If ants were paying rent, we’d all be a little more tolerant. But when they start setting up six-legged real estate in your pantry or treating your garden like a buffet, it’s war. YouTuber Salty Acres dropped a satisfying method of eliminating ants that doesn’t involve harsh chemicals or overpriced sprays.
Ready to reclaim your space without suiting up like a pest control tech? Here’s how to do it.
1. Gather the Three Essentials
You only need borax, sugar, and hot water—plus a small bowl for mixing. If you don’t already have borax, check the laundry aisle. It’s usually sold as a laundry booster but doubles nicely as ant doom. Any kind of sugar will do.
The goal is to create a sticky syrup that ants can’t resist. The sugar draws them in, and the borax does the dirty work. The key is the ratio he uses: about one spoonful of borax to one spoonful of sugar, and three spoonfuls of hot water. That balance keeps it sweet enough to attract the ants without tipping them off that their last meal is being served.
2. Make the Lethal Syrup
Pour your borax and sugar into the bowl, then slowly add hot water—just enough to turn the mixture into a thick syrup. Stir it well until everything dissolves smoothly. The smoother the mix, the better it will soak into whatever you’re using to serve it—cotton balls, paper towels, cardboard scraps, or even a plastic lid.
Hot water dissolves more borax faster than cold water. You may end up with a mess that ants will walk around like a bad Yelp review if you try to skip heating your water first.
3. Let the Ants Discover It
Now for the slightly petty part. If you know where the ants are coming from, disturb the area a bit. Nudge the trail. Lift a pot. Lightly tap near the entry point. The goal isn’t to scare them off—it’s to wake them up. Ants work like little GPS systems, and if you stir the pot, they start communicating. That’s your moment.
Pour the syrup directly on or near their trail. You don’t need to drown the floor, just a small puddle like Salty Arcres did, or a saturated cotton ball where they’re active. They’ll swarm it like it’s free samples at Costco. They’ll drink it, take it back to their colony, and in about 24 hours, most of them will be gone.
Why It Works
Borax isn’t some mysterious compound. It’s sodium borate—a natural mineral used in cleaning and DIY recipes for decades. When ants ingest it, it messes with their digestive systems and eventually shuts them down. They don’t die on contact, which is exactly what you want. If they dropped instantly, they’d never make it back to the nest to share the “good news.”
This method wipes out not just the visible scouts but the entire colony. That includes the queen, the babies, and the annoying ones that somehow end up in your cereal box even though it’s sealed.
Safety Precautions
Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s snack-safe for everyone. Don’t set the mixture somewhere your dog, cat, or curious toddler might go sniffing around. Borax isn’t something you want in anyone’s digestive system unless they have six legs and an attitude problem.
Put the bait in shallow containers or on unreachable surfaces, especially indoors. In gardens, place it in tucked-away corners or under pots.
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