How can we get rid of ants...

There are approximately 8,000 species of ants, and without knowing which species you are dealing with, it is hard to advise you. If you are not sure of the species, you can have a pest control company come out and identify them for you. Or you can simply scoop up some live ants in a dry medicine bottle or baby food jar and take them to the pest control company for identification. Depending on the species, ants may eat grease, sweets (both those found in a home and the sweet nectar produced by aphids), or even other insects. Once a colony locates a desired food source, hundreds of “workers” may descend on the food. To repel ants, try vinegar, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cream of tartar, salt, or perfume. Just place one of these substances along their path. If it doesn’t work, try the others in turn until you find one that is successful. You can also kill the ants by dehydrating them with instant grits, which you can find in the cereal section of the grocery store. They eat them and go off and die.