In the humid parts of the US there is a problem with termites. Fortunately Las Vegas doesn't have to deal with the little wood eating insects. We do have problems with ants.
Being a native of Las Vegas I have had to deal with ants my entire life. I am also not a fan of spraying poison in and around my house. So I did some research to find the best natural and non-toxic ways to kill ants. Here is what I found.
Repelling Ants
One of the best ways to not have to deal with ants is to repel them. The best way I found was with garlic. Now I am not saying you need to place cloves of garlic around your house. There is an easier way, plant Society Garlic. This is a hardy plant that lives well in the desert, and if you happen to brush across the leaves you get a fragrant garlic smell. We planted Society Garlic along our pathway to the front door and no ants in the front yard.
Killing Ants on Contact
If you come home and see a swarm of ants on your kitchen counters, grab a spray bottle filled with Vinegar and spray directly on the ants. Ants and most insects have a waxy coating on them that helps prevent them from dehydration. The acidic nature of vinegar dissolves this waxy coating and the ants suffocate and die. Be sure to spray the trail the ants follow as well. Ants when they travel leave a scent for other ants to follow. The vinegar breaks down that scent.
Kill the Ant Nest
If you find the hole where the ants are going into place some instant grits around the hole...not too much, say a half an inch wide path around it. Now it is time to wait.
After a few hours you might see less of the grits around the hole. Ants are busy taking them down the hole for food. Little do they know when ants ingest the grits, the grits expand and the ants explode. We have used this in our backyard effectively killing an entire nation of ants in a natural way.
Non-Toxic Ant Spray
If you are not into mixing homebrew ant killers you can buy a product that is non-toxic and approved by the FDA, called Orange Guard.
Not only will this kill ants, it will kill any insect. It uses orange oil to dissolve the waxy coating of insects and they too will die. We have used this on 8 inch centipedes before. It takes them a little longer to die but it killed them.
You can buy Orange Guard in 32 oz bottles and get refill gallon sizes.
So if you have pets or children and like me dread the idea of using poison, then use one or all of these natural ant killers around your home.
