How to get rid of ants naturally

Ants, ants, everywhere! These annoying insects have a way of finding every little crack and opening it right in your home. when Spring is coming around I’ll see scout ants here and there and I want to nip them in the bud before they take over my life (and my kitchen table).

Every spring, I start getting questions about how to get rid of ants in the house, especially when they appear quickly and seem to multiply overnight. Sometimes they are small and barely noticeable. Sometimes they are little black ants walking in a perfect line. Sometimes they have wings.

Since young children and pets spend a lot of time on the floor, I’m not about to spray insecticide around my house and put them at risk.

But ants…

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get rid of ants without endangering your family. I’ve talked before about natural pest control, But today I will focus specifically on ants. How to get rid of ants in the kitchen, how to get rid of ants permanently, and even how to get rid of carpenter ants (if you suspect a larger infestation).

How do ants get into the house?

Ant colonies send out scouts to locate food sources. These tiny insects will meander and explore their way until they find food to take back to their colony, leaving a trail of pheromones behind them. Other ants will follow the trail leaving their own pheromones, making the trail stronger. Eventually, all the little foragers walk back and forth, taking all the goodies home.

Fascinating and annoying at the same time.

If you’ve ever wondered why you see one ant and then suddenly dozens, this is why. This explorer found something attractive on your nightstand, under the stove, or even behind a plant on the windowsill. Soon the whole crew will be walking around your house as if they decided to move in.

It is not always clear what they are after. Sugar ants are often blamed for invading jars of honey or maple syrup, but the ants are opportunists. They will go after carpet crumbs, sticky spots on the floor, pet food bowls, and even residue left in the bathroom. I’ve found them near toothpaste drops and wet areas more than once.

Understanding how they work is the first step in learning how to get rid of ants in your home for good.

How to get rid of ants (naturally, of course!)

There are several ways to get rid of ants naturally. First, deter them from entering your home in the first place, then control and eliminate them once they are inside. Finally, kill them at the source.

If you’re dealing with larger species like carpenter ants (which can damage wood in bedroom walls or other structural areas), your strategy may need to be more aggressive. I’ll go more into how to get rid of carpenter ants specifically below. For most common household ants, prevention is the best place to start.

How to repel ants

The first step is to make sure any sweet ingredients you have in your home are sealed. Clean the quirks down the side Honey jar And make sure your maple syrup lid is on tight. It is also recommended to keep the floors clean and all counters free of any food or drips, but this is not practical or possible in a busy house like mine. Just do your best with this.

When I focus on how to get rid of ants in the kitchen, I pay special attention to the following:

• Crumbs under the device
• Sticky cabinet handles
• Pet food dishes
• Trash area
• Any food preparation areas on the counter

Even a small splash can attract a group of young visitors. Some ants are attracted to oils or proteins, so pay attention to all foods, not just sugary ones. Here are some additional ideas to prevent ants from entering your home:

Create a barrier

Many people have the luck of creating a barrier of something that ants generally don’t like or can’t get past. Some examples might be chalk line drawing or spray painting Cinnamon, cayenne pepperOr ground coffee along common entry points.

This works especially well on door sills, window sills and baseboards. If you notice ants entering from your yard or from cracks leading outside, treat those spots first.

• Citrus peels – Citrus fruits also repel ants (plus they smell great!). Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and others contain d-limonene, which is effective in killing ants. I like to save orange or lemon peels and dry them. I will then grind them in a food processor to make a powder and sprinkle it along the entry points in the house. You can also spray it around your garden or near plants outside.
• Essential oils – I have had good results in deterring ants that were determined to get under my screen door using an essential oil spray. Fill a small spray bottle with water and add about 20 drops of peppermint oil. Shake well and spray along doorways and window sills. Repels ants and covers the smell of any food and pheromones.
• Cotton balls You can also put several drops of peppermint, orange, or lemon oil on a cotton ball and place it in cabinets to deter ants from intruding in search of food. This is one of my go-to methods when I want to deal with a problem quickly, especially if I notice it on the kitchen floor.
• vinegar Spraying vinegar along doorways and window sills is another option. This has the same effect as a peppermint oil spray. Mix vinegar 50/50 with water in a spray bottle. Add peppermint oil or citrus oil to make it more effective. You can also soak citrus peels in vinegar for a few weeks, strain them, and then use this vinegar as a spray. Vinegar is especially useful in erasing pheromone trails so that black ants or sugar ants cannot follow the same path.

What if ants are already in your home?

Ants already exist. What now?

First, find out where they came from and where they are going so you can figure out the best way to handle their removal. Something has attracted them and will need to be cleaned. Then find their entry point so you can use one of the tips above.

If you’re trying to figure out how to get rid of ants in your home, this detective work is essential. Are they in the kitchen? the bathroom? Crawl along the baseboard in the bedroom? I once found a trail disappearing behind a bookshelf in the living room, and sure enough, there was a small gap in the trim leading outside.

Once you find point A and point B, move on to cleaning. Obviously, you will need to remove ants from your counter, floor, cabinet, or wherever they are. You can wipe it off with a cloth (or paper towel if you don’t want to try to remove it from your cloth).

It is also important to remove the pheromone trace. You can use soap and water, a 50/50 water and vinegar mixture, or an essential oil spray. If you don’t clear the path, other ants will be able to find the same food source.

How to get rid of ants permanently (by targeting the colony)

I don’t know about you, but my first instinct is to kill any bugs I see in my house (or call in my adventurous daughter to do it for me). However, this may not always be the most effective way to rid your home of ants in the long term.

If you really want to know how to get rid of ants for good, you need to think bigger than just a few ants crawling on the ground. The real goal is to eliminate the colony. However, there are some reports that if an ant smells another ant being squashed, it will alert the colony to danger and move away.

The most effective method is to make ant poison that they will take back to their colony and feed to all their friends. It takes a little patience but it pays off in the end.

Option 1: Borax ant trap

This won’t remove ants from your kitchen right away, but it works well in the long term. It may seem to attract more at first, which is actually a good thing here as the borax helps Eliminate the entire colony And it’s not just ants that enter your home.

mix Equal parts borax And corn syrup and spread it on an index card. The ants are attracted to the corn syrup and carry it back to their nest. All ants that feed on the corn syrup mixture will be killed by the borax. I would put this somewhere away from curious pets and children. (I cover Safety of using borax here.)

If you’re looking for how to get rid of carpenter ants, this method may also be helpful, although carpenter ants sometimes require locating their nest in wooden structures and treating them directly.

Option two: baking soda

If you are uncomfortable with borax, you can try baking soda. Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar and place it in a hood near where you think the ants are getting in. Powdered sugar will attract them, but since they are unable to differentiate between sugar and ants. baking sodaThey will carry both to their nest.

When ants eat baking soda, it reacts with the acidic substance in their bodies and leads to death. Again, not an immediate solution, but very beneficial in the long run.

Other tips for killing ants you can try

Castile soap It will also affect the waxy layer that protects the ants. Make a spray with 1 quart of water and 1/4 cup of liquid Castile soap. Spray along doorways, window sills, and anywhere else you see ants entering. Repeat several times daily until the problem is resolved.

Diatomaceous earth

Food grade diatomaceous earth Highly effective in getting rid of ants and other pests that crawl rather than fly. This includes most black ants and other small domestic species, although they do not usually fly in ant scouts until they land.

DE is a fine powder made from the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of algae. Because it is so good, it is completely safe for humans and animals and it is Actually useful For consumption. However, ants become dehydrated when they come into contact with DE because it destroys their waxy coat which will kill them. They will not return them to their colony, but it will prevent them from making any progress in your home.

Spray DE along doorways, window sills, and any other entry points, in trash cans, and along cabinets and baseboards. I’ve also sprayed it liberally on my carpet during a particularly bad ant infestation. After a few days the ants were gone and I just cleaned the DE.

Use extreme caution if you will be using this outside and avoid any areas that may contain honey bees. DE will stick to their legs and they will consume it when grooming. DE is harsh on small insects and will kill them. We want to kill ants and fleas, however Not honey bees!

A quick note about flying ants and wings

If you notice winged ants gathering near windows or light fixtures, you’re probably seeing breeding ants. These can sometimes be confused with termites. If you’re not sure, it may be worth hiring a professional to identify them, especially if you suspect structural damage.

However, in many cases, this means that the colony is multiplying and removing the entire colony will solve the problem (see methods above).

Dealing with more than ants?

If you have other pests affecting you, there are other pests Natural pest control Options for your home and some organic ideas For your garden And the yard.

Ants are persistent, but they are not invincible. With a little patience, you can learn how to get rid of ants in your home and kitchen, and even how to get rid of ants permanently without compromising your family’s health. If you’ve ever dealt with ants in your home, these tried-and-true methods can really make a difference.

How do you deal with ants? Did I miss any effective tips that worked for you? Leave a comment and let us know!