# Ant Beds to Ashes



## springer (Mar 30, 2009)

I was having problems with ants around my garage sidewalk and coming up through the wall so I decided to cover their antbeds with a thick layer of ashes.  This made it so they couldn't crawl out of their holes or come up through it since it is such a fine powder.  They also didn't want to rebuild out of ashes either it being such a powder so they tried to move, then I just covered their new (but much smaller) sections with it, the result being that now the earth will be scorched there and no ants will be on my sidewalk anymore having smothered them in ashes.  I am pretty sure it kills the ants, they haven't come back and the bed was huge.

This makes it so I don't have to go around barefoot stepping in poison.

Make sure there is nothing left burning in the ashes before trying this.


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## BuffaloSoldier (Apr 14, 2009)

Good idea, definitely something I didn't know before that will later come in handy!


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## siddle (May 31, 2011)

I used to sprinkle plenty of dry grits around the ant beds. I have also heard that pepper works, and growing spearmint around your plant beds is supposed to help too. Any thoughts on this?


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## havasu (May 31, 2011)

I've always used Boric Acid. Cheap and safe enough.


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## siddle (Jun 1, 2011)

A mixture of Boric Acid and sugar will be more effective.


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## havasu (Jun 1, 2011)

The problem with adding sugar is that it makes it appealing to dogs, and can kill them. Without the sugar, the dogs ignore the little white line of Boric Acid.


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## siddle (Jun 1, 2011)

That makes sense. You are absolutely right.


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