Eco Friendly Ant Removal

Ants seem to be a pest I cannot get rid of. We have battled with them for years. Really. I kid you not. Since my quest to be greener began, however, I have really struggled with how to rid our home of these pests in a way that is safe for my family and more eco-friendly as well. Below are some steps I have made to help me…and now hopefully you!

Eco-Friendly Ant Removal Tips

Removing Ants the Green Way.

• Be clean. Keep food sealed well and avoid having crumbs on the counters and floors. Sweep often and do not let the kids eat on the couches. Under the cushions and in the crevices of plush chairs are breeding grounds for crumb central which in turn will be an ant heaven.
• Check for leaks. Many times you can have the cleanest home and no food source available. However, if you have standing water or leaks, the ants will come for a more vital resource…water.
• Seal openings. Check windows, doors and any places where crevices exist. Seal them up with a non toxic sealer/caulk. This is a great way to keep many unwanted house guests out!
• Cut off their communication. Ants leave an invisible chemical trail to let their buddies know where to go. You can help stop this in a simple and natural way. Mix liquid soap and water together. Put in spray bottle. Spray areas where you have seen ant trails in your home.
• Green thumb. Trim trees and bushes so that they are not touching your house. Especially near windows. This will prevent easy access to your home.
• Find the nest. You can bait them with honey or sugar water and try to find out where the buggers are coming from. If you are fortunate enough to find the colony try one of these steps. Outdoor nests: pour a LOT of hot boiling water over it several times. Indoor nests: put corn starch into a bag-less or with bag vacuum cleaner. Vacuum them up and immediately remove bag and throw away. Or, if you use a bag-less vacuum, clean it out and make sure the filter is changed.
  
• Use bait. I do not recommend this unless all else fails. And, IF you MUST use a bait, use a closed bait instead of a chemical or toxic spray.

As I have mentioned many times in the past, we can be greener if we take the time to research and be creative. Being green is a lot simpler than many people may think. I hope these ant removal tips have helped you. If you have any of your own, please feel free to share below!

Copyright © Green Christian Network

Stay Green!

Green Tip – (10/19/09) – Rodent Elimination

Eliminating rodents can seem like a daunting task for greenies. I mean you want to be humane and green at the same time. I thought of a few ideas that will help remove rodents in an eco friendly way that is fairly humane as well.

Removing Rodents the Green Way

• Get a Cat. LOL. Sounds funny? Well, if you live on a farm or in a rural area, this can be a GREAT tip. Not only are you making the cat or cats happy, you are also going with a natural form of removing unwanted rodents from your land. If you have a large area, get a few cats. However, I DO recommend that you still get them spayed or neutered. You do not want to wind up with an over abundance…then you may need dogs. ROFL!
• Get Rid of the rat friendliness. Remove berry bushes, ivy, fruit and nut trees, wood piles, and holes in concrete that are close to home. Also, make sure your bird feeders are clean. Dirty anything attracts unwanted pests.
• Be Aware of Compost. You do not want a good thing to attract a bad thing! Keep pile in closed container. Plastic is best for compost. Avoid adding cooked food, meat and fish, dairy and bread to compost bin. They all attract rodents. Add water to deter them from nesting in compost.
• Use Traps. Instead of toxic poison that could wind up harming pets, children and WANTED creatures, go for the rat trap option. Place them where the rodents seem most active. Peanut butter, bacon, cheese or any food with strong odor are great lures and always make sure that the triggers to the trap are facing the wall. If you notice no vermin after a week, try a different location for the trap.
• Seal all Openings. Keep in mind that a mouse can fit into a hole the size of a pencil eraser. Go through your house and search for potential entry ways. Seal them up. Repair broken screens and other areas of the home that could become entrances for vermin.

As you can see, harmful toxic poisons are not the only way to eliminate rodents from your surroundings. Do you have any other green tips to remove vermin? Please share below!

Copyright © Green Christian Network

Stay Green!