To kill and drive away ants that you see, mix a teaspoon of dish soap with water in a spray bottle; this will also clean up the scent trails they leave for others to follow. Citrus oil and water or plain white vinegar is equally effective.

DIY Ant Bait Recipes

• Mix a half teaspoon each of honey, borax and aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet, etc.), in small bottles. Place bottles on their sides, with lids off. Ants will carry the bait back to their colonies. Important: use indoors only; must be kept away from pets and children.

• For an easy ant hotel, mix one cup of borax with one cup of sugar. Place a loose wad of toilet paper in four different screw-top jars. Divide the sugar and borax mixture among the four jars, over the toilet paper. Fill each jar with water to one inch of the top. Screw the lids on the jars, and with a hammer and nail, make four to eight holes in the lid. Place the jars in areas where you have ants, but keep away from pets and children and label the jars "poison."

Step 3: Use less-toxic pesticides.
Boric acid is widely available and isn't harmful unless eaten or directly inhaled. You can sprinkle it in bottle caps or lids then place those near ant sightings for an easy ant killer.  Ants will carry the poison back to their nests and contaminate their friends. It can take a few weeks to see results, though. When looking for a product, make sure it contains only boric acid or natural ingredients, such as Pic Boric Acid ($5.99/lb).

Another effective insecticide is diatomaceous earth (DE), a dust that robs insects of moisture and breaks apart their skin. Unless directly inhaled, it doesn't pose a threat to humans, but do keep away from children and pets. Again, look for products that contain natural DE with no other chemical ingredients; they can be found at Planet Natural or Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply.

Drax Ant Bait ($12.95) is borax gel that comes in two flavors: sugar bait for ants attracted to sweet things (like honey) and a protein bait for ants attracted to grease and non-sugary substances (like peanut butter).