National Wildlife Federation/ San Diego County

Ant Bait

An Easy Receipe

Since the extreme hot weather hit there has been a
surge of ant populations seeking water. Some of you
may not have the ant bait recipe that works best:

Mix 1/3 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon boric acid powder
(available at any drug store). Mix well as the boric
acid tends to clump and not dissolve.

Add 2 cups of water and shake very well till liquid is
clear.

This is your bait. Keep the extra in the refrigerator
till you need more.

To use this, put it in small containers (I like votive
candle holders) with a piece of sponge in them. Make
sure the sponge touches the edge of the container and
sticks up a bit from the bait solution. The sponge is
just a "raft" for the ants to be able to access the
bait better. Place the bait station outside near an
ant trail. You will need to refill every couple of
days. You will need to toss the sponge and clean the
container about once a week.

Why this works: the boric acid is such a weak
solution that the ants take it back to the nest and
feed everyone. It takes about a week but then the
population crashes like crazy!

Note: If you have curious cats you will need to use a
closed margarine or yogurt container with holes
punched in it for your bait station. Boric acid is
toxic to cats.

Connie Beck
Holisticgardener@yahoo.com