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I have been finding black ants in random rooms in my house. On walls and/or floors.
I called exterminators and they want >$350, which I can't afford right now. They claim they are going to lay bait and then ants will take it back it to the colony to kill them.
Is there an acceptable DIY way to stop them from coming in to the house without using those cheap hardware store traps?
What checmicals can a homeowner use?
boric acid (aka orthoboric acid, borax) works VERY well for under $5. Look for a tall white squeezable bottle at Home Repot or the like. Then lookup a recipe online with grease or sugar/jam for proper mixing ratios. Taking the bait back to the nest to destroy the babies is exactly what the boric acid does when used correctly. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what the exterminators are using, with a $345 markup for their "expertise".
Even though it's powerful against bugs, it's basically harmless to pets and humans, having the same LD50 as table salt. That it's cheap, safe, and effective, is why it's my favorite ant+roach solution.
