6 / 11

Cornmeal & Boric Acid

Contrary to popular belief, cornmeal does not kill ants, by exploding them or otherwise. “Ants are pretty keen on cornmeal,” Spicer says, “so spreading too much of it around might worsen your infestation.”

You can, however, weaponize cornmeal in your fight against ants by mixing it with boric acid, a cousin to Borax that’s available online and at home improvement stores. Mix nine parts cornmeal with one part boric acid, adding a generous helping of soybean oil or peanut butter to create a paste. Place the homemade bait near gaps and crevices, anywhere ants are on the march.

Like borax (above), any bait containing boric acid should be kept away from kids and animals.

7 / 11

Flour

Stop ants in their tracks. Scatter all-purpose flour liberally at door thresholds, on window sills and across foundations. Or use a sifter to apply a dusting of flour directly along their path to disrupt their pheromone trail.

8 / 11

Citrus

The natural acids in tangy citrus, such as lemon, orange, lime and grapefruit, work wonders at keeping ants at bay by masking their scent trails — at least temporarily. Squeeze lemons into a spray bottle, or rub a pureed blend of orange peel and water on window sills and doors jambs to discourage the itsy-bitsy insects from crossing over.

Bonus: Toss the leftover rinds in the garden as an organic disincentive.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7p63MoqOyoJGjsbq5wKdlnKedZLmqv9Non6illWK%2FprnEnaCeq12bvLN5wKerrGc%3D