Ants!

[Loryn]

Big black fast ants are on the front deck. How can I get rid of them, without poison would be optimal. Does anyone know of plants that will repell the little beasts?

Any ideas?

[charlie and algernon]

1. a hose with good water pressure?

drown the bastards.

[petronius]

2. Have you tried installing an aardvark?

I've always tried cinnamon indoors, and washing away their trails with water and soap, but I don't know if that would work outdoors. Maybe destroying the nests, rather than trying to block them away from the deck?

[Loryn]

17. I would love to have an aardvark!

They just don't have aardvark stores where I live. Shame really.

[harmonicon]

3. Like most carbon-based life, they really don't like directly applied fire. (nt)

[Moondog]

4. Diatomaceous earth will take them out, and it is non-toxic.

Actually, it works pretty well on anything with an exoskeleton.

[In_The_Wind]

13. I've used that, yes it works.

[jakeXT]

5. Lavender, Mint and Citrus (essential oil stuff)

Do you have pet food outside? If so put it away.

[haele]

6. Tansy is supposed to repel them.

Tansy's a weed though, and it can choke out plants near the house, is bad for people with ragweed allergies, and has a strong, rather funky smell to many other people.

Uncooked cornmeal and borax seemed to work on an infestation I had a while back. They'll be attracted to the cornmeal, which they don't digest, and the borax will affect their chiton and kill them. Borax won't kill most of their preditors, either, and will keep fleas and small roaches down, also.

But if you really want to be 100% natural, wolf spiders will kill them.

Haele

[hedgehog]

7. Are you sure they're a problem?

Years ago, ants would show up every spring for a week or two, then leave.

I think they were scouting for food and didn't find any.

Nowadays, I don't see the ants, but then I have free range chickens all around the house.

If those are carpenter ants, then I'd say you have problems!

[lastlib]

8. Baby powder

spread it liberally everywhere you see them, all around. You can set out something sweet to attract them, and when they gather around it, bomb 'em with baby powder.

[Fla Dem]

9. If you can find their ant hill, pour boiling hot water down and around it.

If it's carpenter ants, you may have to be more aggressive.



http://www.ehow.com/info_8242370_difference-black-ants-carpenter-ants.html

[femmocrat]

10. Bay leaf (the herb) is supposed to repel them in cupboards.

Borax is good too, if you can find it. (Do they still make Boraxo or borax laundry detergent?)

[Major Nikon]

11. The best way is to remove their food source

If that can't be done, and you must resort to poison, your next step is to identify the ants in question and buy the type of poison that is effective for that type of ant. The web is your friend when it comes to identification. If you can't identify the ants, put some in a mason jar and check with your local county extension office.

[In_The_Wind]

12. Peppermint

Use an essential oil in the areas where you see 'em coming in.

[patricia92243]

14. When I had them coming into my house, I put vaseline around the door and window outdoor frames.

I would have to renew it each spring, but it worked like a charm - absolutely no ants in the house and no chemicals. Put barrier of Vaseline on deck wherever you do not want the ants to pass over.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

15. coffee grounds,

ants hate coffee!

[Loryn]

16. Thank you for all your great ideas.

I'm going with coffee grounds first.