Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Product Testimonial - Got Ants? Get Mint!
An old mountain-man trick, when your homestead was being invaded by ants, was to plant a perimeter of mint (being sure to use a barrier to keep mint from overgrowing into the yard). Ants simply hate mint, and avoid crossing through any patches. Mint oil not only kills ants upon contact (it overwhelms their senses and invades their spiracles so they quickly suffocate), but it both neutralizes pheromone trails left by scout ants and repels other ants in the area. As well, a smear of mint oil in key spots in the home can help keep ants at bay.Over the last year, I've been using Victor Poison-Free Aerosol Ant & Roach Spray. The ingredients are pure mentha arvensis (corn mint) oil, sodium lauryl sulfate (a mild surficant used in shampoo and soap), water and CO2 propellant. It's all edible ingredients, safe for people and pets (including cats, as corn mint oil is phenol-free, unlike other essential oils linked to insect repellents). While not everyone likes the scent, I'm quite fond of it. And, really, anything is better than those nasty poison sprays. Best of all, the stuff WORKS GREAT! It kills ants in seconds, when directly sprayed, and works for weeks to repel other ants when sprayed near entry points. One of my main clients work in a large basement office, where ants were a problem. In the year + we've been using the spray, there have been no more problems with ants. I genuinely haven't seen an ant anywhere in my office, since spraying all the corners and hanging-ceiling tiles.
Although it doesn't harm cats, I've also noticed office cats stay away from places that were sprayed, so it's nice not having them crawling around behind the desks and tangling up all the cables. It also doesn't discolor painted, finished or carpeted areas. It took us 9 months to go through one can of the stuff, so it's pretty economical. Victor Poison-Free Aerosol Ant & Roach Spray definitely gets my thumbs-up.
Alternatively, there's a spray that has rosemary oil or eucalyptus oils as their base, which also work well. They each have their own particular scent, so you have other alternatives if mint isn't to your liking.
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