I heard about this stuff a long time ago. It was a natural ant killer. I don't mind ants outside, but they are in my house, literally coming through the floorboards. So, with a bird and three kids running around, it is hard to keep the floor swept and the ants at bay!
The stuff I am looking for was considered organic. It was simply crushed animal bones, I believe. The ants supposedly like it, they take it back to their homes and it will put little cuts in their bodies and it dehydrates them, eventually killing off the nest. It won't hurt pets or children and it has no fumes. Does anyone know the name of this stuff?! And where to get it?! (I read about it in Yes! Magazine 3 or 4 years ago).
Also, would love some other recommendations, as well. Organic. I've tried other stuff, and you always need to reapply. My father gave us a bag of toxic poison you sprinkle around the outside perimeter of your house, and water it down or wait for rain to soak it into the yard. We tried it one year out of desperation, and all the ants --big and small-- and millipedes crawled into our house to die, so in the morning, the floors were covered with dead ants. Oh, yay! Not sure I want to do that, again! It must have worked great ;o, but not a big fan of toxic.
That's why I came to this board! I love OG and have read it for years! I'm a natural mom, need to have a natural yard, and home, too! :O
Thanks for any help, replies, comments, etc! God Bless!
You may also want to have your house inspected by a pest control expert. I know these companies are usually looking to spray poisons everywhere, but the reason I recommend doing so is because they may be able to identify the kinds of ants that are in your house or even locate a nest.
Carpenter ants (large and black) are attracted to wet, rotting wood and will nest in houses with this kind of environment. Correcting the problem that attracts the ants to your home will help immensely.
Also note that they may be nesting in a tree with rotting wood near your home.
Here are a few links on carpenter ants. Ignore the advice about pesticides. I've only posted them so you can learn more about the pests you are trying to discourage from sharing your house.
Diatomaeous earth is actually fossilized algae, which is mostly silica. Yes, it does kill most soft body pests by microscopic dehydration. Yes, it is totally safe on beneficials like ladybugs and earthworms.
Now to your aunt problem: Im a bit confused, is it an aunt you want to control organically, or is it an organic aunt you want to control? At any rate, I would suggest that you stop sending her hand written thank you notes. I got a bothersome aunt to leave me alone with this method. (Please read with a smile.) jo
Pardon me for driving the speed limit.
Posts: 3 | Location: Map says zone 5, plan for zone 4 | Registered: April 09, 2004
Borax is an all natural organic insect control. It works very well if you mix if with a small amount of granular sugar to attract the ants. If you're like me and can't stand the thought of borax and sugar sprinkled around your house and yard you can place it in shallow contaners.
I have found that used toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls cut into two inch lengths, with one half of each end blocked off (makes a smaller opening on each end so all the borax does not spill) make a convenient, clean delivery system.
This method works slowly, the ants each pick up a small part of the borax/sugar mixture and carry it back to their nest. Eventually there will be enough borax to reach a toxic level and the nest will die.
Borax can usually be found in the laundry center of most supermarkets. If you are interested it is also an excellent stain remover.
Ants in the house are a symptom of a problem. Fix the problem (don't simply treat the symptom) and they will go away. Are your ants just the little ones that are looking for food and moisture or are they the big carpenter ants?
Another hint is to not invite her to your next family gathering, or if you do, invite someone she told you she doesn't like. If she's like my DH's Aunt, she'll turn right around in your driveway and go home!
I am having trouble with a colony of carpenter ants. They seem to really want to live somewhere on our little plot of land. Today I see them with their eggs marching into a crumbling stone wall. Can you really control these colonies organically???
All I know, is we've used coffee grounds to deter them. It doesn't kill them, but they don't like the smell of the coffee. Let the grounds dry and then put them across the threshhold. You can also put it around the window sills and window wells. Clarence.
If the ants are in your house there is a need to determine why they are there and what needs be done to get them out. If the ants are outside they are where they belong and are aiding you in keeping your part of the universe clean, neat, and orderly and there is no reason to try to control them.
I was going to say if she lives in the area just change the locks and get an unlisted number. though the note writing sounds good too ;-) oh and if she has a drinking problem keep her away from the liquor
Aspertame is extremely effective against carpenter ants. no it is not organic but since most people insist on drinking the neurotoxin most should not have a problem using it around their kids/in a kitchen. I have used aspertame only a couple of times because it worked so well for me. The ants take the poison eat some and than feed their queen and formacary mates and usually withing 4 weeks the colonies are dead.
All you have to d0 is place nutrasweet on ant trails and they will do the rest.
I'M THE ANT QUEEN !!! (or Queen Aunt, whichever way you want to look at it, but I won't go away......
We moved into our newly built house 11 years ago and I've had 10 years of ants which moved in before we did. FINALLY last year my husband used a commercial mix of borax and something which must be some sort of sweet gel. He put it up in the rafters and ceiling area. We had tried everywhere else (and everything else). IT WORKED!!! We haven't had ants since, it's absolute heaven.
The commercial stuff is called Terra, I think I mentioned it on this website once before. They are on the web, if you do a search. It comes in little bottles, but the thing that I think works the best are little plastic containers that you can sit on things and the ants can crawl in but virtually nothing can get spilled. They take the borax back to the next and it kills the Queen ant (aunt) but it does take a while, so have patience. One caveat, though, is that borax is toxic, so you should keep it away from your children and birds - I won't use it at ground level or on my kitchen counters (although I have used it in non food cupboards). We haven't had much luck with diatomaceous earth, even though DH seems to love to shake it around the house in great clouds. (Wear a mask if you do try it).
And finally, I have found that pest control companies are sympathetic about organic pest control these days, one of the local companies here even has a gentleman who specialises in organic pest control (he has researched) - I would imagine because more and more people don't want to spray Baygon and the like all over their houses - they have to keep up with the times or they'll lose out, so pest control companies might be worth a try...... .... but see if you can get the Terra and try it for a few months, it might just be your saving grace....good luck, happy hunting!
