Winter time brings on the bugs, seemingly at the same time every year. The ants in our area seem to love to visit our kitchen when the first heavy rains hit. Almost everyone has to deal with pests.  Whether indoor or outdoors, we need to think about eco friendly, green alternatives to toxic pesticides.

Finding Where Ants are Coming From

We try to first watch where the ants are coming from, then plug the holes with caulk.  Unfortunately these pests came come through holes slightly larger than a pin size, so that strategy works up to a point. Also examine the perimeter of your house. Make sure all branches and plants are not touching your building.

Keeping food in sealed containers, the tables and counters free of any crumbs, and the kitchen immaculate also helps. Place sweet items like sugar, candy, syrup inside Ziploc plastic bags. If you have some problem prone areas, you may have to rearrange her kitchen during the peak insect infestation season.

Be sure to check plants for insects. They love the moisture in the soil. You may need to mix the soil with the insecticide to prevent ants growing in your plants. We have also found leaving the plant outside in the cold for a couple hours, drives the ants away.

Green Pesticides

We also use Orange Guard, which is d-Limonene (orange peel extract) based to keep ants away.  Spray and leave it on for a while to soak in and deter other ants from coming back. This spray helps remove the pheromone trails that ants leave.

Safer Ant & Crawling Insect Killer is another product we use. It contains diatomaceous earth (77.69%).  Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. OMRI-listed and compliant for use in organic gardening.  We dust the cracks where ants may come out of with this stuff.  It also works on Cockroaches, Ants, Earwigs, Silverfish, Crickets, Millipedes & Centipedes. Avoid inhaling this stuff.

You can make your own ant traps by combining 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon of borax.  Sprinkle it in ant infested areas. Ants will take this mix back to the nest and slowly eradicate it. Be patient and do not move the trap around, as it takes several days for this to occur.

You can also sprinkle baking soda, talcum powder or food-grade diatomaceous earth (not swimming pool quality) in areas where ants are active, and also in any cracks, crevices, or wall openings. Vinegar or bleach can be sprayed on ant trails.

EcoPCO ACU contact insecticide is another eco-friendly insecticide. It is made from plant essential oils.

Niban, moisture-resistant, fine granular bait made of Boric acid, is a good product for ants and silverfish control.

Greenbug for Outdoors is a good cedar-based outdoor product to spray on your foundation.

Other Green Tips For Ant Problems

This website has a good list of eco-friendly or green insecticides. Others have suggested using coffee grounds, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, laundry detergent, cornstarch, or Vaseline.

I found a friend who was using Chinese Miraculous Insecticide Chalk otherwise known as Pretty Baby Chalk and Chinese Chalk.  Tres Pasitos is a Spanish name for this product. The product is illegal and dangerous. The EPA has a warning on it too. We tried it in the past and found that it didn’t really work.

It does kill bugs because it contains toxic chemicals but are hazardous around kids.  Did you know that plain old chalk also works!

The dangers of Chinese Insecticide Chalk

The chemicals in the insecticide chalk change from batch to batch and have contained chemicals that produce serious health effects, including vomiting, stomach pains, convulsions, tremors, coma, and death due to respiratory failure. Serious allergic reactions are also possible. If you see a store selling this, report them to the local health department or agricultural Department.

Green Pesticide Alternatives:

We prefer to use insecticides made with natural ingredients and no poisonous chemicals. Orange Guard, which is made from d-Limonene (orange peel extract) keeps the ants away. Spray and leave it for a while to soak in.

Check out our green pest control article. Eco friendly pesticide alternatives includeDiatomaceous Earth – (Info), Baking soda, vinegar, plain old ordinary soap, peppermint, baby powder. Here are some ant removal tips.

EcoPCO ACU contact insecticide is another eco-friendly insecticide alternative. It is made from plant essential oils and contains no poisonous chemicals.

Eliminating ants at the source

We have tried to trace ants back to their source.  Follow the ant trails and patiently observe where they are coming from. When you have found their origination point, caulk holes, foam up areas next to pipes, etc. to prevent them from reaching you in the first place. Preventing bug access should be the #1 goal.