Help! We have ants around the yard and coming in the cracks into the house.

I don’t want to put out poison because of my children and dogs. I hate having them in the kitchen. Is there a safe way to fix this?

 At our house, if there are ants outside, I leave them alone. They’re part of the break-down cycle of organic waste and I need them. If it weren’t for them, we’d be hundreds of miles deep in rotting stuff. They’re also mortal enemies with another “garbage-man”, the termite. I certainly don’t want termites around the house so I’ll keep the ants. If they’re coming in the house, that’s different. I will block their path. Ant “frontmen” go out to forage and leave trails from food to nest, with their pheromone, so other workers can come help. Interfere with that scent trail with essential oils peppermint, tea tree, lemon, sweet orange oils – a few drops on a cottonball, wiped on baseboards or entry points, then leave the cotton underneath a cabinet so the pets can’t get to it. Repeat every few days until ants disappear. There’s a great spray: ¼ c. purified water, ¼ c. vodka, 15 drops peppermint oil, 15 drops tea tree oil, 7 drops citrus oil. Pour into small spray bottle. Spray around entry points, baseboards, etc.; until no more ants.

Diatomaceous earth (DE), food grade sprinkled onto lentils, sills in basement, under fridge, around garbage cans, or anywhere you notice ants. They’re repelled by the smell of vinegar too. Another spray: ¼ c water, ¼ c apple cider vinegar, 30 drops of one of the listed essential oils. Use as above. Homemade citrus peel spray, made from water, vinegar and steeped citrus peels, is effective. There are lots more recipes for repellents. I also have used bait stations under appliances but I prefer to do it naturally. The point is, keep them outside BUT don’t run them off your yard. You need their good work.