For sweets-loving ants, mix three cups of water, one cup of powdered sugar and four teaspoons of boric acid and pour the solution over the ants, says Neil Reimer, insect specialist in the plant quarantine branch at the Department of Agriculture.

Wait a couple of days to see if the boric acid is spread among other ants and there is a decrease in them, Reimer said. If there are still many ants, there was too much boric acid because the ants will die before getting back to the nest and spreading the substance.

Reimer's Easy Control Remedies for Pesky Household Pests is one of 30 exhibits, which will be at the State Farm Fair, which begins tomorrow at Aloha Stadium.

This year, there will be 67 hands-on classes, most of which deal with gardening, said Josephine Yamasaki, coordinator of classes and educational exhibits.

"My purpose was to make it more educational so the fair-goer would benefit by getting some kind of knowledge," she said.

Farm Fair chairman Grant Hamachi said he hopes to see an increase in attendance. To that end, the number of classes has nearly doubled and there also will be more displays and plant sales, he said.

Last year's attendance topped 100,000; Hamachi has set a goal of 150,000 this time around.

What: State Farm Fair
When: Tomorrow through July 7; hours are 6 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, Sundays and July 4
Where: Aloha Stadium
Cost: $2.50 for adults; $1 for children 5-12 years old; free for children under 5