Clean

• A clean kitchen has nothing to offer an army of hungry ants.Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  Remove the source of appeal as your first front of attack. Then store all food in the refrigerator or other air-tight containers at least until the battle has been won. Wipe down counters, keep sinks and dishes squeaky clean, remove garbage several times a day, sweep and mop frequently. Scrupulous cleaning eventually disheartens the tiny looters. Meanwhile, deploy your arsenal of weaponry on other fronts.
  
  

Repel

• Lemon juice repels ants and has a fresh, clean scent.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Turn back the marauding troops with shots of lemon juice, vinegar or diluted peppermint oil at entry points and along their trail. The calcium carbonate in chalk also stops ants from marching forward. Draw chalk lines around their entry points and across their paths. If they're determined enough to take a detour to pick up the scent again, you'll have to resort to other tactical maneuvers.
  
  

Confound

• Don't look farther than your spice cabinet to find something helpful to deter ants.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  If the pests continually rebuff your efforts and soldier on anyway, sprinkle their trail with a spice or herb to mask the pheromones laid down by previously successful ants. Cinnamon, black pepper, bay leaves and mint are good choices. Ants become confused by the lost route and often double back to the entry point. Fresh troops arrive on occasion, but quickly retreat when the trail goes cold.
  
  

Annihilate

• Treat ants to a snack that's to die for.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Occasionally ants wobble through your best defenses; in that case, you'll have to seek out and destroy their nest. Appeal to their mission and offer food. When the pillagers return to the nest with their booty, uncooked cream of wheat bloats in the ants' bellies, killing them. Boric acid, or Borax, also slowly poisons a nest if you allow the foragers to take their tainted goods home. Just mix 1 tbsp. of Borax with 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. Place the goo in a jar, poke holes in the lid and screw it on. Set the jar next to the trail and let the looting begin.
  
  

Prevent

• Inspect your home for any gaps where ants could gain entrance.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  To maintain ant-free living, keep your quarters clean and seal up easy-access areas, such as gaping windows frames and doorways, with weather stripping or caulk. Also check for gaps around pipes, baseboards and electrical outlets. Ants choose the path of least resistance to fulfill their mission. If you have no spoils to share and plenty of obstacles, they'll look for easier marks for their sustenance.