Summer has always been my favorite time of year. Between the beach, the barbecues, and the awesome weather, what’s not to love?
Well, I’ll tell you what’s not to love: the bugs.
Flowers start blooming, sliced watermelon comes out, and the creepy-crawlies just flock. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of bugs we do want around, like honeybees and ladybugs.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of other opportunistic insects that see summertime as an all-you-can-eat buffet, and your kitchen counter is the main course.
It’s not such an issue when it’s outside, but when you have sugar ants crawling up and down the walls, it’s bound to put a serious cramp in your lifestyle.
In fact, sugar ants are the worst, because they seem so minor when there’s one or two, but before you know it, you have a whole colony taking over your kitchen.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to take care of them, without getting an exterminator involved. Check out the simple trick below!
Sugar ants are itty-bitty insects that you may not even notice if there are only one or two.
Often smaller than the head of a pin, these ants might look like crumbs or dust on a kitchen counter or on the floor.
Unfortunately, a trickle can quickly turn into a flood as a few ants communicate a new food source to the whole colony.
These guys like to feed on crackers and cookies, bread, fruit, and, of course, sugar.
Fortunately, their sweet tooth is also their Achilles' heel —you can use sugar to eliminate these ants once and for all.
Ordinary powder sugar or simple syrup is a great way to bait these creepy-crawlies.
From there, you can add poisonous chemicals that will help to kill off the ant population.
One of the most popular strategies is a solution of borax and sugar.
Borax is a chemical often found in laundry detergent, but it can also be useful in other areas of the home.
Specifically, borax is highly poisonous to ants, but is relatively safe for humans, especially compared to most over-the-counter pesticides.
The easiest way to mix up this simple ant-killing solution is by stocking up on borax crystals and sugar.
Next, mix a tablespoon or two of borax with half a cup of sugar until fully blended, and add roughly one and a half cups of warm water until the powder dissolves.
From there, you can either apply the solution directly to your ant infestation, or store it in a (clearly labeled!) jar for later.
Once your solution is mixed, you have a few options.
Some people pour the solution into a decorative ant trap like the one above, others simply use an uncovered dish or bottle cap, and others find that they catch more ants with cotton balls.
The idea is that ants will track down the food source, and lure the rest of the colony to the poison, in addition to bringing the poison back to the nest.
Whatever method you decide to use, simply place your traps in a highly trafficked location, and wait for the ants to track it down and meet their end.
The end result? A little bit of gross cleanup in exchange for an ant-free kitchen.
If you ask us, that's a bargain at any price!
What's your favorite method for getting rid of creepy-crawlies? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE this clever trick on Facebook!
