It's spring... even in the Midwest!
And with spring, always seems to come ants. Those little "sugar ants" that pester the house incessantly until they randomly disappear mid-summer or you hire an exterminator.
I'm not patient enough to just wait the little boogers out. But I'm even less fond of waiting around so I can pay a bug man to come squirt nasty chemicals in my home. So, I make my own ant bait I'm comfortable using around the dog and baby-to-be. It's easy, cheap and I don't have to make a special trip to the store!
All you need is equal parts really hot water, Borax, and white sugar. Dissolve the Borax and sugar in the water, and pour into an ant-accessible container* in an area with high ant traffic.
The first few times I did this, I made way too much. Aim for about a tablespoon or so of each and make a second batch if needed. To be honest, I never actually measure. You want enough sugar to attract them, enough Borax to kill them, and just enough water that it's potent but it doesn't get so solid they can just walk across the top (yep, that's experience talking). I shoot for the consistency of Elmer's Glue.
I forget how the borax works (dehydration?), but I know they generally have enough time to make it back to the nest before they keel over. You'll know some are making it back when you suddenly get a flood of ants in the area. DON'T STOP THEM. You want them to come gather as much of your bait as they can and take it back to kill the whole nest. Some will drown in your bait and that's ok; I consider it a form of instant gratification. There are plenty more who will get the job done. :) Within a day or two, not only will you not see ants in that area, but there's a good chance you will have killed that year's nest and not have to deal with them again until next spring. Take that, bug man!
*Be smart about the containers of bait you put within reach of pets and kids. The ingredients are safe to have around the house, but no one should be eating it! Things like soda/beer bottles with a narrow "mouth" can be tipped on their sides without the bait spilling out or fingers/tongues getting in. You could also carefully poke holes into the sides (not the top; the ants might not get back out) of a margarine style container and keep the lid on. If all else fails, put the bait somewhere the pets/kids can't reach and exercise a little patience in the name of safety. I promise, the ants will find it eventually!
