Tuesday, June 16, 2009
How to kill ants without doing yourself in...
Jeri left a comment on my last blog and asked about our method of killing ants. In an earlier post we found an ant hill working in a flower bed and we put baby powder on it. So here are all the things that will kill ants that won't hurt us:
Baby powder- any baby powder- we get the equate brand from Walmart- baby powder is toxic to ants, if they walk through it and make it back to the hill, it will take out the hill, too.
Chalk- it is also toxic to ants- try drawing a circle around one on the sidewalk- it will go crazy trying to get out of the circle- but it will finally leave and take the chalk with it. It will die from it.
Soapy water- it will kill ants- a little dawn in a spray bottle will kill ants on your counters.
409 and Fantastic- it will kill them, too, and faster than soapy water.
All the tiny little cracks they find to come in can be caulked with white elmers glue- just caulk like you would with caulking- wipe off the excess and it dries clear so no one knows you did it. This worked in my window sills where the boards meet and there might be a tiny place that shifts after time.
We had a terrible time last year in the flood. The animals and insects were flooded out of their homes, too, and tried to invade ours. I can not do the toxic sprays at all so I went searching online.
The ones I listed are ones that work.
If they are coming in around a window, lightly dust the sill with the baby powder.
I had some coming in a bathroom window and just drew a chalk line and that stopped them there.
Use the big sidewalk chalk- its easier!
Hope that helps!
Also for fleas- dawn dish soap kills fleas- use it to bathe your animal. (Blue)
Homemade flea collar- eucalyptus leaves crushed and rolled in a bandanna work.
Earmites in cats- cooking oil- it smothers the mites- use it three days in a row- just a few drops to coat the ear and they are gone.
Bee stings- accent meat tenderiser and a little water to make a paste will eliminate a swelling reaction in 20 minutes. Bee stings are protein and the enzymes in the tenderiser will break down proteins.
That's my Bug 101 lesson for today- it anyone else has other methods- let us know!
Baby powder- any baby powder- we get the equate brand from Walmart- baby powder is toxic to ants, if they walk through it and make it back to the hill, it will take out the hill, too.
Chalk- it is also toxic to ants- try drawing a circle around one on the sidewalk- it will go crazy trying to get out of the circle- but it will finally leave and take the chalk with it. It will die from it.
Soapy water- it will kill ants- a little dawn in a spray bottle will kill ants on your counters.
409 and Fantastic- it will kill them, too, and faster than soapy water.
All the tiny little cracks they find to come in can be caulked with white elmers glue- just caulk like you would with caulking- wipe off the excess and it dries clear so no one knows you did it. This worked in my window sills where the boards meet and there might be a tiny place that shifts after time.
We had a terrible time last year in the flood. The animals and insects were flooded out of their homes, too, and tried to invade ours. I can not do the toxic sprays at all so I went searching online.
The ones I listed are ones that work.
If they are coming in around a window, lightly dust the sill with the baby powder.
I had some coming in a bathroom window and just drew a chalk line and that stopped them there.
Use the big sidewalk chalk- its easier!
Hope that helps!
Also for fleas- dawn dish soap kills fleas- use it to bathe your animal. (Blue)
Homemade flea collar- eucalyptus leaves crushed and rolled in a bandanna work.
Earmites in cats- cooking oil- it smothers the mites- use it three days in a row- just a few drops to coat the ear and they are gone.
Bee stings- accent meat tenderiser and a little water to make a paste will eliminate a swelling reaction in 20 minutes. Bee stings are protein and the enzymes in the tenderiser will break down proteins.
That's my Bug 101 lesson for today- it anyone else has other methods- let us know!
Rainy day stuff...
baking a chicken...you should smell the house...with a teriyaki marinate...
fresh strawberries...
the sky is gray... we went out between rains to walk the dog and walk off my lunch...
it's cooler and the wind is blowing...
the ferns were dancing...
Bebe facing the wind...such a brave little dog...
the wind was blowing the viola around...
but a mum opened today...
it was so dark and dreary the flash went off...cone flower wondering where the sun went...but it will come out tomorrow...surely...
Leftovers...
a little of this and a little of that... the last pick of the four packs can be fun...these were the ones that no one wanted...Making banners for my blog...
they have been fun to do and it is so hard now to pick which one to use, but I hope to use them all at some point...but...
this is one of my favorite ones...what do you think? Which one do you like best???