Do you have ANTS where you shouldn't? Organic & non-toxic alternatives to keeping your home ant-free!

Our rainy season seems like it will never end!  Along with the wet footprints on our floors, some of us unfortunates also have those pesky ant invaders to contend with as well.  Here are some helpful tips to keep ants at bay, without harsh toxic chemicals:

• Take an inventory of the herbs and spices in your cabinet.  Black or red pepper may be the only thing you need to put ants on the run.  Black peppercorns are easiest to spread around but are not as repulsive to ants as the crushed variety.
• Find the entrance areas of ants and sprinkle herbs and spices there and around the exterior of your home to keep the ants from coming in. 
• Cinnamon sticks placed in cabinets do a good job of deterring ants from cabinets.
• Sprigs of tansy hung upside down and tied together to dry not only repel ants, but also serve as a decoration with their attractive yellow flowers.
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  Set out cucumber peels or slices in the kitchen or at the ants' point of entry. Many ants have a natural aversion to cucumber.  Bitter cucumbers work best. 
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   Leave a few tea bags of mint tea near areas where the ants seem most active.  Dry, crushed mint leaves or cloves also work as ant deterrents.

Have they already made it in?  Try this sweet-smelling alternative to commercial ant-spray:

Pour 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap into a spray bottle and fill the remainder of the bottle with water.  Add three  drops of peppermint essential oil (you can find this in any good natural food store).  Shake well to mix the solution.  Spray ants directly with the soapy mixture to kill them.  Apply the soap insecticide around baseboards, doorways, windowsills and any other area where ants have been spotted.

Spray outdoor play areas or even the blanket your baby plays on when outside.  Aside from the soap killing the ants, the peppermint oil repels them from coming around in the first place!

• Trace the ant column back to their point of entry.  Set any of the following items at the entry area in a small line, which ants will not cross: cayenne pepper, citrus oil (can be soaked into a piece of string), lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds.
• Sprinkle these herbs alone or in combination around plants that ants are bothering. Ants do not like marigolds, so planting border marigolds may help keep ants from treasured plants. Keep in mind that each time it rains you will have to replace the deterrent.
• Sprinkle cornmeal around and directly on the nests that you find in your yard.  Ants love its sweet taste but can't digest it, which eventually kills them.  Replace the cornmeal often, especially after a rain.  Routinely make the rounds of your yard to seek out their nests and give them a sprinkle. This is an inexpensive way to combat an entire nest, which keeps them from seeking out goodies from your home and garden.

Good Luck!