How to Kill Meat Ants
A native ant species of Australia, meat ants, also known as Mount Ants or Tyrant ants, are a large ant with black bodies and red heads. When the meat ant moves into a territory, it usually pushes out any other ant in the area. Since they eat other insects, an infestation of meat ants can mean a loss of other important insects that keep the environment in balance. You could hire exterminators to deal with an infestation, which can be expensive, or you can treat an infestation yourself for less money with the same methods you would use to treat other ants.
Method One: Ant Motel
Mix 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of white sugar together. Be sure to wear gloves when mixing the ingredients to protect your skin.
Divide the mixture between four separate glass jars.
Crumble up some toilet paper and add it to each jar.
Add water to the jars until the jars are filled 1 inch from the top of the jar.
Place the lids onto the jars and punch five or six holes into the lids using a hammer and a nail.
Place the jars where you are seeing a concentration of the ants. The ants will be attracted by the sweetness in the jars and enter them. Then they will either drown in the liquid or be killed by the borax.
Method Two: Dish Detergent
Fill a spray bottle with 2 cups of tap water.
Add 1 tsp. liquid dish detergent.
Replace the lid and mix gently to combine. Do not over shake or the bottle will fill with sudsy bubbles.
Spray ants you see with the soap mixture. The soapy water will kill the ants that are sprayed. It will also cover the scent trail they leave behind for the rest of the colony to follow.
Tip
Meat ants are omnivores, making other ant baits effective.
Warning
Keep your ant motels away from pets and children, since borax is a poison.
If there are other types of ants around, these treatment methods will also kill them.
