Borax Ant Killer.-- Cheap and Effective

[TenOC]

For a number of years I have been using Terro Ant Killer to control the ants around and inside my RV. I think it does a very good job, but it is somewhat expensive $5.00 (?) for a 1 oz bottle. The other day I read the ingredients on the small bottle and much to my surprise I found that Borax was the active ingredient. When in FL I use Borax as a very effective control of roaches. One can purchase a very large box of Borax for about $10.00 in the laundry area of most stores Amazon 20 Mule Team Borax. So I decide to make my own ant killer.

The recipe for homemade ant killer is three parts sugar to one part borax. This means that one cup of sugar can be used with 1/3 cup of borax. Mix these ingredients in a bowl to be sure all lumps are crushed and loosened. Add enough tap water to make the mixture thick and pasty, without being runny. Around 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water should be sufficient to attain this consistency. Using a fork or whisk, stir the water into the mix and then add approximately 1/4 cup of syrup to the mix to make it sticky. As added flavor, I add some bacon drippings. This should create a thick goo which will be irresistible to any household ant.

This will give you enough ant killer to last a year or so. Spread the ant killer around the outside of your RV. Inside the RV, I place some on paper towels or cotton balls.

[tomman58]

We go to the dollar store and buy Comet cleanser and spread it in a circle around the trailer. We do this about once a month for good results. I don't know if it kills them but they stay away.

[Dog_Folks]

DSDP Don wrote:
I read through a lot of posts always looking for new ideas or to help out. Boraxo has been used for years and I often see campsites that still have a pattern were he tires were situated.

What I found interesting in this thread was the use of an old Parmesan container for spreading the powder...good idea.

NO it is never a good idea to put an insecticide in a used food container. It can be and has been mistaken for food.

[Winged_One]

Once they stopped making Terro with arsenic, it's effectiveness really dropped.

Thanks for the tip!

[Bamaman11]

Anytime I need to get rid of any bugs or critters, I go to BugSpray.com and read one of their 150 narratives on pests and bugs.

They're an incredible source of information.

[Sport45]

Just be sure to re-label the cheese shakers when using them for poison!

[DSDP_Don]

I read through a lot of posts always looking for new ideas or to help out. Boraxo has been used for years and I often see campsites that still have a pattern were he tires were situated.

What I found interesting in this thread was the use of an old Parmesan container for spreading the powder...good idea.

[minnow]

That sounds like a lot of mixing and farting around to create a sticky mess.

[wa8yxm]

I had to get rid of some ants but where they were I did not wish to use any harsh chemical ant killer.. So I used BAKING SODA.. Yup, worked too.

here is an article I found on the internet.. it is text (or converted to text) to save bandwidth.

Ants are everywhere at the moment. They have even found their way into my kitchen and I am just about at my whits end. I don’t like to use harsh chemicals because of my dogs so I went searching for the best organic methods to get rid of them for good.

I have tried all 10 and all seem to work. Some take longer than others and depending on what type of ant you are actually dealing with. Check out all 10 and let me know if you end up trying any. If you have any other ways to rid them please let me know also and I will test it out and put it on this article.
10 Organic Ways To Kill Ants For Good:

1. Baking soda is poisonous to ants, sprinkle it around your plants to ensure ants will stay away.

2. Flour & Baby Powder will keep ants from reaching your plants, ants will not cross the powder – so circle your plants with it.

3. You can use coffee grounds, chili powder, cinnamon, peppermint or black pepper. All deter ants and if you pour coffee grounds directly on an anthill, they will eat the coffee grounds and implode.

4. Grits, instant rice & cream of wheat can be sprinkled around plants. The ant will eat a piece of whichever you sprinkle, drink water and the grain expands and kills the ant.

5. Fill a spray bottle with 1 part vinegar and 1 part water and spray on plants. The acid in vinegar will kills ants.

6. Mix together one-third cup of molasses, six tablespoons of sugar, and six tablespoons of active dry yeast into a smooth paste. Use the mixture to coat strips of cardboard. Keep out of reach of pets and small children. You can leave mixture on a saucer outside anthill and they’ll eat it and die!

7. Fold contact paper in half, with the sticky side out and make a circle around base of plant. The ants get stuck on the paper – problem solved.

8. Cut off the bottom of a paper cup and cut a slit up the side of the cup and coat outside with Vaseline and place around base of plant. You can also use packing tape.

9. Mix one cup of borax, two-thirds a cup sugar and one cup water. Dip cotton balls in the solution and place in areas near your anthill Ants will leave the plants alone and ingest the sweet mixture. The borax kills the ants.

10. Diatomaceous earth is a commonly sold organic pesticide that will destroy the insects outer skeletons, causing the pests to die from dehydration.

[Old-Biscuit]

With that mess spread all around doesn't RV get sticky :B


I just use 'dry mix' and sprinkle

[Dog_Folks]

2gypsies wrote:
Keep in mind that Borax is not recommend to be used around pets. Don't use it where pets will walk or lay.

No Borax With Pets

For a lot of reasons it is also not real safe around children. Please keep them out of it. For more information PM me.

[2gypsies1]

Keep in mind that Borax is not recommend to be used around pets. Don't use it where pets will walk or lay.

No Borax With Pets

[Fizz]

Been doing that for years, works great.
I keep the mix in an old Parmesan cheese can and shake it all over the place.
When moisture gets in it forms solid lumps, I toss these around and it works just as well.

[seaeagle2]

We've just always used powdered sugar with the Borax, as a dry powder the borax sticks to the ants, they take it back to nest, game over....

[gbopp]

Excellent. Thank you.

I like cheap and effective.