We have major problem with small sugar ants. Is there any kind of ground cover or other plants that ants don't like that we could plant. We spray every year. Does not seem to do any good. We end up with them in our house. Going crazy. Help please, any ?

Hi cherbear, I have learned to live with them in my garden. It seems you get them out of one spot and they just find another one. I haven't had that kind in my house, butt every spring get the big black ones for about a month. You don't want them, believe me!

Have you tried ant traps? There are some that allow the ants to take the substance back to the queen and it kills her and then then ants move or die out...

Stringer

They don't like rock ground cover, but they will just find another place. Keep spraying around the perimeter of the house. It works for me.

My grandfather taught me this:
For the big aggressive ants, take a shovel full of one mound with lots of ants in it and dump it about one foot away from another mound and vise versa. The ants will fight to the death! You may have to do this a couple of times until the queen is destoryed.
For the little ants. Spread instant grits on the ground. The ants eat the grit, then the grit absorbs water and the ant explodes. This only works when the ground is dry.
It's something that you may have to keep working at for an entire season, but no chemicals.

WE HAVE ANTS THAT ARE CALLED WHITE FOOTED ANTS, THE COLONIES CAN BE IN THE THOUSANDS( AREN'T WE LUCKY) HAH.
I use that Terra-Kill. It's a liquid bait, put a dime size drop here and there were the trails they run. Let them eat it and take it back to the nest, will usually kill them within a couple days but you need to be vigilant. Don't kill them let them take the bait back to the nest, It helped me hopefully it will do the same for you!
Happy trails hahaha

Ive learned they don't like the color white.. I use to have ants always get into my dog's food bowl, but after I put it on top of a white bucket they never get in.. It's the same concept for painting the trunk of a tree white.

In a spray bottle, mix half vinegar half water. Shake well. Spray this around doors and windows, both inside and outside. Mix cinnamon powder and chili powder together and lay it in a circle close to the walls of your house. Ants can't cross it so they can't get in. Find the nests and pour boiling water down them. Near by, put piles of semolina down and when the ants find it, they'll take it to the larvae and queen larvae, the'll eat it and explode!

Mix (disposable bowl and spoon!) 6 tablespoons of sugar and 6-8 tablespoons of borax. You can find the borax in some supermarkets, it's a type of washing powder. Add a good dollop of honey and jam. Add boiling water until the borax and sugar is fully dissolved. In a another spray bottle, spray this mixture where there are loads of ants and near nests. They will swarm over it, take it to the queen, she will drink and also explode! Pour even more boiling water down.

Do this on a dry day and repeat until all ants are dead. Ask your neighbours 2 do this and the ants will disappear till next year.

The ants have already departed to greener pastures because this thread is from 2009.