About this time of year, the ants start to invade our home. They manage to show up from everywhere and are extremely difficult to get rid of. I've tried lots of commercial products and nothing seems to work.

I came across a simple recipe a few years ago on the Internet that is extremely effective and cheap.

Sugar
Borax
Water

alt

_Source

That's it! You want to mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 1.5 teaspoons of borax and then add 1.5 cups of boiling/hot water until a thin paste. I pour the mixture on very low covers like disposable Tupperware covers, low jar covers, or tin foil. You will likely see even more ants than ever for the first 24 hours and by about 48 hours you should be nearly ant free.

I typically use tin foil as it is very low and easy to just throw away. You can also use soaked cotton balls.

I recommend using the solution near your problem area but also at your high traffic areas that are low to the ground like the back door.

Bonus - Got Fruitflies?

Another problem that I have occasional is fruit flies. They are very difficult to get rid of when they do show up. The best solution I have found that works extremely well is to fill a cup with apple cider vinegar and put a drop of liquid dish soap on the surface. Just a tiny amount, a single drop is all you need to create a surface that will trap them.

You don't need much Apple Cider Vinegar as well, just a half inch high or so, it works best if you do a couple cups. You want to dump and replace the solution about twice a day until they are gone. They are usually gone within 1-2 days.

The best solution to avoid both is to keep food locked up and clean frequently but they still seem to get in during the summer season, especially when you have a lot of guests.