Comments on: Kyle’s Coupons: I Need Some Frugal Help, Please!

By: Becky

Becky — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:14:31 +0000

We had a horrible, recurring problem with ‘sugar’ ants, those tiny but mighty ants that would invade our kitchen and bathroom by the thousands, in spite of sealed food containers and no available water for them. For a time, we used a homemade windex type spray made of 1/3 spray bottle filled with ammonia and topped off with water, then shaken well…which kept them at bay. We also tried vinegar. Still they came back eventually.

However, when they started building an anthill in the corner of our kitchen (I literally swept out a cup of dirt every day!), my husband had had enough. After deep frying some french fries one evening, rather than cool the oil for reuse later, he took it out to where the anthill was and poured it down inside.

We’ve gone ALL SUMMER without ants in our home. Not sure what the oil did to the soil, but to be ant-free after being bothered previously for entire summers…priceless.

By: SmileyGirl

SmileyGirl — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:37:13 +0000

We have had problems with ants too. Usually we use a local pest service once in the spring and they spray inside and out – we only have to be gone for a few hours and it makes a huge difference. We didn’t get around to it this year however and we have used a few other things with reasonable success. We used good old fashioned grits on the trails we saw – apparently they eat it and it puffs up and they die. We have also had to resort to some ant killer powder outside around the house and a terro spray in the entry areas of the house. Windex does work but I have found it only works on the ones that get sprayed directly. Terro ant killer (the liquid you put on the cardboard) really works well if you can find a place that won’t be bothered by kids or pets. We did find that our cats liked the taste of the Terro ant spray (that we had sprayed on the carpet in one place) and they licked it so we stopped using it where they could get to it. If all else fails do spend the extra to have a pest control come in – ours is less than $100 for the entire house inside and out and well worth it. They only spray the edges of the rooms and it is safe after it dries. Good luck!

By: Denise E.

Denise E. — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:02:56 +0000

For moles and especially skunks, moth balls work wonders. For the ants, if you have outside mounds, sprinkle instant grits on them. the critters take them into the hole and the moisture expands the grits and “poof” For stains, I use soilove. It can be found on the Cheapskate Gazette website and it works wonders.

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:00:38 +0000

I have Cinnamon around both doorways to our house and the ants walk up to it and turn around immediatly! ;) It really has worked… I wasn’t sure but with all the neighbor cats and kids around I didn’t like the chemicals… you have to replace it every couple of days… but it smells better then the chemicals!

By: Carol

Carol — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:54:02 +0000

PLEASE … DO NOT put poison in your yard.
What if one of you kids or pets got some of it on them or in them.
It sounds like moles, just go outside each day and step on the mounds to push them down. The moles are only doing what they are suppose to do, which is “airing” your lawn. They are blind and will not harm you. Keep stepping on the mounds and they will leave your yard sooner or later.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:31:22 +0000

To some of the posters, I regret if my post indicated I thought cats should be used as a “pesticide.” For the record, our cat was dumped at our house pregnant, and we raised the kittens, found homes for all of them and had the mom spayed and kept her. She does not like to be inside because we have inside dogs and they do not always get along. But she stays right near the house and, in addition to being a loving, beautiful pet, has been an excellent deterrant for vermin. She proudly leaves the “remains” on our front mat. But you are correct in saying that a cat is not the most frugal option, as I noted as well. Sorry to hi-jack the post–just wanted to correct and clarify my comment.

By: AngelSong

AngelSong — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:54:25 +0000

You could try adding borax to the laundry for tough protein based stains. it works well for me.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:45:28 +0000

Commenter Vanessa is spot-on: cats are pets, not pesticides. Plus, if you’re adequately caring for a cat (regular vet care, food, time, attention, etc.) there’s no way that would be a frugal way to control gophers. Please consider the more humane deterrent suggestions before you cruelly subject a cat to outdoor hazards like disease, auto encounters, or coyotes simply to have a prettier lawn.

By: Janice

Janice — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:09:25 +0000

Cat poo in the mole holes is supposed to work. I’ve had outdoor cats all my life and never lost one to a coyote. Peroxide works like a charm on blood. When my kids were babies, I would soak their stained clothes in a bucket of HOT/boiling water containing 1/4 cup bleach and 1/4 powdered dishwasher detergent. I never noticed a color change, but be prepared just in case. If something is stained and you cannot get it out another way – why not give it a whirl? Dawn IS great. Fels Naptha soap is also great.

We have had a horrible year with ants in Oklahoma, too – I finally have them out of the house, and am now pouring boiling water on their ant hills outside. Borax and honey – as someone else stated. Borax sprinkled on carpeting is also good to get rid of fleas.

By: Jenne

Jenne — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:13:44 +0000

Ants, Gophers & Moles: check out http://www.stretcher.com – It is the Dollar Strecher website. Search your critter of choice and you will have more remedies than you can imagine + most are non-toxic.

Nasty Stains: Goop – you can find it at Menards or auto parts stores. My father-in-law was a diesel mechanic, and my mother-in-law swears by this stuff. Even if it’s already gone through wash & dry, rub it in and let it sit. This has saved more of my daughter’s clothes than you can imagine. And you don’t have to buy the Mom’s Goop or whatever they call it. You want the goop in the white tube with the blue and red printing.