My sister's father-in-law mashes some hot chile peppers and sprays on the ants. For me, for a small amount of them, I mix a drop or two of dishwashing detergent in a spritzer bottle, and spray them, the ants drown because the detergent breaks the surface tension of the water, and they fall thru and drown. I was at an insect fair at the L.A. County of Nature History Museum a few years ago, and someone sold some diatomacesous earth or DE, which is the very fine remains of tiny ancient sea creatures, this powdery stuff supposedly sticks to their bodies and acts as an irritant and causes them to die. Personally, I have not tried the DE this stuff, because fortunately I don't have an ant problem. Major Surplus, Gardena, Calif 800/441-8855 has some food grade version of this stuff.