Get Rid of Ants Naturally
Things You’ll Need:
Blenders
Caulking Guns
Caulks
Medicine Droppers
Black Trash Bags
Plastic Freezer Bags
Citrus Fruits
Tanglefoot Pest Barriers
Step1
Determine why they are entering your property and eliminate the food, water and/or housing that they need to survive.
Step2
Promptly clean after meals and take all trash out of your home. Know that learning how to get rid of ants involves creating an ant-proof abode.
Step3
Move outdoor trash and recycling bins as far from your home as possible.
Step4
Tightly wrap and store food set out on kitchen counters.
Step5
Refrigerate all perishable food, especially in the summer, when fruits and vegetables may spoil quickly.
Step6
Remove pools of standing water. Ants get thirsty too.
Step7
Seal up cracks. The least toxic method is 100 percent silicon caulk.
Step8
Sprinkle powdered red chili pepper, paprika, dried peppermint or borax on ant trails, in cracks and near entryways to deter them from moving in.
Step9
Rid your garden of aphids, whiteflies and mealybugs. These sap-feeding insects excrete "honeydew," a sugary favorite of ants.
Step10
Spray or paint sticky barriers made out of tanglefoot products on plants and trees. These barriers prevent ants from climbing up stems and trunks to feed.
Step11
Create liquid bait by mixing 1 tsp. boric acid with 2 1/2 fluid oz. corn syrup or honey. Heat until the boric acid dissolves. In an eyedropper, add equal amounts of water and solution to drop in places ants frequent for 2 weeks.
Step12
Make a natural repellent of citrus peelings and water in a blender and pour it over the anthill.
Step13
Drown out ants by pouring boiling water over the mounds and into the cracks where they dwell.
Roughly 3 gallons of water per mound ought to do the trick.
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Tips & Warnings
Repeat all of the above as necessary. Ants are hardy creatures, and it's difficult to get rid of them.
Fire ants are the most notorious of these common pests. Not only do they have a painful bite, they devour gardens and build unsightly mounds that can be up to 2 feet tall. Careful removal by a professional may be the best option.
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Care for granite countertops
Things You’ll Need:
granite countertops
mild soap and water
granite sealer
spray bottle
Step1
Once you have your granite countertops installed, just use mild soap and water to clean them. Many people want to clean it with bleach or other hard chemicals. This is absolutely not necessary. Granite does not harbor bacteria as long as it is sealed. The sealer prevents anything from absorbing into the stone.
Step2
Your granite installer should have sealed the granite before installing it. If they did not, SEAL IT. Then, you only need to seal the granite once a year if it is in a kitchen, (it will probably be used a lot more if in a kitchen than in a bathroom).
Step3
To seal the granite, purchase a bottle of sealer. Usually you can pick it up from your granite installation company or places like Home Depot or Lowes. It is easiest if you pour the sealer into a spray bottle if not already. Then, simply spray it over the entire granite surface, wipe it in and let it dry for a couple of hours. Remember, you only need to do this once a year and it takes a mere 3 minutes.
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Tips :
Try not to let grease or oils set too long on the granite as it may cause a stain. Should you get a stain, use a chemical mixture called a 'poultice' to pull the stain out of the stone. There are different mixtures you can make depending on the stain. Just look on the internet for various poultice mixtures.