My neighbor had a huge pile of cement ants. She used a mix of 50/50 baking soda and powered sugar. They were gone the next day. I thought the sugar would attract them but it worked.
Regular chalk can be used to temporarily deter ants. A chalk line will discourage ants from crossing and can disrupt the scent line they follow back to food sources discovered by their scouts. They will seek or take advantage of a break in the line so it is not foolproof. This is a page about using chalk to deter ants.
Fresh dryer sheets to soften clothes and linens are an effective fragrant deterrent for a variety of insects. This is a page about use fabric softener sheets to deter ants.
Many pesticides are harmful to the environment as well as the pests you are trying to eradicate. If you use boiling water for getting rid of ant hills it is completely safe and quite effective.
Black pepper can be used to help repel ants without using harsh chemicals. This is a page about detering ants with black pepper.
When ants digest cream of wheat, it expands in their stomach and kills them. This page is about using cream of wheat to fight ants.
Some homeowners have success in deterring ants from coming into their house using a line of ground cinnamon at the entry point. This is a page about using cinnamon to deter ants.
