Back to ANTS again.

[Kaonohi]

We found an internet site that had some good suggestions for controlling marauding little black ants. We tried it, and it worked!

Mind, it didn't eliminate ALL the ants, but it did greatly reduce the numbers (quantity).

"ANTS!

If you get invaded, add pure lavendar oil to a spray bottle full of cheap vodka, shake well and spray down the areas where they appear. Ants hate the smell of lavendar and your house will smell nice. Tea tree oil also works.

The spray is also an effective grease-cutter, so you can use it to spray and wipe counter surfaces etc.

*about 10 drops of essential oil to a cup of vodka is enough.

I try not to kill ants, but I don’t want them in my kitchen. I will use white vinegar to destroy their trails. Doesn’t hurt them, just makes them give up and go elsewhere.

I use cinnamon at the ant entry and along any other likely entrances, they won’t cross it, "

We actually used rubbing alcohol rather than vodka (cheaper), and it worked!

[Serenity]

We found an internet site that had some good suggestions for controlling marauding little black ants. We tried it, and it worked!

Mind, it didn't eliminate ALL the ants, but it did greatly reduce the numbers (quantity).

"ANTS!

If you get invaded, add pure lavendar oil to a spray bottle full of cheap vodka, shake well and spray down the areas where they appear. Ants hate the smell of lavendar and your house will smell nice. Tea tree oil also works.

The spray is also an effective grease-cutter, so you can use it to spray and wipe counter surfaces etc.

*about 10 drops of essential oil to a cup of vodka is enough.

I try not to kill ants, but I don’t want them in my kitchen. I will use white vinegar to destroy their trails. Doesn’t hurt them, just makes them give up and go elsewhere.

I use cinnamon at the ant entry and along any other likely entrances, they won’t cross it, "

We actually used rubbing alcohol rather than vodka (cheaper), and it worked!

wow!! Kaonohi , that's great!!! Thank you.

by the way...

how do I use the Alcohol?? do I mix that in with water in a spray bottle? or just pure alcohol?? in a spray bottle?? or how do I go about doing that? same questions goes for Cinnamon & the lavender, is the lavender a powder?? a liquid?? how do I go about spreading it to get rid of the black ants?

I actually have more black ants than I do roaches. The roaches , I would guess about 2 to 5% at a time, but the ants are more in the percentile.

... And where do I get the Lavender?? The cinnamon , probably in any store under seasoning??

Since were in a roll of getting rid of bugs...

any ideas for roaches too??

Hope to hear from you soon. .

Aloha.

[Kaonohi]

Just pure alcohol, about a cup. We use rubbing alcohol instead of vodka. Any kind will work.

About a cup of alcohol in a spray bottle (available at Longs),and Pure lavender oil (essential oil) is available at Down to Earth, a probably at Sedona.

Regular powdered cinnamon from any grocery store. I haven't tried this yet.

I use sticky traps for roaches. Have one in my car and several around the house.

[Serenity]

Just pure alcohol, about a cup. We use rubbing alcohol instead of vodka. Any kind will work.

About a cup of alcohol in a spray bottle (available at Longs),and Pure lavender oil (essential oil) is available at Down to Earth, a probably at Sedona.

Regular powdered cinnamon from any grocery store. I haven't tried this yet.

I use sticky traps for roaches. Have one in my car and several around the house.

Thank you for the reply . Very Helpful!!.

I am sorry to keep bugging you, but...

I would like to ask how do I go about applying the Lavender Oil??

[Kaonohi]

Sorry, put a cup of vodka in a spray bottle, add 10 drops of Lavender essential oil to the vodka.

When you see the small black ants spray them with the mixture. It will kill the ants, and prevent them from coming back for about 24 hours, and it makes your home smell so nice.

I've also found that applying pure Lavender oil (with a Q-tip) to ant entry points will keep them at bay for a few days.

Last night there were some ants on the counter so I took Q-tip and used it to apply the oil in a circle around them, and they were trapped. They were still there this morning, running in circles trying to find a way out. Naturally I sprayed and killed them.

You are no bother at all. Wish my original message had been more clear, though.

Ethyl Alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol are cheaper, and available a Long's (CVS).

[Serenity]

Sorry, put a cup of vodka in a spray bottle, add 10 drops of Lavender essential oil to the vodka.

When you see the small black ants spray them with the mixture. It will kill the ants, and prevent them from coming back for about 24 hours, and it makes your home smell so nice.

I've also found that applying pure Lavender oil (with a Q-tip) to ant entry points will keep them at bay for a few days.

Last night there were some ants on the counter so I took Q-tip and used it to apply the oil in a circle around them, and they were trapped. They were still there this morning, running in circles trying to find a way out. Naturally I sprayed and killed them.

You are no bother at all. Wish my original message had been more clear, though.

Ethyl Alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol are cheaper, and available a Long's (CVS).

I am sorry for the late reply, but...

Thank you for that

[Ron Whitfield]

Corn meal, corn starch, borax, just some of the many ways to dissuade if not outright kill'm'all. Google ant control tips.
http://www.peta.org/living/humane-ho...c-ant-control/
http://smallnotebook.org/2010/04/21/...trol-remedies/

[Kaonohi]

Corn meal, corn starch, borax, just some of the many ways to dissuade if not outright kill'm'all. Google ant control tips.
http://www.peta.org/living/humane-ho...c-ant-control/
http://smallnotebook.org/2010/04/21/...trol-remedies/

I've tried borax to no effect - a friend told me to try diatomaceous earth; he said it works for him. I'll let you know.

[Kaonohi]

NEW INFORMATION!

My hairdresser (barber, upgraded), recommended I try:

Diatomacious Earth as an ant control.

If this is OLD info, forgive me, my memory is not as it was.

In Kaneohe, Kaneohe farm and feed, in the Yogi Building on Kam Hwy., has DE in bulk, at reasonable prices.

I have used this to control ants, cockroaches, B-52's (Palmetto Bugs), and pincer bugs with GREAT success.

They walk through it and they die. The silica penetrates their joints, and they dehydrate.

Better than boric acid, or pesticides.

Try it, you'll like it.

[Amati]

A boric acid bait will work, if you add the right enticement for the type of food that the ants prefer. (Fat? Sweet? You might need to experiment.)

Homemade Boric-Acid Bait - Use with caution

1 1/2 teaspoons of boric acid powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Fill jars with cotton balls or a small bit of paper towel and soak with the liquid.
Poke holes in lids so ants can enter and exit.

The idea is to tempt the ants to take the "food" back to their nest. You don't want to kill the ants on your counter, you want to eliminate the nest. It can take about a week, so have patience. You might need to repeat the bait later, since only the ants will die (not the eggs), so it can take an extended effort.

I use boric acid bought from the shelf in the pharmacy section of the market, about $6 for a jar of powder.

BORIC ACID IS A POISON IF INGESTED OR ON THE SKIN.
KEEP THE POWER OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS.
KEEP THE "BAIT" OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS.

[Kaonohi]

According to Internet sources, diatomaceous Earth is not poison. In fact some people use it to improve their digestion and eliminate internal parasites.

However, be careful not to BREATHE it in, it can be harmful to the lungs (so can baby powder).

It kills insects with an exoskeleton because it is small, sharp bits of silica. It gets in their joints, punctures their exoskeleton, and they dehydrate.

Works on fleas, ants, roaches, earwigs, etc.

[Kaonohi]

Have problems with ants getting into my pet food dishes. Well, did.

I discovered at first that setting the dish into a pan of water works, but if it evaporates, ...

So I used Windex. It evaporated and left a semi-solid mass, and the ants won't cross it.

FYI: There are pet food platforms in the feed store at Kaneohe with a recess for water in the bottom. Use Windex instead.

ALSO: There is a new product that consists of plastic strips with anticide, "COMBAT Ant Killing Bait Strips," which work better than anything I have tried!
My kitchen ants are GONE!