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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 19, 2005 Since you asked More ant remedies offered OK, who doesn’t have an ant problem in the Rogue Valley? Our response to a reader desperate to banish those little "sweet ants" (they don’t taste so sweet, trust us) drew a flood of suggestions for banishing the pesky critters. We suggested an insecticide based on pyrethrins, which are bug repellents extracted from chrysanthemum flowers, or a synthetic version. They’re safe and effective when used properly . But there are other options, some of them very odd. With what relish we all concoct recipes of death and discomfort for these rotten little buggers! One reader said the old formulation of Ex-Lax placed in the lawn worked on ants. (Use that suggestion at your own risk — maybe you can find some old Ex-Lax on eBay?) Another said Dawn liquid soap mixed with water worked well. A couple readers say they swear by Avon’s Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil and Body Spray: It softens your skin and kills bugs dead! One product in various forms beat everything else hands-down: borax. Advertisement Borax, unless you mine it yourself, should be available in your grocer’s cleaners aisle, is a naturally occurring mineral that also makes a handy cleaner. Like pyrethrins, it’s also toxic. They’re just the kinder-gentler kind of toxic. The concept is basic: Include borax in something an ant would find tasty — like a sugar-water solution. Or, you can get it pre-made: Terro, a clear, sticky, sweet liquid, comes with cardboard squares to put the stuff on. Put it where you’ve found ants and they think you’ve stupidly left them a massive buffet. They eat the borax solution and live long enough to take it back to the colony, killing the queen if you’re lucky. Or it just might make them sick enough to decide the neighbor’s menu is more appealing. Like human diners, they might give you a second chance next year. So, be prepared! Bonus: To keep the ants from your pet dishes, put the food bowl inside a larger dish, such as a pie tin, filled with water. Until ants can figure out how to conduct amphibious assaults, they can’t get to the food. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to Since you asked ">[email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s