered sugar, or citrus peel and water, or white vinegar and water. If the ants return, we think the idea that we'll try is to spray peppermint or spearmint essential oil on the trail.
You can find more information on Buy Organic, The Frugal Life, and The Dollar Stretcher. And there was an Open Thread on the subject on AT:NY last year.
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I spent some time at the UC Davis Cooperative Extension website yesterday researching this very same problem. There was useful information there as well. (click my name for link)
Nothing completely green has worked for me yet, but I'm still looking.
supposedly chalk drawn around the house works as well - although maybe it's an old wives tale?!
Man, I have been fighting ants on and off for months now, and NOTHING has worked for me.
Actually, one thing has worked for me - Black Flag. I literally tried everything I could - diatomaceous earth, boric acid, simple green, etc, etc. I spent over 3 months engaged in almost daily battles in the kitchen (which was spotless!) before I got them to leave.
So when they started coming into the bathroom (through a 2nd story window!) I had had enough. I'm also very anti pesticide (I was raised by a mother who was both an organic freak and a breast cancer survivor, so we weren't even allowed to have shampoo that had chemicals in it) but my landlord had handed me a can of Black Flag when he came out to investigate the ants. I put it away, never thinking I would use it, but by the point they invaded the bathroom, I was done with them. I sprayed with Black Flag once, and have not seen them since. Of course, I also figured this was OK because we have no pets or kids, and it was the bathroom, not really somewhere we spend that much time but somewhere that is very well ventilated.
Also, our landlord apparently talked to an exterminator who said they just like to come inside in the winter because it's warm. So it has nothing to do with how clean your house is. Awesome.
Going the non toxic way in the kitchen was very slow, but did ultimately pay off. It mainly involved lots of spraying with watered down soap and then wiping, along with finding where they were coming in and putting boric acid/diatomaceous earth/etc by the holes.
Really, if they come back though . . . we may just have to make peace with each other.
The Bay Area is home to a species of annoying ant that came here from Argentina. My last apt. in Lower Haight always got them in the winter - its not so much the cold (its part of it), but its mainly the rains that drive them in.
More info here: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/01/ants45.html
I used to live in LA. I had a terrible time with ants and spiders. I tried allof the eco friendly way to get rid of them, but it never, ever worked. I too invested in some ant killer from home depot. Finally, they were gone! I still struggled with the spiders though, but I did manage to vacumme alot of them up.
I sprinkle talcum powder that usually deters them.
I use Safer Poison-Free ant killer. The active ingredient is either mint oil or cedar oil (depending on what you want your house to smell like). I had a huge argentine ant problem and this stuff worked like a charm. If you can handle your house smelling like toothpaste for a few hours, I highly recommend it. I found it at Ace Hardware stores. http://www.saferbrand.com/ant_home.htm
Orange Guard... it's concentrated orange rind (the ikky white part of the orange)... plus it makes your whole house smell nice and orangey!
Best of all, it's not harmful to my kitty...
http://www.orangeguard.com/
Diatomaceous Earth !!!!
Diatomaceous Earth is a harmless substance made of crushed fossilized earth. Bugs eat it and get a serious stomach ache and die. It is cheap and can be found many places online. You can put food grade d.e. in your pets food to get rid of worms and put it in their bedding to get rid of fleas. Works great on ants and fire ants.
http://www.biconet.com/home/pgGrainStorage.html
I second the DIATOMACEOUS EARTH comment, though bugs don't eat it.
Diatomaceous Earth is the skeletal remains of microscopic one-celled foating organisms called diatoms. These skeletons have accumulated for centuries under huge lakes or oceans. DE is mined from these natural deposits. The reason it is harmful to insects is because the razor-sharp edges of the broken skeletal remains puncture their exoskeletons causing them to dry out and die. It is completely harmless to humans and animals. In fact silicone dioxide, a common dry food ingredient, is actually DE, which contains trace minerals.
DE protects agains anything with an exoskeleton, fleas and cockroaches for example, it is not just limited to ants. IT WORKS, any insect that comes in contact with DE will die, and unlike a poison, a natural immunity will never be built up against it. It is also rather cheap. The downside is that it comes in a powder form (rather like baby powder) that has to be sprinkled around the outside perimeter of your house, and possibly the inside, and remain dry to be affective. If you live in a rainy or particularly humid climate, this kind of pest control may not work as well.
Good luck all you with pesty insect problems. DE is definitely worth a go.
-erinorea
I'm really glad I found this thread because I swear the entire town I live in (mountain community east of Bakersfield) is built on an ant hill. I, too, keep a very clean house, but have had them in the kitchen, bathroom, and once, in my bedroom closet! They were actually eating my pantyhose!!! I tried a number of organic remedies before resorting to a can of Raid. There were several areas where I was able to trace the trail and found they were coming in thru tiny cracks from the walls. I used caulk to seal up the areas, and along with using either vinegar or diluted green ammonia to clean counters, wipe walls, etc. I haven't had too many problems since then. Of course, now that I say that... ;-)
I had ants when I lived in downtown LA that were crawling up 6 floors on the outside of our building and coming in thru my bedroom window. I put a stop to that by sprinkling cinnamon along the window frame. Ants *hate* cinnamon.
I've had great luck with that orange guard and also Dr. Bronners peppermint bar soap as extra prevention. Using the soap, I made a line on the window sills where they come in. Had fierce ant problems before, then none after. I've also heard you can rub mint leaves around and stratgically place mint plants around the house. If nothing else, you're ready if someone wants a mojito.
good ol grits...not the cheese kind just grits (quaker instant will do fine too!) The ants will eat the grit(s) and it will exapand in their abdomen or thorax or whatever and BLAMO! no more ants...if you pour it on mounds it works even quicker...even ants can be lazy and gluttonous!
Any one know how to get rid of green ants ouryard is over run with them i'd like for my kids to be able to play with out getting bitten