[Sheba's Mom]

We have a horrible ant infestation in our office and the bug spray smells so bad and give everyone a headache. I was wonder if any of you had a suggestion on how to keep them out of the offices? I thought I read somewhere (maybe from you ladies) that cinnamon burns their feet and they won't cross it but I can't find it again. Can anyone give me some natural suggestions on how to fight off the little beggers?

[Tani]

Peppermint is supposed to work really well. You might try mixing some essential oil in a spray bottle with water.

[sarahyu]

boric acid works well also, it's odorless. It takes awhile for you to see results-several weeks because it has to be dilute enough for the worker ants to take back to the hive for the queen.

Keep all foods sealed up tight, wash the area they are hanging out with hot soapy bleach water and definately get the trail back to the nest-you can find it by following the ants, it's all very national geographic to watch the ants take food back to the nest. Once they realize there is no more food, they'll eventually go somewhere else.

Can you tell that I know my ants? We have a cat and they go to the food and water bowls every spring. We do the moat thing, putting the food in a small bowl, floating in a larger bowl of water. The ants don't swim well and drown getting to the food.


Maybe on Friday afternoon right before everyone goes home, someone could spray the area and hopefully the smell would be gone by the time everyone came back in on Monday...or maybe one of the long weekends coming up?

Good luck doing battle with the ants.

Sarah

[lizziness]

i have tried the cinnimon. they also can't do hot pepper, like cayenne... i found that it stained the grout on the floor and was a pain to clean up. be sure that it doesn't get wet, i think that was my downfall... vinegar works alright, but only for short periods of time - and not every likes that smell either.

ants are such a hassle. i've heard other people that make them their own area away from the house - like a jar with sugar water in it so they will swarm that and go away from your home... you'd have to keep replacing the sugar water though and again .. kind of a hassle.

[BerkshireGrl]

My parents swore by Borax mixed with sugar, in empty small cat food cans, in corners for the ants to snack at, and bring bits of back to their queen and nest. Takes a while (week or so) but effective. (I have many ant stories in my past too, yet somehow they never grossed me out like roaches.... YUCKO!)

[lizziness]

Ants are the bugs that gross me out the most. I'd take rats and snakes over ants. icky icky.

[mauvaisroux]

For me it is roaches

Great tips on the ant problem - I have ant hill in the backyard and I would rather not use chemicals like Raid and such on them.

[Tani]

When I was five I set my coat down on top of an ant pile without noticing to pet the neighbor's horse I put it back on (I'm still not sure how I didn't notice them) and started screaming my lungs out. I was totally covered in them. The neighbor lady came out of the house, grabbed me and threw me in the shower to wash them off.

I'm just starting to not freak out about them some 30 years later

[Sheba's Mom]

Thanks for all of the suggestions!! I'm thinking we are going to try the Borax sugar mix in little containers and see how that works first as there won't be much of any oder. If that doesn't work we will keep trying the other suggestions.

[lizziness]

i had a similar ant trauma as a kid. i was out watering the lawn and talking to a neighbor and they just swarmed my legs, and i totally didn't notice somehow until i looked down and there they were. to this day any time i see ants it freaks me out and makes me have to pee. *LOL* i'm so weird.

also once at the same crappy house we woke up and went to our screened in back porch to find the entire thing completely covered - the walls were black with them. my poor mom was freaking out and spraying the whole thing down with water (like that would help, that's what they were looking for!) ICK! just thinking about it makes me have to pee.... ew.

[PrcStar17]

Hehe... I just had to giggle when I read about the cinnamon... I'm one of those people to picture things in my head. Hahahaha... cute. Little ants... I'm a dork!

[Sheba's Mom]

OK I just have to share this. We have been using the cinnamon and it is working great. We haven't seen ants in our breakroom for several days. Thanks for all of your helps ladies!!

[Misti in Seattle]

LOL just had to throw this in. But my Mom said when I was tiny and just crawling I would LUNGE for the huge big black ants and grab them and eat them before she could stop me! Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. She always figured I must have gotten bitten though because the next year I was terrified of them.

Glad you are solving the problem in your office.

Hope it is okay that I posted this here even though I am not a pagan (but a Christian). But I do enjoy reading your posts here from time to time!

[lizziness]

that's what's great about the alternachicks... we don't mind.

i can tell it's spring because the little buggers are back again. sigh. ants gross me out more than anything. i'm going to have to start trying some of these remedies again.

[Catsgetnhealthy]

I was cruising the boards and saw this and was going to suggest salt. I saw that on a gardening show, but will tell my friend who has ant problems about the cinnamon. Thanks.