Green tips: Nontoxic to you, deadly to ants

Problem: Ants! This time of year, many of us are battling tiny sugar ants who have invaded our kitchens and bathrooms. But before you rush out and buy a toxic can of ant kill spray, serve them up something sweet that they can take back and share with the colony.

Safe solution: Mix ½ teaspoon of honey and ½ teaspoon of boric acid (it's nontoxic) in several small bottles and leave the lids off. The ants will take this sticky stuff back to the colony and kill them off. (Give the ants a few days to be drawn to the mixture.) You probably need to repeat this monthly, at the first sign of more ants.

Caution: This mixture could be dangerous to children and pets, so keep the bottles on high countertops or hidden in cabinets.

Source: From the book "1001 All-Natural Secrets to a Pest-Free Property" (Allstar Marketing Group, 2006).

Compiled by Colleen McBrinn, digs editor.

Green Tips is a weekly feature in digs on environmentally friendly ways of living.