Use Boric Acid to Get Rid of Ants

Ants are one of the most successful insects to have ever lived on our planet. They have been around for more than 100 millennia. Depending on the species, ants build different kinds of homes. You may see little tiny holes in the ground with some dirt pushed out around them, or you might see great big ant hills in your yard. For as tiny as they are, they are very intelligent creatures. Together, a colony of ants can act collectively for one purpose. And in my case, their sole purpose was to invade my home!

Every year I have a problem with ants. I’ve never been able to get rid of the ants that live around my house, and at times they have become a pest by getting into my home. I have found ants crawling on my bed, and on the counter around my sink, in the bathroom, and even in the carpet in my den. Ants can make a nest anywhere in your home and when they do it can be very hard to get rid of them. They don’t eat wood, but they can chew it up and spit it out to make a nest hidden behind the woodwork of your home.

To find an answer to my ant infestation, I considered having an exterminator come and treat my house, but my major concern was my allergies and my dog’s safety. I talked to my friend, Eric, who has done exterminator work from time to time, and he told me of a natural home remedy that will work. He said to use Boric Acid (commonly known as borax). Boric Acid worked wonderfully. I didn’t want to eradicate the ants entirely; I just want to be able to live without them in my living space. I treated my home all around the woodwork, and also sprinkled it into the carpet and vacuumed the carpet the next day. I also treated the ant holes and little ant hills that were in my yard. For the most part my yard is free of ant hills, but there are some around the parameter of the property where I have not treated.

Boric Acid is a slightly corrosive acid. When you sprinkle Boric Acid around the home and outside the ants walk through it and it sticks to them. They eat it to try and lick it off from each other. The chemical gets transmitted to the whole nest in a matter of days as the ants track through the powder. Then on the inside of the ant the Boric Acid goes to work to kill the ants that have ingested the material. It is harmless to people and pets. Boric Acid also kills roaches, water bugs, termites, and silverfish. It might take a little time to get rid of all your pests, but I noticed I did not have any more ants in the house within a week. Any time I notice them closing in on me again I treat them again. As far as I know there is no way to eradicate them totally, but Boric Acid does work for a season. If you have pets or small children I suggest using Boric Acid because it is not harmful to humans. You can buy boric acid at some hardware stores and drug stores, but I bought mine at Amazon.com. You can buy it in a box or in the nozzled container specifically for use as an insecticide.

Source:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html