Tips for Ants
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Jun 16, 2007, 00:20   To prevent carpenter ants, keep firewood and tree branches away from the house.

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Keep ants from getting into pet food dishes by placing the dish with the food inside another shallow, bigger dish with an inch of water in it.

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For hummingbird feeders, cover the string with vaseline to keep ants off.

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Plant peppermint near entrances or place crushed mint leaves near doorways.

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Ants don't like the smell of peppermint. They'll avoid anyplace that smells like it, so start inside with the places you think that they might be entering. Next, do the outside where they might be coming in.

Possibilities: peppermint flavoring (used for baking), peppermint tea, and if you have a health food store nearby-*Dr. Bonner's peppermint scented castile liquid soap*.

I personally used to fill a spray bottle with mostly water, a tiny bit of dish soap(so it sticks), and enough flavoring drops or the peppermint liquid soap so that I could smell it. I just shook the bottle a little and then sprayed away - problem solved. My friend had luck just tossing the tea bags on the floor. (Peppermint Patty)

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To keep ants from getting into your hummingbird feeders, take a sheet of Bounce (dryer sheet) and wrap around the hanger with a rubber band of tape on the ends. The ants won't come near it or get into the hummingbird's sugar solution. This works well especially if you have hummingbird feeders hanging from trees. (Cynthia Carpenter)

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To keep ants from entering the house (or anywhere else) sprinkle baby powder on entry points. The ants won't cross and it is safe around pets and children. Bonus, smells nice too! (Charlotte)

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To keep the ants out of your sugar bowl put a piece of lemon peel in it. I can assure they won't show up! I used to keep my sugar bowl in the refrigerator in the summer because of the ants and now I'm free of them! (Aldo)

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Use a solution of water and bleach and spray entire path ants take, you have to lose the scent they follow. (Bell)

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If you have small children or pets, put around cucumber peels. Just put them where you see the ants, and the ants will disappear! (Frieda)

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How to get rid of the stinging from a fire ant. Take 1 tsp. of Meat Tenderizer Seasoning put in a little bowl and add a drop of water. Mix until pasty like and add to spot where the fire ant bit... IT WORKS!!! (Deborah)

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For ants put orange peels on sill, put peels in ant holes and add water. They will never return. (Sammy)

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To prevent wasps, ants, etc. from entering into the drain holes along the foundation in your brick home. Get some heavy (metal) black screen from your hardware store, cut it in strips approx. 1"x3". Flex it into a U shape and place in the the slots between the bricks. This lets air in and allows drainage, but keeps the bugs out. (Kenny D)

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You can deter ants by putting Diatomaceous Earth down in the dirt. It supposedly dehydrates the ants and the die. Be careful though, read the caution for kids and animals. (Anon)

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Ants dislike salt. Example: if they are coming through a doorway spread a good layer of salt in their path and they will no longer enter. (Naida)

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To keep ants away from your pets food outside or inside, put some vaseline (in a circle) around the pets bowl. The ants will not cross it! Ever! (PinkSocks)

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Fire ants: non toxic way to kill them is plain old instant Grits. The ants eat them, then go for water the grits expand inside them & they die, they can't expel gas, & you don't worry about pets getting poisoned. Just sprinkle & go. (C.K.)

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Be aware of the ants movements. They usually head for their holes before it is going to rain. You can then target the source.

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Ants can be destroyed by pouring ammonia into the ant hole.

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Place bay leaves or whole cloves in the corners of cupboard shelves and window sills to repel bugs. These last about a year.

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Put cinnamon or baking soda in entry point cracks to repel ants. Repeat occasionally.

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Seal points of entry with caulk or masking tape to keep out ants.

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Put coffee grounds around doors and windows to repel ants.

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Try using ground red pepper or curry to get rid of those little black ants that invade your house, put it at the source of their entrance.