Black pepper is a nonlethal, poison free, cheap, and safe way to get rid of ants - sprinkle the black pepper where you see them congregating and watch 'them scatter. It's safe to use in your cabinets, on windowsills, near your pets and kids, around food, etc. I have a book with several tips for the use of apple cider vinegar. One of them is getting rid of ants. Spray the surface with the solution several times a day.
Ants guide themselves with their scent.
Vinegar has a natural chemical that alters ants' scent and which ants avoid. My husband was in conversation recently with a gentleman in the pest control business. This man preferred to use environmentally safe methods to control pests. Simply mix, and spray problem areas. Most ant poisons have a sweetness to them that attracts most but not all ants.