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peta.org
http://www.peta.org/living/home-and-garden/tips-for-humane-nontoxic-ant-control.aspx
Tips for Humane, Nontoxic Ant Control
Just in time fo r summer, PETA is of f ering tips on ho w to
keep
ants outside the house without using toxic chemicals. So bef
ore
they reach f or the ant t raps or bug spray or call the
exterminato r,homeowners should know that the toxic chemicals that
kill ants
are also harmf ul to humans and that scientif ic studies show
that
ants are intelligent animals who likely feel pain.
Did you know that similar to human gardeners, so me ants use
bacteria to produce higher-yielding, nitrogen-rich gardens? Or
that
leaf -cutter ants will overcome roadblocks between their
colony
and a fo od source by cutt ing smaller pieces o f leaves and
adding
more workers to the line? And one s tudy f ound that ants and
other insects have the same chemical in their
bodies that's known to transmit pain in humans.
Follow the t ips below f or humane and safe ant cont rol in your
home:
Remove sources of attraction. Keep your kitchen clean. Wash
counterto ps, f loo rs, and cabinets
with equal parts vinegar and water. Do no t leave crumbs o r
garbage around, and keep all f oo d,
including companion-animal food, and t rash in tight ly sealed
containers. Don't leave uneaten
companion-animal f ood in bowls, don't f eed animal companions o
utdoors, and never feed wildlif e.
Remove objects in the yard that might at tract moist ure (e.g.,
children's poo ls, f lowerpot s, barbecue
grills, sheet metal, boards, large pieces o f debris, bricks,
logs, etc.), trim back vegetation, and remove
f urniture and debris near the house.
Locate t he source of t he ants. When you see ants in your home,
try to f ollow them back to the
point where they entered. Use caulk to seal all poss ible
entrances into the house, remembering that
ants are tiny and can fit thro ugh almos t any small opening.
Apply weather stripping under doors.
Use natural ant re pellents. If ants are coming in through the
cracks o f doors and windows, pour
a line of cream of tartar where they enter the house, and they
will not cross over it. A cinnamon s tick,
cof f ee grinds, chili pepper, paprika, cloves, o r dried
peppermint leaves near t he openings will repel
ants . You can also squeeze t he juice of a lemon at the entry
spo t and leave the peel there. Planting
mint around the foundat ion of the house will also keep ants
away. Place cloves o f garlic around
indoo r and outdoor ant pathways.
Use only nontoxic commercial repellents. A product called
"Orange Guard" is a nonto xic organic
ant repellent that is harmless to humans and o ther animals and
will drive ants away f rom areas where
they are no t wanted. However, when applied directly to ants ,
the act ive ingredient d-Limonene (orange
peel extract) dest roys the waxy coating of the insects'
respiratory systems, causing the ants to
suf f ocate, so please do not spray ants with the repellent.
Simply spray the repellent around your home
the citrus f ragrance of d-Limonene will repel the ants without
killing them.
Recent Comments
Cinnamon Vogue commented:
Mar 30, 2013 2:59 PM
The all- time best method to get rid of ants is Ceylon Cinnamon
Leaf Oil. It smells great f or humans
(non toxic, child saf e, pet f riendly) but is prett y awf ul
for ants. All you need is just 1% Cinnamon Oil
with 99% water. Its the Eugenol content in Cinnamon Oil that
works because it is an ant i-microbial
http://www.peta.org/living/home-and-garden/tips-for-humane-nontoxic-ant-control.aspxhttp://www.peta.org/living/home-and-garden/tips-for-humane-nontoxic-ant-control.aspx
7/30/2019 Nontoxic Ant Control
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and powerful disinf ectant. Its safe to spray on your ant
covered chocolate cake. The ants will run
leaving your cake intact to eat . And its cost ef f ective since
a litt le bott le of Ceylon Cinnamon leaf oil
will last a very long time. Also usef ul for keeping all kinds o
f other insects at bay as well as
disinfecting your whole including the inside your ref
rigerator.
Christine commented:
Sep 24, 2012 8:27 PM
I have to disagree with the planting mint tip...I have a huge
ant colony living in my mint plant at the
moment. :) I actually came here to f ind out ho w to safely get
them out!
Haley commented:
Aug 22, 2012 9:23 PM
@ Dazzle59, baby powder for ants is like walking on broken glass
f or peo ple and other animals and
the chemicals that make it smell might be harmful, so I wouldn't
recommend using it f or ants .
Patricia commented:
Jul 22, 2012 11:00 PM
wow thanks I live in a very old home almos t 75yrs o ld now and
ants can be a problem as well as
spiders now that I know how to repel ants can anyone tell me how
to repel spiders, f lies and moths
lol great site keep up the great work
Pratap commented:
Jun 22, 2012 11:37 AM
hi, turmeric will help to keep them out saf ely.
Olivia commented:
May 28, 2012 9:38 AM
Great article! But f or t hose of you who read it, be careful! I
know f rom experience that one litt le mint
plant will grow supernaturally fas t, invading your entire
garden. The plants get very woo dy, and are
imposs ible to get rid of because of their root s. The mint will
f lush out every other plant in you garden
within a month, guaranteed. Just FYI
Rdigs commented:
May 21, 2012 7:22 AM
this is very much a helpful article about how to get rid of ants
..at least I know some very ef f ective tips
to contro l the ants in our home or better yet get rid of
them
Stacey Norris commented:
May 17, 2012 9:46 PM
I love you PETA!
Cindy commented:
May 17, 2012 4:28 PM
Thank you, f or educating me. I have a new found respect f or
ants.
