Help! my Jamaican cook shop has ants running around!

Dear Jamaican Herbalist,
It seems my little cookshop is attracting more ants than usual. I let a friend use it for a street dance, and now I can’t get rid of all these excess ants. I really don’t like pesticides so please if you know anything natural, please tell me.
Girlie in Negril

RESPONSE: Dear Girlie,
Aside from regularly cleaning, here are some items you should always have – Cornmeal, Pepper, Vinegar, Cinnamon, Citrus, Salt, Duct tape as good repellants for insects

METHOD:

At the top of the list is for you to get rid of or hide anything the ants may be attracted to. The list includes anything with sugar such as open snacks/candy, open food containers, liquid spills, bread crumbs, bags of sugar and dead insects.

2. Look for all points of entry, where the ants can enter and use any one of the following as a deterrent or killer of these insects.

CORNMEAL: Sprinkle cornmeal or instant grits (coarse cornmeal from Italy) at all entry points. When the ants eat the cornmeal or grits, the moisture in their bodies will be absorbed until they die.

PEPPER: Sprinkle either black pepper or cayenne pepper along the trail of the ants and around each entry point. Chili powder is a good substitute.

VINEGAR: Vinegar smell drives away ants. Spray vinegar (white or apple) along the entry point and onto the ants.
NB: The scent of citrus oil or citrus extract, talcum powder and cinnamon is also known to have worked.

TABLE SALT: Place table salt along the entry point and along the path of the ants.

DUCT TAPE: Cut and place strips of duct tape at the entry points discovered. Make sure to turn the sticky side up so that the duck tape can trap the ants.

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