Are
you up to your elbows in ants? The enterprising little insects seem to be
everywhere lately — from your pantry to your veggie beds — and they’re bugging the ever-lovin’
heck out of you. Here’s what to do: First, take a deep breath. Then, pick a
deterrent from the list below:
A soapy solution. When anthills make a mess
of your lawn, bid ‘em adieu! Mix 1/4 cup of liquid hand soap with 1 gallon of
water in a bucket, and pour it over the mound. Repeat the procedure about an
hour later to make sure the liquid penetrates to the queen’s inner chamber.
Chalk it up. If the little rascals are
“farming” in your trees, shrubs, or other plants, sprinkle powdered chalk on
the ground around the trunk or the whole planting bed. If it’s your shed they
won’t stay out of, sprinkle the chalk around the door and window frames.
Call in the cukes. Ants aren’t fans of
cucumbers. So keep ‘em from launching an invasion by laying peels in their
pathways.
Offer some refresh-mint. When you’re tired of seeing
the little guys traipsing through your house, keep them out by laying sprigs of
fresh mint in front of your doors, windows, and any cracks or holes that the
ants could sneak through.
Fortify the front line. Ants won’t cross a line of
talcum powder. So use it at the entrance to your pantry, or wherever you don’t
want the tiny troublemakers to travel.
Bait ‘em with honey. When ants are driving you
bananas, indoors or out — and you have pets or young children on the scene — send
the puny pests packin’ with this formula. It’s so safe kids and pets won’t be
harmed if they take a taste. Put 1/2 cup of honey, 3/8 cup of baker’s yeast,
and 3/8 cup of sugar in a bowl, and mix thoroughly. Spread the mixture on
bottle caps or pieces of plastic or cardboard, and set the traps in the ants’
pathways. The enterprising insects will rush to the sweet feast, and that’ll be
all she wrote.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment