Cloudy, damp and getting rid of ants

Good morning Augusta.
This morning it is partly cloudy with a chance of a thunderstorm and a
chance of rain in the afternoon. High of 70F. Winds from the West at 5 to 15
mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Tonight it will be clear. Low of 54F. Winds from the WNW at 5 to 15 mph.
The readings from my own instruments are:
The humidity is 88% with a Dew Point of 63.3ºF and a wind chill of 64.3ºF.
The temperature is 67.0ºF.
We have East winds between 1.3 mph and 3.0 mph.
Our Barometric pressure is 29.56 HPA 1001.0 and falling with a weather
graphic indicating rain.
The UV rating is 0 out of 16, sunset will be at 7:46 PM with Moon Rise at
1:56 a.m. and the moon phase is waxing crescent.
For the pilots out there, Raw Metar readings are:
SPECI KAUG 141005Z AUTO 00000KT 7SM BKN005 BKN060 17/17 A2966 RMK AO2
Visibility is 7.0 miles/11.3 kilometers with mostly cloudy conditions to 500
ft / 152 m.l, and 6,000 ft / 1,828 m.
We've had 0.06 inches of rain here in the past 24 hours.
This bit of information isn't weather related per se, but it will strike a
chord with anyone who deals with ants every summer. Around here, every time
it rains the ants come inside.
The expense of professional exterminators can "bite" you. So why not look
the following suggestions over and see if you want to give any of them a
try. Good luck.
Getting Rid of Ants in Your Home Naturally
By: Darcy Andries, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Ants can be a menace. If you find your home suddenly invaded, you need to
find a way to get rid of the ants. You also should look into some effective
ways on how to keep ants from returning. Luckily, you can find the answer to
both of these problems here.
How To Kill the Ants
It's a little known fact that regular dish soap will kill ants. Simply spray
the ant with a mixture of detergent and water. You can also use a mixture of
water and Simple Green.
You can make your own ant poison simply by mixing Borax or boric acid with
something sweet such as honey or powdered sugar. Other mixtures that work
just as well include bacon grease and flour, and peanut butter. However, if
you are having trouble with palmetto bugs, a mixture of boric powder,
cornmeal, and powdered sugar will get rid of both ants and the palmetto
bugs.
Once you have mixed your ant poison, place it in a baby food jar. Next,
pierce several large holes into the lid and set the jar on its side. The jar
will enable the ants to enter, but keep the poison away from any children or
pets. If you don't have a baby food jar, an old medicine bottle will work
just as well.
You might also want to put a little poison on some foil and place it behind
the covers of any outlets or light switches. This will help get more ants at
their source-which is usually the wires of the house.
*How to Keep Ants Out
While you are working on getting rid of the ants that you have, you also
need to focus a little attention on ways to keep more ants from entering
your home. If you haven't already, check all your screens. Repair or replace
any broken ones that you find. You should also caulk around all your windows
at least once a year.
Keep all your pet food dishes inside a larger pan of water to prevent ants
from invading the food. You can do the same thing with table legs-the water
will prevent ants from climbing the table and getting to the food. Petroleum
jelly covered with cinnamon will also work, but it is better used for the
tops and stands on hummingbird feeders.
Garlic is a natural repellant for ants. Sticking a few cut up clove between
the cracks of your deck is a great way to keep ants away. Ants also dislike
cayenne pepper, cinnamon, citrus oil, coffee grounds, cucumbers, mint tea,
and lemon juice. Ants will not cross a line that those items have been
placed.
Some plants have been known to repel ants naturally. Plant them around the
house or in pots and then use the leaves in sachets or rub them around areas
you want ants to avoid. Some plants that have been known to work include:
atlas cedarwood, basil, bee balm, camphor, clove, citronella, chili peppers,
cumin, eucalyptus, garlic, geranium, lavender, lemon balm, mint, pennyroyal,
peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, and thyme.
Another method for repelling ants is to cover a surface with a mixture of
peppermint toothpaste and dishwashing detergent. Dr. Bronner's Peppermint
Castile Shampoo will also work in place of toothpaste.
Finally, leaving a light on at night in the area where ants have been active
can sometimes work. The light disrupts their forage patterns and will cause
them to move elsewhere. Usually, you will find that you need to use a
combination of methods before you get rid of all the ants.
Published by Darcy Andries
http://voices.yahoo.com/getting-rid-ants-home-naturally-403339.html?cat=6