Prevention that works
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Find where they enter (a crack in the wall, a gap under the door). Seal it with silicone or even Blu‑Tack.
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Keep sugar, honey, and pet food in sealed containers. Ants can smell a single crumb from metres away.
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Wipe benches immediately after cooking. Don’t leave dirty dishes overnight.
What about the nest?
If ants keep coming after three days of vinegar, you have a nest inside a wall or under the floor. Place a mixture of borax (from Coles/Woolworths, $5) and honey or jam on a small piece of cardboard near their trail. Workers carry it back to the nest, and the colony dies in a week. Keep away from pets and children.
Reader story: “I tried every spray from Bunnings. Nothing worked. The vinegar trick cleared my kitchen in two days. My grandmother used to do this. I should have listened earlier.” – Helen, 54, Sydney.
