Terro was the one most mentioned as effective so I tried it. Terro has borax as a main ingredient too. Terro was pretty good at attracting the ants, but it needed replacing daily so it was the most expensive. At this point I decided to try home made ant killer remedies. Researching all the remedies showed me one thing clearly.
The main ingredient for all the home made versions of the ant killer is Borax, as in 20 Mule Team Borax which can be found in the laundry aisle of most supermarkets, or if you cannot find it, you can Buy Borax on Amazon here. Although Borax was used in each remedy, it was used a bit differently in each test and with widely varying results.
Before I got into the ant killer tests, I wanted to at least minimize the amount of ants running around. I remembered reading that white vinegar is good for cleaning up after ants. I had no white vinegar on hand but did have a big jar of apple cider vinegar. I scrubbed all the counters, the sink, appliances — even my spice jars. When I finished, there was not an ant in sight right, but I knew that cleaning just removed the ant trail.
The ants will be back. Of that I have no doubt. Oh…and my kitchen smells like a salad now, which is not so bad, I guess. I also have a nice big jar of apple cider vinegar which I have discovered makes a great, and inexpensive, cleaner. Borax is also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate and disodium tetraborate. It is a salt of boric acid. Powdered borax, such as that found in 20 Mule Team Borax is white and consists of crystals that dissolve in water.
When ants consume a borax bait, it interferes with their digestive system to such an effect that it gradually kills them. The slow rate of kill gives the worker ants a chance to consume the bait and then head back to the nest to share it with the rest of the colony and then the queen. Since one of the main ingredients in the retail Ant Killer Terro is Borax, it stands to reason that homemakers would try to come up with a DIY alternative that features it for killing ants, as well.
The following combinations of Borax and other ingredients were those that I used to test the home made ideas. In some of them, the amount of Borax is very large, in others quite small. I tested some combinations that are sweet and some that are protein based to see if this has an effect. I just mixed equal parts of it and place it in a condiment lid to try out tonight in my test.
This is the strongest mixture of borax, and the ants could easily detect it and stay away. Ants may be a nuisance but they are smart. It turned out, in all of my tests, that the weaker concentrations of Borax worked better than strong ones. The next home made recipe I tried was a strong combination of borax, honey, and water. A friend with a wonderful gardening blog, called Tending My Garden, swears by the honey and borax recipe. It made a gel which reminded me of my Australian concoction and I thought Eureka!
I decided that I had too much Borax in the mix and have figured out that it is pretty clear the ants will not eat it if it is too strong, so I added more honey but they still had no interest in it.
I saved the mixture to test it against the other remedies in a longer test. There are two kind of ants — protein and sugar ants. Next on my list of remedies was a concoction of a half teaspoon of Borax mixed into the peanut butter and made into a paste. Now the cook in me hopes this one works, since peanut butter is considered part of the food pyramid to me and I hope the ants will think so too. I used low fat Jif peanut butter.
I just want to kill the ants, not make them fat! This test had so so results but did not need re-baiting as often. Once I had all my mixtures together, my test now was to place the four home made mixtures side by side with the Terro Brand, down on my clean counters.
I placed them near the location of the earlier ant trail before cleaning with apple cider vinegar and gave them a good test that lasted 2 days. So I also placed five pieces of card with the mixtures on them too in case the ants were hampered by the height of the containers. Each test gave different results but the effect of each one allowed me to draw some general conclusions. One of the most interesting things about this test was the apple cider vinegar results.
I got two completely ant free days after wiping down the counters with it. I knew they would be back but was impressed with the length of time. Just wiping the counters with the spray might be enough to deter ants in general.
I would recommend this apple cider and water mixture as a good deterrent, but not a good ant killer. The results are in! This is the way my dishes looked after three days and the thorough vinegar cleaning.
All baits had some ants eating the test product and some worked better than others. The Borax mixed with honey was the least effective test. Peanut butter was better but still not too great. Neither attracted many ants even when the baits were left for several days. Since the honey mixture had a strong concentration of Borax and the peanut butter a lighter one, this made sense. In general, ants avoided mixtures with too much Borax. The honey test formed a skin on the surface, and the peanut butter got somewhat hard.
This could account for the ants not being attracted to either mixture, at least in the later days. These baits were much more effective.
The sugar water and Borax attracted a good number. Not as many as the Terro bait, but still a respectable and it is a much less expensive option. It is not surprising that it placed second, since it is closest in the texture of Terro and also had a lighter amount of Borax in it.
None of the home made Borax ant killers remedies were as effective as the Terro Ant Bait. Remedies in order of effectiveness in attracting the ants from most effective to least were:. All of the liquid baits honey, sugar water and Terro formed a film on the top which required re-baiting each day. Only the peanut butter and borax in the raised cups had any effect at attracting the ants. Even so, all of the flat traps performed better. The peanut butter required less replacing of the bait since it did not form a film but it did get somewhat firm.
Borax is a naturally-occurring mineral containing boron. It was originally discovered in Kashmir and Tibet, but is now extracted globally. Borax is actually a small family of closely related minerals bearing a few different scientific nicknames, including sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, and disodium tetraborate, depending on the exact composition. The single most famous borax powder product is 20 Mule Team Borax , which was named for the primary transportation method used in Death Valley and has been a staple of households for more than years.
However, other brands exist, and borax may be purchased as a liquid, paste, powder, spray, or tablet. This is a matter of some confusion for many people due to conflicting information.
Ingestion of borax or other forms of boric acid can cause a host of symptoms, especially in children. These symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Infants may also suffer damage to the nervous system, resulting in coma, confusion, convulsion, or contortions in posture. Even in adults, eating large amounts can result in a red skin rash and skin loss.
Depending on the type and amount ingested, the vomit or stool may take on a bluish-green tint. When borax gets into the eyes, it can cause corrosion. Breathing in borax dust can also create a range of symptoms, including coughing, nosebleed, respiratory dryness, shortness of breath, or sore throat.
Keep away from pets and small children. Finally, be aware that wildlife may be at risk of accidental exposure to borax when used outdoors and may try to consume the bait, so use with caution. While closely related, these two boron-based products are different. Borax tends to be found naturally in colemanite, kernite, and tourmaline. Boric acid, meanwhile, is naturally found in sassolite. While borax can kill ants, the success rates can vary from one species to another due to social structures and type of bait used, as well as bait placement.
It can even kill other pests such as roaches and silverfish. Borax has no effect on ants topically, but can be quite deadly once consumed. Helpful 17 Not Helpful Consider sprinkling food grade diatomaceous earth near doorways and windows. The earth will cut up and kill any ants who try to enter your home.
Make sure that you get the food grade, however, and not the sort you'd use in your swimming pool. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0.
Borax is toxic, even to humans and animals. Keep it away from children, pets, and food. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1. Related wikiHows How to. How to. Expert Interview. About This Article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: Updated: February 15, Categories: Ant and Termite Control. Article Summary X To kill ants using borax, mix sugar and borax in a large jar, then pour in warm water and stir until the sugar and borax are dissolved.
Italiano: Uccidere le Formiche Usando il Borace. Bahasa Indonesia: Membunuh Semut dengan Boraks. Nederlands: Mieren doden met borax. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. But years have passed and I had to have help remembering. I thought it was Borax but not sure. So thank you for all this information which helped me to remember. I learned some new information as well. Rated this article:.
More reader stories Hide reader stories. Did this article help you? Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Patricia DeBoard Aug 7, Acinom Deerfas May 11, This article was exactly what I needed. However, ants are not attracted to borax so you need to add ingredients in the borax to make the poison enticing for the ants. The additives can either be liquid or solids products and you select them according to the type of ants.
Making accurate identification of the ant type will help you to get effective outcomes. As there are thousands of species of ants, they are categorized into different groups according to their food preferences.
For example, we have sugar ants that love sugar carbs and grease ants that love oils and fats protein. You may prepare multiple types of borax liquid or solid baits to select the best one for your house or yard. Borax is lethal for ants, the killing mechanism depends upon the methods you use to eradicate ant infestation such as ant baiting or liquid insecticide. When you apply ant baits, the ants take the bait to their nests and consume it.
The borax interferes with the digestive system of ants and as a result, the whole colony dies. This is a slow-acting process but it gets rid of the entire ant colony. The queen also has to consume the bait in order for their colony to be eliminated. The survival of the queen is the survival of the colony.
Therefore, the process requires patience and an effective working strategy. On the other hand, direct treatment with liquid borax insecticide or borax powder can also help to eradicate ant infestation. When you directly apply liquid or solid borax insecticide on the ants it damages their exoskeleton and causes them to dry out which leads to their death.
The time period of the ant extermination depends upon the level of infestation and the method that you are using to get rid of ants. Also, there are other factors such as bait placement. For smaller ant infestation you will see results approximately within a week. As for the larger infestation, it may take a longer time and you may have to apply multiple baits at the entry point and near shelters of ants.
You will see positive results after a few weeks of borax bait treatment for larger ant colonies. These ants build their shelters in dark and damp places and prefer to live in wet woods. Borax does kill carpenter ants and can be used for their control. Carpenter ants excavate wooden beams or other wooden work and have the potential to cause significant damage. If you see carpenter ants invasion in your house use borax baits, traps, or liquid insecticides to completely eradicate their infestation.
Although, borax has a low toxicity level its direct contact can cause harm to your cats and dogs. In humans, the longer exposure to borax can result in skin or eye problem. Make sure to keep your pets away after the application of borax traps or baits in your house. In pets, borax may lead to problems with breathing or coughing. It is also toxic for bugs, cockroaches, rats, and fungus. Take protective measures and follow safety guidelines to avoid any mishap. You can buy borax powder commercially from online shopping sites or from a store near your house at a cheap price.
It mostly comes in partially dehydrated form, having soft white crystals. You can prepare borax insecticide in liquid or you can also directly sprinkle it over the ants to get rid of their colonies.
Borax is commonly used to eradicate ant invasions in residential areas or in backyards.
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