Many species of ants are beneficial and should not be indiscriminately destroyed. They feed on organic substances and living insect pests and are one of nature's most efficient ways of handling insects and smaller animals that die. Rather than rushing out to get a spray can of poison, consider some of the following suggestions:

1. Store food properly and be vigilant about keeping countertops free of food waste and garbage cans well sealed.

2. Ants will not cross barriers made from sticky materials. Several commercially available materials such as "Tanglefoot" are effective in the home as well as the garden.

3. Fill in cracks by using a good silicon caulk to block the point where ants enter the house.

4. Detergent barriers work better than water barriers because ants can float on water. You can also mop up ants with a soapy sponge. A dish of pet food can be protected from ants by placing it in a pie pan filled with soapy water.

5. Flooding can drive ants from flowerpots.

6. Dusts such as diatomaceous earth can be blown into cracks.

7. Combining pyrethrum with a commercial preparation of silica aerogel is an effective low-toxicity treatment.

8. Use insecticide soap drench, either alone or with pyrethrum, to move nests away from buildings.

9. Insect growth regulators do not kill the ant but when taken into the nest, inhibit the maturation of the juvenile. Over time the nest declines and disappears.

10. Boric acid baits are effective. In the proper concentration, they do not kill the worker ants outright. Instead the ants carry the poison back to the nest and eventually the entire nest is eradicated. Boric acid is used in several commercial products, and you can make your own liquid bait with the following formula:

·	Mix one level teaspoon of boric acid in 2.5 fluid ounces of corn syrup or honey. Heat until boric acid completely dissolves.
·	Cool mixture and dilute with and equal volume of water.
·	Using an eyedropper, place in areas where ants feed or put in small lids in areas accessible to ants. It is important to keep the bait available to ants for two weeks.

Be sure to read all label information before using any of the materials described above and keep bait mixtures out of the reach of children.