Could I Make Up Chlordane At Home?

Chlordane -- I think that's the proper spelling. Although "Chlorodane" is also used by a lot of people.

There are 147 ingredients in this pesticide. I really don't think you want to be trying to cook it up in a home-laboratory.

It is seriously nasty stuff. Many of the ingredients are "persistent" in the environment -- which means it will still be killing insects and possibly fish, too, when you're pushing up daisies. Plus it's rather nasty to people -- too much exposure causes a large number of nasty health affects, including death. Some claim it causes cancer, too. Which might hasten the chances of it still being active when you're plant food yourself, I guess.

It's also illegal to import, sell or manufacture chloradane to the USA -- has been since 1988. It is severely restricted or banned in at least 15 other countries.

Ants can be discouraged by feeding them raw grits (swells in their stomachs, killing them), putting cinnamon, clove-oil, peppermint essential oil, vinegar or lavender down (irritants and repellents to them). Sugar traps (in a slippery-sided container) are supposed to drown them, too.