Death By Greek Yogurt

I love greek yogurt.  It is so delicious, healthy, and multipurpose.  Its tub also happens to be the right size for my ant-killing experiment.  You see, I have this problem.

That would be a fire ant colony in my garden.  I can't fault the ants for their choice in location with its loose soil and close proximity to a buffet of veritable delights.  However, they are plentiful, ferocious, and I am tired of being stung.  Death to the colony.

A little online research guided me to a mixture of sugar and borax for a long-term kill.  According to the box, Borax is an "all natural laundry booster and multi-purpose household cleaner."  It is a 400 year old weak acid extracted from a type of salt called borax.  It is no more toxic to humans than table salt.

Apparently, it works to kill ants in two ways.  First of all, the powder is abrasive to the ant's exoskeleton, and when consumed, it is poisonous to their tiny stomachs.  One site said it creates gas (which can't be expelled) and causes a tiny ant explosion.  I don't know who's right, but either is fine with me.  Because borax doesn't cause sudden death, it gives the ants time to carry their find back to the colony where it is fed to their ant friends and, most importantly, their queen.  Supposedly, 3-4 days later, she dies and the colony ceases to exist.  I can't wait.

The recipe is simple:
Poke holes in a plastic container WITH a lid (so other pets won't be tempted to taste).  Mix 1 part borax to three parts sugar.  Add a little water to make it syrupy.  Some recipes recommend the addition of a little peanut butter, but we're out (don't tell my children).  Fill the bowl with the mixture until it reaches within 1/2" of the holes.

Place it in close proximity to the colony and wait.  All reports say that a serious reduction in ants should be noticeable in 3 days, and within two weeks, the colony should be gone.

So long, you industrious little pests.