The Ants Go Marching Two-by-Two.....

You can put baby power down. They don't like it and the leave it for a couple of days so they don't come back. It really works.

Try cornmeal it really works. Sprinkle outside where you see them and i would even put some in a small bowl where i see them inside. they can't digest it and it kills them.

Denise,
I have cut lemons in half and placed them in the corners of my house at the advice of someone some time ago. It worked really well even after the lemons dried. Now that my son is past the infancy stage, I use the ant traps. They last more than a year. I removed them last year and some ants came in so I bought some new ones and I haven't seen anymore ants. I use the spikes outside.

Hi Denise,

I have not advice, but I just wanted to say that I have them too - those tiny ants - tons of them!! And silverfish - YUK - any advice that you get, please pass along!!

J.

Hi Denise,
We just went through the same nightmare. We tried everything and finally just had to call the exterminator. It took two rounds of treatments, but I think we are all clear now. They mostly just spray outside and promised me that nothing would be harmful to the baby or the dogs. I recommend calling them because we tried for months and I think once they are in your house it is almost impossible to get rid of them on your own. Hope this helps.

Hi Denise,
If you know where the ants are coming in, it is easy. Sidewalk chaulk. The ants will not cross it. Just draw a line around the area they come in. It worked around my window. If you do it outside, you will have to do it after each rain. Good luck.

ok, I know I'm a week late here, but NO O. has mentioned this O.:

DRYER SHEETS

They do work. Just lay them around where you've seen the ants, or if you know which threshold/window they're coming in, just lay across there.

fyi, they're also terrific mosquito repellants. Tuck O. in the back collar of your shirt & into your waistband - esp. like July 4th when going out for fireworks.

I've used cinnamon before they won't cross it, but they will go around it. I't actually comical to watch. I've also heard that bay leaves work as well, but haven't tried them myself.

Terro Liquid Ant Baits...they usually come 4 in a pack for about $6. They really work. I keep them on the counter, closest to the wall where my kids can't get to them at all...they work like a charm. Someone introduced them to me last spring and I will never use anything else. I am iffy about using anything that's chemically based around my kids, but it doesn't let off an odor like the sprays do and as long as it's out of reach, I am ok with using it.

For the past three years I've been using cinnamon to keep the ants out of my house. Just sprinkle it in the doorways or whereever you think they are entering the house. I also sprinkle it on the step outside our back door. It really does work! I sprinkle it quite heavily at first. Good luck!

Make a solution of sugar, water, and Borax. Dip cotton balls in the solution and place the saturated cotton balls where you see the ants. The sugar attracts them and the borax kills them. Natural, easy and cheap!

If you know their access point...red pepper. Ants were coming in through our front door, my mom read an article about ants, and the simple cure was sprinkling red pepper across the access point. Voila, no more ants in the house. We have dogs and children from 2 - 10, and none of them ever got into it.

Hi Denise, We have had great success with Bay leaves, crumble dried leaves near any crevices where they come in. When they invaded a cupboard last year,(the kids left a box of cereal open), I used cinnamon. Worked great! These are the safest solutions I am aware of.
If you want to learn more about being safe with what's in your house, check out http;//linkbee.com/toxic12

Denise- I, too, had ants in the house...but mine were carpenter ants and really gross! I do use an exterminator and I recommend him highly. Jamie Moyer Pest Control out of Reading ###-###-####. Honest, reliable, and reasonable. Good luck!

pepper! I forget if it's red pepper (flakes) or black pepper, but try both! Just sprinkle it on your counter! good luck...

I've heard that tomato greens--the leaves off of a tomato plant--will stop them if you lay them where the ants are coming in, for example across a windowsill. I'd double-check with your pediatrician and veterinarian to make sure they're not toxic if chewed or eaten first!

We finally found something to get rid of the ants.... Terro Liquid Ant Traps. They come in an orange box. We put these in more hidden areas of the kitchen. I'm not entirely sure if they are safe / unsafe for kids and pets but you can check next time you're at the store if you like.

We had tried so many other products and these REALLY do work. Good Luck.

Try looking at the NPR web site of the radio show "you bet your garden". The host is annoying but has good, organic advise and has covered ants in his show. I think he recommends diatomaceous earth (spelling might not be correct!). You can actually google "you bet your garden" and find the show and then look from there.
Good luck!

I get ants every spring and have had them pretty bad. Once there was a line from our back door to the high chair in the dining room. Apparently there was some food up under the chair that we hadn't seen. We caulk up any areas where we see them getting in and put a little borax around the area. Just a little b/c I don't think dogs or kids should eat it or get it on their hands. I actually put some outside b/c I could see where they were coming from outside. I think baby powder would be worth a try b/c the borax, although it is natural, makes me a little nervous. I agree about the little traps, they really seem to help and I just put them out of reach in spots where the ants come. Also, wherever I see them I spray with vinegar-alot. I think it gets rid of the scent that they send to the other ants to come and get whatever they have found.

Ok...you are going to think I am crazy here...chalk. There is something in chalk that ants don't like. If you draw a chalk line they will avoid it. Or you could powder the chalk and sprinkle it where you need it. I am serious. It works. Borax also works,but that is toxic and you don't want that around your little O.. :( Chalk. Easy and cheap! And it won't hurt your pets or your children or the environment! Hope this helps...let me know!

(Apologies if this is already mentioned.) The book "Clean House, Clean Planet" has some great remedies for this, but I can't find it :)

I went to ehow and got this info: http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_make-homemade-pest-r...

We use the plastic ant traps in areas that my kids can't get to. In other areas we use a powder that I think I bought at Walmart. It is called Anteater Pantry Bug Powder and the active ingredient is clove oil. I spray it in crevices all around the kitchen and pantry. It seems to help alot. I also put all open food packages we keep in the pantry into plastic bags or containers.

I use the plastic ant traps that when they go in they don't come out. I put them under fridge and stove and in the window seals. I get ants pretty bad if i don't have them. Once the traps are set i don't see them. funny story i was doing my spring cleaning and i took the O. out of my kitchen window cause it was a few months old. about an hour or so later there where a few ants crawling around on the seal. but try what you thinks best

"Make a solution of sugar, water, and Borax. Dip cotton balls in the solution and place the saturated cotton balls where you see the ants. The sugar attracts them and the borax kills them. Natural, easy and cheap!"

this has always been our receipe.

Ants won't cross baby powder. Try sprinkling some outside where you think they are coming in.

We tend to get really big carpenter ants, and i have no idea where they are coming in, I've even seen them on our second floor. my husband bought some "Ant Spikes" at Value home center that you place outside around your house and those seem to have taken care of the problem entirely. They are hard to describe sort of like an aluminum circle stuck flat to a wide pointy ended strip of aluminum. I checked through your posts and say that no O. had mentioned that yet. I don't know the safely information on them, but i like that they are outside and not in our living space.

cornstarch ...
place on tin foil , place on recycle lids .. all about ' ant' area
safe to baby, parents, toddlers and all pets .
keeps all ' creepy' things out !!!!!!!!!
and c-h-e-a-p- ! in the bake'n isle @ grocery stores.
grammy

Hang in there!! Those ants are marching at our house too!! Thanks for the ideas and Good Luck with what works well!!

Here's a bunch of helpful anti-ant tips from WHYY's Mike McGrath from their organic gardening show:

http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=567

I have used the boric acid traps with great success. Within about 12 hours the ants are totally gone! I made up a batch a couple years ago and still have tons left, so it's really easy and good use of your time.

Good luck!