Worker ants make up only 10 percent of the colony.
The ants that appear in homes are working ants. They are the foragers who bring food back to the rest of the colony. An effective ant killer will need to both attract the worker ants and be poisonous enough for the colony to die from it. Commercial ant killers, however, can be toxic to animals and humans, harmful to the environment and prohibitively expensive. A safer, homemade version of an ant killer can be made for under $10. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Set out baits of jam and peanut butter on a plate, placing them in an area of high ant activity. At different times, ants will look for sugar or protein for food. Note which option the ants choose most and use that for an ingredient in your ant killer.
2. Drill five evenly-spaced holes 1 inch from the top of the container. These holes need to be about pencil width to allow the ants to come in.
3. Mix two tablespoons of borax with jelly or peanut butter (depending on which option your ants chose earlier) to make paste. The borax is poisonous to the stomachs of insects. Smear a bit of bait on the lid of the container.
4. Lay out multiple ant killer containers at points of entry and activity. Replace the bait each day.
Tags: peanut butter, which option