Farmer's Almanac
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NOTES FROM THE FARMER'S ALMANAC

Q.  What attracts biting insects to me?

A.     Your breath is what attracts mosquitoes and other biting pests.  The carbon dioxide (CO2), moisture and heat that you exhale let the female mosquito know that there is a warm-blooded mammal and meal in the area.  She will navigate to you by following the plume of CO2.

Q.  How do I keep ants out of my home?

A.     If the ants keep marching in, try a few of these all natural ant removal tips: 

  1. If you can find where they are entering your home, block their entrance with a blob of petroleum jelly, then later caulk it with silicone.

  2. Vacuum up the ants and wipe where they had been with a sponge to remove the scent trail. 

  3. Strew the following ant repellents in infested areas:  catnip, mint, cucumber peel, tansy, southern wood, rue or crushed eggshells. 

  4. You can put a small amount of powdered soap near their entrance.  The ants will carry it to their nest, where moisture will expand the soap.  It could destroy the nest.

The University of Maine Extension Service has an old time remedy for a non-toxic ant removal recipe.     To a saucer of water, add a cup of sugar or corn syrup and four teaspoons of boric acid.  Ants can’t resist sweets so they feast on the mixture and take some to the queen in her nest.  The boric acid finishes them off.  Put food stuff in tight containers.  The next step is to set out the banquet for the ants.  Remember, without controls, the insect world could easily dominate our world.