I believe everybody knows what a pissant is–an insignificant person. I found a more expansive definition of a pissant, which I found kind of interesting.

But, the piss ants I’m writing about are actual ants that invaded our house. Although I didn’t examine them closely, they are likely to be a type of pavement ant of the genus, Tetramorium. They became piss ants when they got into our house and became a nuisance. The little bastards obviously didn’t know that I’m an entomologist and that I know how to get rid of ants.

I’ll share my simple method of getting rid of piss ants in your house. First, you need to locate where they are coming from. Although the ants were in several areas of the kitchen and pantry at one point, I determined that they were most likely coming in through a crack around the window. I just followed the trail of ants, and that’s where it led.

I use boric acid to kill ants. It is a very effective insecticide, but not very toxic to humans. I bought a fine powder containing a form of boric acid, specifically Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate. The kind I bought says it is for termites and carpenter ants and wood-destroying beetles. But, borate is effective against most insects, including roaches. It works great for piss ants too. You should be able to find a borate formulation at most hardware stores or home improvement centers.

I squirted a small amount of the borate powder along the window sill where the ants were entering the house. Then, I used one of Ann’s old makeup brushes to spread a thin, thin layer around the sill. If the powder is applied in a thick layer, the ants will walk around it.

The piss ants were gone the next day. Theoretically, after walking through the borate powder, the contaminated ants would go back to their colony and contaminate and kill the whole colony. I don’t know if the whole colony was killed (I doubt it), but I don’t care. I just wanted to get rid of the ants in our house and I did.