ANTS! How to get rid of em without chemicals?

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pahntr760

Active member
Well, right after I set-up our kids new swing-set, we notice a decently large ant nest right close to the swing-set. I want to get rid of them without any chemical treatment that would cause me to not allow my kids and pups out there. I read very hot water will do it, we tried that but the nest must be too deep. I've read of mixtures with Borax that are said to work, but haven't tried that yet...Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
 
diatomaceous earth


its ground up shells of diatom's. very abrasive. pour it on the mound. as the ants crawl over it, it'll stick to them and work their way into any body joints. quite literally cut them to pieces.

death of 1000 cuts if you will.


harmless to humans/pets as long as you dont breath the dust. devastating on insects.
 
I was told just recently, have not tried it yet, that cinnamon would drive them away and powdered sprinkled would keep them away from the whole area.
 
Chalk usually keeps them out..

But the best way that i have seen that is also the most fun..

Collect aluminum cans and a turkey deep fryier. Melt the aluminum and get plenty of it, then dig into the ant hole to make a funnel. pour the melted metal in the hole until it's full. ants gone and if you dig it out and wash it off, you have a really cool lawn art.

 
Originally Posted By: Tbone-AZChalk usually keeps them out..

But the best way that i have seen that is also the most fun..

Collect aluminum cans and a turkey deep fryier. Melt the aluminum and get plenty of it, then dig into the ant hole to make a funnel. pour the melted metal in the hole until it's full. ants gone and if you dig it out and wash it off, you have a really cool lawn art.



Beat ya to it.
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haha..

I almost (almost) wish i had ants just to be able to try this one out.

It's cool to me. With my luck i would pick a hill that turns into a 8' deep hole where i would be out there digging for days. lol

I guess it also takes that kid with a magnification glass burning ants to a whole new level.
 
I have used cinnamon and it deters them but still have ants. Deet will do that too.
Have not used diatomaceous earth.
Would enjoy the aluminum pour.
Have been very happy with Ortho Home Defense.
Tempo has done well and is quite popular here.
Recently sprayed a little test permethrin and it worked.
 
Tempo does work fairly well on ants and spiders, it will kill a lot of different bugs. The best thing about it is that once dry, it is no harm to people or pets. Demon is another product very similar. Not very cheap, but it doesn't take much either and will continue to control for one to two weeks depending on how much you mix up.
I work at a grain elevator and we use it occasionally to keep insect pests out of the wheat and other grains. If you have a grain facility close by and they have a bottle open, they might just give you enough to mix up in a spray bottle, I think 8 ml mixed with a gallon of water will provide continuous control for a week, that should be long enough to get them all from one hill.
 
That aluminum method is something else.. It's amazing the liquid can make it to the very bottom before cooling-hardening.. Also not caving in walls around it as it flows down... Try it on field mouse holes..
 
MAVRIK - http://www.epestsupply.com/product/MAVRIK/Mavrik-Perimeter-and-AquaFlow-Insecticide/#.VSNd79dTFdg

Not cheap, but it doesn't take much. Very effective, can be used for ants, spiders, mites, aphids...

As best I recall dosage on fire ants is 1 oz. per gallon of water, so you get about 8 gallons of ant spray for your $44. Pour it on the ant bed, use a pump up sprayer, whatever. Fire ant nests typically take a pint or two. Other critters, such as spider mites or aphids, require as little as a tenth of an ounce per gallon.

As far as safe, we use it on/in beehives to control ants, and other pests... doesn't hurt the bees. Designed to be used on vegetable and flower gardens, has numerous uses around the home if you do buy it; it's not just for killing ants. I'd check the local hardware stores first, may find some on the shelf in teh gardening section for way less than I'm seeing on line. Price jumped rather drastically last 2 - 3 years.

MSDS Sheet - http://www.cdms.net/LabelsMsds/LMDefault.aspx?pd=7813&t=


 
I used plan ammonia from the grocery store, cheap fix for the Tx. fire ants. I just poured it down there holes. I used to piss on several fire ant hills around the barn a couple of times a day that works as well. It takes more time then the ammonia.
 
pahntr760 said:
Well, right after I set-up our kids new swing-set, we notice a decently large ant nest right close to the swing-set. I want to get rid of them without any chemical treatment that would cause me to not allow my kids and pups out there. I read very hot water will do it, we tried that but the nest must be too deep. I've read of mixtures with Borax that are said to work, but haven't tried that yet...Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
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Hot water rarely works on an established nest. The colony runs 2 to 3 feet deep and the water cools before it reaches the queen, so it rebuilds in days.

What works without chemicals near kids and pets:

Mix 1 part borax to 3 parts powdered sugar, or borax in sugar water on cotton balls. Workers carry it back and it kills the queen. Give it a full 1 to 2 weeks and keep the stations out of the kids' and pups' reach.

Food-grade diatomaceous earth. Dust it on the nest and trails. Mechanical, not chemical. Reapply after rain or watering since it only works dry.

Cut the food and moisture. Check for sprinkler overspray, clippings, or fallen fruit near the swing-set and clear it.

If the same nest keeps coming back or they move indoors, you may have a multi-colony species that home methods rarely clear. At my company, My Termite Company in Los Angeles, that recurring-nest pattern is one of the most common reasons people finally call us in, since multi-colony species rarely respond to single-point treatment. For one nest by a swing-set though, the borax bait route should handle it.
 
Stu Farish said:
We have fire ants here, I use Amdro to feed the hills when they pop up & they're gone in a couple of days
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Amdro is a solid choice. The hydramethylnon bait does exactly what you described. The workers carry it down and feed it to the queen, so the whole hill collapses in a few days instead of just scattering the ants on the surface.
 
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