Safe Ant Control Methods for Your Kitchen - No Traps or Sprays Needed!

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Discussion Overview

This thread explores various methods participants have used to control ant infestations in their kitchens, particularly focusing on non-toxic alternatives to traps and sprays. Participants share personal experiences and remedies they have tried, often in the context of having children or pets in the home.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions using cornmeal as a method to eliminate ants, noting that ants cannot digest it and die after taking it back to their nest.
  • Another participant shares their experience with black pepper, stating it prevents ants from returning.
  • Several users discuss the effectiveness of chalk, suggesting that drawing a line can deter ants, although some note it may not work if ants are coming from multiple entry points.
  • One participant describes using baby powder to disrupt ants' navigation, while another mentions using bait sticks as part of their approach.
  • Some participants express frustration with traditional traps, sharing that they have not been effective for them.
  • One participant discusses a method involving Comet powder, suggesting it can be effective when applied before rain.
  • Several participants express a shared experience of dealing with ants, indicating that it is a common issue among them.
  • One participant mentions using cinnamon as another potential deterrent.
  • There are also discussions about silverfish, with participants sharing their experiences and concerns about these insects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the effectiveness of various methods, with no clear consensus on a single best approach to ant control. Participants share a variety of personal experiences and remedies, indicating a range of opinions on what works.

Contextual Notes

Participants often frame their experiences in the context of having children or pets, which influences their preference for non-toxic solutions. The discussion reflects a community seeking safe and practical solutions for common household pest issues.

Who May Find This Useful

This thread may be of interest to Pampered Chef consultants and other community members looking for alternative pest control methods that are safe for families and pets.

chefshawna
chefshawna
Gold Member
Messages
761
O.k., I know you can go out and buy ant traps, sprays and powders, but I have little children and I'd rather not go that route. I have the little tiny ones (ants, not children!) in my kitchen. :yuck:
Anyone know of some good, safe ways to get rid of them?
 
Corn Meal. They carry it to their nest, can't digest it and they die.

Works, for us.
 
BLACK PEPPER!! Or any kind of pepper....they won't come back!!
 
Pepper? wow didn't know that
 
I believe chalk works also - like pour a line of chalk where you think they're coming in. They won't cross it.
But if you have them coming in from everywhere, then that won't work well! LOL
 
  • Thread starter
  • #6
They seem to be coming in around my kitchen window!! So, I can't do the chalk thing. Do you just sprinkle the pepper or cornmeal around?
 
Oh my goodness! I have them too!! I thought it was just my house until I was talking about it with a neighbor and she has them too! Along with a couple other people I talked to!!

I'll have to try the cornmeal thing!! I'm so glad you asked this!! :) Hope it works for you too!
 
I have ants for the first time in 6 yrs! I just bought some ant traps over the weekend and I dont' think they are doing any good...
 
Really??? Chalk??? I'm gonna have to try that one... we have an ant hill close to where the kids color chalk on the driveway. The ants aren't invading the house, but I'll have the kids draw a circle around the ant hill and then watch the ants to see what happens.
 
Thats what I do, I sprinkle cornmeal around where they seem to be the heavest. And after awhile they seem to disappear. We get them every year around my daughters window. Really bad, on the outside almost looks like we painted a black stripe they are so thick. So I sprinkle cornmeal and they slowly fade away. I have also sorta followed them back to their nest and really piled it on there as well.

Good Luck
 
I have put the pepper outside on the ground were I think they are coming from (in my old house) and it worked. But just remember to replace the pepper if it rains that way the wont come back. I have done it with black pepper and one time I put red pepper flacks mixed in with the black pepper. Just as an added bonus, I am luck in my house now I don't get ants, I will sometimes get spiders. Good luck.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #12
abaker1 said:
Oh my goodness! I have them too!! I thought it was just my house until I was talking about it with a neighbor and she has them too! Along with a couple other people I talked to!!

I'll have to try the cornmeal thing!! I'm so glad you asked this!! :) Hope it works for you too!
Click to expand...

Back at ya!! I just coated half of my kitchen counter with black pepper. I hope it works. I really hate ants and now I feel all dirty! I went a little crazy smacking them and scoulding them with my sprayer when I walked in and saw them! I'm glad no one saw me, I would have been making a trip to our local insanity ward! I was a little out of control. I just HATE ants!
 
Okay, any remedies for Silverfish?
 
We've had an ant problem every spring since we've lived here--almost 10 years. We've tried everything --- even paying $400 one summer to the bug man. Last year we started Ortho home defense (white large bottle with hose/sprayer about $15). It's safe for kids (have 3 & 5 yr. old) and can be sprayed along the outside and inside of the house. Last summer I sprayed it every couple months even though it says only 6 mos on the outside of the pkg. This is the first year that we haven't had 100s in our kitchen, just a few here and there. It also controls other bugs too. I'm hoping for none next year.

Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be.
 
What are silver fish?
 
I use baby powder to make a reverse-moat around where the ants come in. It messes with their ability to find their way back and alert the others of what they found. I also use a couple of bait stick things that you can put outside where they come in.
 
Yes black pepper works. I found the remedy someplace and because we have a nosey cat I was worried about insecticides. This works well, any kind of pepper including white pepper works too. (I told my post office lady and she only had white pepper when I went in there this week she said it worked like a dream!)

So give it a try---sorry no help for silverfish...but maybe try pepper? LOL
 
If you can find the ant hill, wait until the weather forcast predicts rain - then sprinkle Comet all over the top of it. When it rains, it washes the Comet powder down into the ant hill and releases the chlorine in it - PRESTO - the entire ant colony is gassed out of existence.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #19
The_Kitchen_Guy said:
If you can find the ant hill, wait until the weather forcast predicts rain - then sprinkle Comet all over the top of it. When it rains, it washes the Comet powder down into the ant hill and releases the chlorine in it - PRESTO - the entire ant colony is gassed out of existence.
Click to expand...

I will have to try this one!! Of course, I think we've already gotten our allotment of rain for the year!
 
rennea said:
What are silver fish?
Click to expand...

Silverfish are a wingless insect that are a silver-blue color and their movements resemble, well, a fish. They love high humidity, and they love to eat clothing, glue in book bindings and stuff in the bathroom. They are MURDER to get rid of!

295px-Silberfischchen.jpg
 
ICK!!!:yuck:
 
Cinnamon works as well, like the black pepper.
 
OMG!!!! Can't say I have ever seen one before:yuck:
 
ICK! Thanks for the picture!!! Now I've got the heeby-geebies

I just had a really bad ant problem, but I couldn't figure out where they were coming from. I bought those bait things that are square plastic things with the bait inside, so it's pretty kid safe. The package says to use all 4 at one time scattered around corners, baseboards, near water fixtures. I also put those stakes in the ground that are bait also. Within a day of the outside ones, the ants were gone. :)
 
Found this on a web site. Let me know what you think.

There's a product called Taro ant killer. Now granted, it is a chemical but listen.

Taro is a thick gel that ants find irresistible. You can put it on a thin piece of paper on a day it's not going to rain.. put it very very close to their ant trail to attract them. They will eat the stuff and take it back to the queen. It will kill them without getting into your vegetables because it will stay contained on the cardboard.

If you have cats or dogs that roam, you may want to get creative so they can't get to it. It is a poison. Take a dixie cup and snip holes in the top rim so when you put it over the Taro, the ants will get in but a cat can't directly access it. Put a rock on top too.
 
We have silverfish like crazy! I thought they went after wood and paper products. We've got wood floors and a pretty substantial library of books. I think they just keep moving with us. I first noticed them in our first house north of Austin about 8 years ago. Then we had them in our house in AZ, too. Now here in SA. I think we keep packing them up with our stuff and moving them with us.

They are creepy. They are hard to squish, too.
 
The_Kitchen_Guy said:
Silverfish are a wingless insect that are a silver-blue color and their movements resemble, well, a fish. They love high humidity, and they love to eat clothing, glue in book bindings and stuff in the bathroom. They are MURDER to get rid of!

295px-Silberfischchen.jpg
Click to expand...

Eeeewww! I hate them! You just gave me the hee-bee gee-bees!
 
  • Thread starter
  • #28
Ewwwww!! I've seen them in person before and know that they are gross, but thanks KG for the HUGE picture! LOL I grew up on a farm and my dad has used the Taro before. I have now plaster pepper all over the place and may have a sneeze fest!
 
I just discovered a ton of ants last night (super tiny brown/orange ones) in our half bathroom!!!! UGH!!!! They were coming from a baseboard that is on an inside wall in the house!!! So who knows where they are getting into there from but that bathroom is right next to our front tile entry way! I sprayed them like crazy with the Raid and then used ant traps and have kept that door shut since last night!
 
I just bought Raid Ant traps....4 in a pack. I found ants in the floor in my kitchen last year around this time and as soon as I put those traps out the ants were gone in about 2 days. I just started seeing them again this year, so I just bought some more and I am already seeing fewer and fewer ants.
 
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