How to: Chemical-Free Ant Killer

Gather supplies (your bag of baking soda may be smaller).

Measure out equal parts baking soda & powdered sugar. I used 1/4 cup each.

Mix well. I use a fork to break up clumps.

Pour into sealable storage container—1/2 pint Ball jar shown here. A canning funnel minimizes the mess.

Pour roughly a tablespoon in a dish or inverted lid.

Place in areas frequented by ants and refresh every week or two.

Label your mixture—it is not delicious.

Pooja, the cat who tastes everything from the floor.

We have two cats, one of whom tastes everything she finds on the floor. So, when we got ants, I didn't want to use any kind of poison. I found this incredibly simple natural recipe that works within days.

Combine equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar and place in trouble areas.

I use about a tablespoon indoors and refresh every week or two when it starts to get hard. When using outdoors or in the garden, I pour little mounds in the active spots. In a few days, no more ants.

I've used this for several years in a variety of spots and it has always worked—more slowly outdoors than indoors for whatever reason. It was explained to me as a simple chemical reaction—the ants come for the powdered sugar and mistake baking soda particles for it half the time. When they eat the baking soda, it combines with the formic acid inside them, and they explode.

Less risky and cheaper. And be sure to label your container. While it won't hurt you, you won't enjoy French toast or cake frosting made with that mix.

Let us know here or on Instagram how it works for you.