One summer while I was sweeping the kitchen floor, I noticed the dirt moving. I swept it back into place and it still moved. There was no wind in my home at the time; upon closer inspection it wasn’t dirt at all, but ants!
Thankfully I was wearing shoes and squished the buggers flat, continuing with my sweeping.
My partner came over and said I didn’t get them all, there were more and they were getting in the dog’s food dish. This was not going to be a fun cleanup day.
With my partner's help, I moved the stove while she got some vinegar and bleach and cleaned up the flattened bodies. We traced back to where they were coming in and cleaned the hole out and “patched” it back up. We had to call into the apartment office to set up a work order to have this permanently fixed.
*Vinegar to get rid of tiny ants.
*Mixing baking soda with powdered sugar and applying to infested areas
*Pour a line of any of the following where the ants are entering the building: cinnamon, cream of tartar, red chili pepper, salt, dried mint or sage, or cucumber peelings
*Pour boiling water over the nest
There are more wonderful ways to rid yourself of them thanks to this archived US.MIL site as well.
Kill Roaches:
* Repellent - equal parts of baking soda and powdered sugar
* Set out a dish of equal parts oatmeal and plaster of Paris
* Take a one pound empty coffee can. Place 1 or 2 pieces of bread in the bottom of the can and soak thoroughly with beer. Place in areas known to have roach infestations. Be prepared to view a can 1/4 to 1/2 full of roaches the next day!
Repel Flies:
* Place tansy near your kitchen door or where flies tend to cluster. Other repellents include oil of cloves and mint springs.
* Set a sponge in a saucer and soak it with oil of lavender to repel flies.
* A pot of basil set on a window sill or table will help reduce the number of flies in the room
Great Post Dawn! Thanks~ Vicki