The first warm spring weather awakens more than winter-dulled senses. Ants, like other insects that are dormant in the cold weather, now begin to make unwelcome appearances in houses. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers these tips on non-toxic solutions to keeping ants outside.
- Keep counters, floors and pet feeding areas clean.
- Remove and clean up whatever the ants are after.
- Follow the ant trail and find out how they're getting in.
- Wipe up ants and ant trails with soapy water.
- Caulk openings where they enter the house. Petroleum jelly in the cracks or duct tape can be a quick, temporary fix.
- Apply diatomaceous earth or silica gel into cracks. Apply a fine dusting to entry points that can't be caulked. Or, apply boric acid dust into cracks where ants emerge. It is a poison, so be sure it is inaccessible to pets and children.
- Apply a pyrethrin-based insecticide to entry points, which is very effective as a repellent.
