Ants may be small but when they start finding their way into your home they can become a big issue. It’s okay to find a few ants in your home every so often but if you begin to see them in swarms, you probably have an ant problem.

Before calling pest control it’s wise to try to tackle the problem yourself. Calling a pest service right away can be expensive costing an average of $300! There are a lot of other ways you can deal with ants but be careful with what you choose. A lot of store-bought insecticides like Raid contain harmful chemicals that you probably won’t want around your family. (1) 

Think Twice Before Using Raid To Kill Ants

Insecticides like Raid use strong chemicals in like Heptachlor and Fipronil to kill ants. Heptachlor is classified as a Category II toxicity level which can cause skin irritation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is also known to cause tumors in rats which raises the question of whether there’s a risk of tumor growth in humans upon exposure.

Fipronil is another popular pesticide that if accidentally ingested can cause weakness, headaches, and vomiting. It’s important to keep these chemicals away from children as they are a lot more sensitive to pesticides than adults. According to the National Pesticide Information Centre children should be closely monitored around pesticides as their behavior puts them at greater risk of consuming products. For example, crawling on the floor or putting unknown objects in their mouth. (2)

In addition to these issues, Raid Spray can also cause eye irritation from particles in the air and respiratory troubles if accidentally inhaled. When using chemical sprays as ant control there is a lot to be cautious about, so it’s best to skip the spray altogether and instead make a natural ant killer from products you already have in your house. (3)

How To Make A Natural Ant Killer Using Boric Acid And Sugar

This natural ant poison is great because it gets rid of ants by taking on the root of your ant problem: the nest! Only a few ants will leave the nest at a time to search for food and water to bring back to the colony. They will find the poison, drink it and carry some back to the nest to share with all the other ants.

The boric acid in the solution damages the digestive system and outer skeleton of the ants whilst the sugar attracts them to the solution. Since the ants are bringing the poison back to the colony it will make sure that all the ants in the area are gone leaving your home ant-free.

The reason boric acid is safe for humans is that it reacts differently in our bodies then it does for insects, to humans it has the same acidity as table salt. It’s the ultimate ant control! (4)

Supplies You’ll Need

• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of boric acid (Borax)
• 3 cups of warm water
• Cotton balls
• A small container or the cap of a medicine bottle

Directions

1. Mix together the sugar and boric acid until combined
2. Slowly add the warm water while continuing to stir to prevent lumps
3. Soak a cotton ball in the solution before placing it in a small container or medicine bottle cap
4. Put the solution in an area where you’ve spotted the most ants and wait as the sugar will quickly attract them towards the poison (5)

Conclusion

You should begin to notice a decrease in the number of ants within a few hours. If you think you’re home is housing a larger colony try placing the poison in multiple areas around the house. However, if you ant problem continues to persist you should consider calling a professional to handle the situation.

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