Carpenter ants?
Question:I have carpenter ants in my kitchen...on the counters and stuff..i dont want to use posion as i have to small children and would be afraid of them getting into it,or if the ants walk over it they will bring it to my counter tops...and i cant spray them as i am pregnant..any other ideas on how i could kill/get rid of them?.thanks for the help!
Answers:
Call a professional. They will have methods to use besides spraying. Yes, they are poisons but they would not be any harm to you or your family.
Boric acid, often found in drug stores. It won't be a hazard to you or the kids, see this link from Kentucky Univ...
Paprika around your window sills and just outside your door It repels them the drawback is you have to replace it every couple days..Option#2 find the ant hill and poor boiling water down it a few times it will get rid of them..But if you have carpenter ants that means you need to get rid of them fast they are a type of termite,They will get into they wood in dark damp spaces and set up shop to make families and eat away at your house. Option #3 Find a place to stay for a few days and have your house fumigated..
Ants don't care for mint or citrus, cloves or bay leaves, so think orange peel, peppermint tea, lemon juice, ground cloves, etc. If you can plant mint around the foundations of your home, you may deter them from entering. Vinegar has the same acid as citrus, so use it to clean with and ants won't feel welcome. (It probably erases or overpowers the odor trail other ants have left for them to follow.)
Clean bench tops and cupboards down really well, and then wipe down with a clean damp cloth that has a few drops of essential peppermint oil on it, you may need to apply a few drops of oil a couple of times.
Ants hate the smell of it and it is also environmentally friendly, and safe for humans and children, and no residue powders etc to clean up. And the big bonus is that the room smells fresh and minty. I also want to add that you can put the oil on a cotton ball after cleaning and put in the areas you have ants and that should help too...replace once the smell is gone.
I hope this was helpful,Good Luck! :)
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