I have a big problem: ants. If you live in Florida, you know what I’m talking about. I have red ants, carpenter ants, crazy ants, sugar ants… you name it! Thankfully they are outside for the most part, but they are still terrorizing my lawn with their million-ant mining operations. It seems like overnight they can upend a huge mound of earth to reveal their presence.

Honestly, the red ants I can handle, but the carpenter ants make me nervous. I live in a wooden house, and I’m sure they’re eying it like lunch meat.

Safe Home Value Bundle

As an environmentally-conscious person, I look for ways to safely eradicate these pesky, militant critters and was grateful to have a chance to try EcoSMART Organic Pesticide Ant & Roach Killer.

First, let me say, I love their packaging. It’s simple and clear and well designed. (As a designer myself, this is always important to me.) But not as important as the ingredient list. Here it is: rosemary oil, cinnamon oil, water, wintergreen oil, mineral oil, oleic acid, canola oil, nitrogen, vanillin, lecithin… and corn. (OK, I’m joking about the corn. Too much high fructose corn syrup in the news!)

I was a bit worried about the aerosol can, but it has an emblem labeled “No CFCs.” There is also an emblem that indicates it is made of recyclable steel. (Or maybe that’s recycled steel.)

I did not have to look far to find some unwilling guinea pigs for my test of this product. The carpenter ants had unearthed a good deal of soil along my driveway, and I was quite perturbed about it. Thus, I shook the can, aimed at their sand castle and sprayed. They did not seem to like this, but instead of running underground for cover, they dashed helplessly into the open. I wasn’t sure at first if the spray was working – it seems it took them a few seconds to react. Momentarily I could see them struggling.  It seems you’ve really got to dose them – a light misting doesn’t really do it. But, they did, in fact die from this stuff. I sprayed and sprayed – a few times holding the nozzle down halfway which produced a liquid stream that I could direct down their hole.

The EcoSMART definitely worked. It won’t necessarily get rid of the whole nest, but it will definitely kill ants that it comes in direct contact with. It might also make the ants want to relocate their nest after you’ve made the surrounding soil uninhabitable. (Of course, a good rain could wash it away.)

I think this organic bug control could have great application for killing small nests of ants and getting rid of ant trails in your kitchen and around doorways and windows. I was very happy with its performance for its stated purpose, and I thought the smell was pleasant enough.  For a product that is non-toxic, it performed better than I expected.

For your chance to win an EcoSMART Safe Home Value Bundle you must do one of the following:

Note: To be eligible you must be a Modern Hippie Mag subscriber receiving our updates via email, or RSS, Facebook fan, and/or Twitter follower (tell us your Twitter name in your comment below).

1. Visit EcoSMART.com then leave a comment below telling us who founded EcoSMART.

2. Follow True Green Bliss on Twitter, @truegreenbliss.

3. Fan True Green Bliss on Facebook.

4. Tweet this: {Giveaway} EcoSMART Organic Bug Control Kit http://bit.ly/aKjwnQ @modernhippiemag @truegreenbliss

More details:

• Open to U.S. entrants only.
• Recipients chosen at random using Random.org.
• Won something in the last thirty days?  Last month’s winners are ineligible for this giveaway.
• Giveaway ends 12 midnight on Thursday, May 6th, 2010.  Winner will be announced on Friday, May 7th, 2010.
• Winner will be contacted via email and/or Twitter.  You will have 48 hours to respond at which time another winner will be randomly chosen.

Big thank you to EcoSMART for sponsoring this giveaway!

Elsie Gilmore

Elsie Gilmore is owner of True Green Studios, a boutique web design and green consulting company. Her passion for the environment is evident in her TrueGreenBliss.com blog, which she updates regularly with practical, upbeat green tips and environmental information. Most of all, Elsie strives to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.