Of the more than 12,000 species of ants that exist in the world, only a small fraction make the effort to enter homes in search of food. There are several natural, effective, and easy methods to get rid of or get rid of any ants you want from your home. You can eliminate the presence of scout ants by cleaning the kitchen and storing all food ingredients in containers. You can prevent ants from entering your home by sealing entry points with caulk, placing barriers and deterrents (such as cinnamon), and using bait (such as maple syrup mixed with boric acid). If all else doesn't work, contact a pest extermination service for help with the ants.
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Method 1 of 5: Protecting Your Home from Spying Ants
Step 1. Watch for scout ants
The first sign of ants in the kitchen is a warning. Scout ants are a type of explorer, either alone or in groups. These ants will search the kitchen for food and supplies. If the scout ants return to their nests and alert other ants, there will be an invasion of ants into your home. Immediately do the following things:
- Clean the kitchen.
- Seal all food tightly and remove all sources of sticky, greasy, sweet, and meat-based foods from being accessible.
- Spread diatomaceous earth (in moderate amounts) along the edges (or entry points) of the room. This material will damage the exoskeleton (hard covering on the outside of the body) of the ant, so that the body will dry up and die a few hours later.
Step 2. Clean the dirty dishes immediately after you use them
Wash all dishes after use or immediately put them in the dishwasher and close the door tightly. Wipe all cabinets, benches, and countertops with vinegar.
- Apart from cleaning and removing bacteria, vinegar also acts as a deterrent to ants.
- Get rid of all trash and tightly close the trash can in the kitchen.
- Wash and rinse all recyclable containers before you store them.
Step 3. Sweep and vacuum the kitchen area daily
Food that falls on the floor or gets stuck in the nooks and crannies of the kitchen can attract ants. Food flakes and crumbs stuck to the kitchen carpet will also attract ants.
If you often forget to sweep and vacuum the kitchen area, try to get into the habit of doing it at the same time every day, for example after breakfast or dinner
Step 4. Rinse off any food debris stuck to the container
Pay more attention to jam/jelly containers, pickle bottles, sauce bottles, wine bottles, and syrup and honey containers. Place a jar of honey and other ingredients the ants like in a bowl that has been filled with water.
For detailed instructions on how to secure food with a bowl and water, check out the wikiHow article on how to keep ants away from cat food and honey
Step 5. Store all food ingredients in tightly closed containers
Store food in airtight containers or prevent ants from entering. Do this continuously for 3 to 7 days. Ants will go elsewhere because they do not get food. This method works because the ants will follow the chemical trails left by other ants (which find food).
Put all smelly items, such as cleaning powder, perfume, and the like, in a container that can be tightly closed, as these can attract ants. Watch out for swarms of ants surrounding non-food items
Method 2 of 5: Preventing Access
Step 1. Identify the ant's entry point
When cleaning the kitchen and monitoring the presence of scout ants, do your own investigation. Look for places where ants can get into the house. Follow the first ant you meet to find out where it goes in and out of the house.
The entry points that ants often use include cracks in wooden planks, cracks in walls, ventilation, curtains, cracks in wooden floors, and so on
Step 2. Tightly seal all inlets using silicone putty
You can also use regular putty, glue, or mortar. Use petrolatum (petroleum jelly) or poster tack if you want to temporarily block the entry of ants into your home.
If you are using a non-permanent cover (such as poster adhesive), only use it temporarily until you have a permanent covering. Over time, this material will wear out and the gap will open again
Step 3. Prepare a spray bottle filled with soapy water
A mixture of water and soap can kill ants and remove chemical traces. This will prevent other ants from following in their footsteps. How to use this easy and inexpensive method:
- Mix a teaspoon of liquid dish soap with water and put it in a spray bottle. Add mint oil, orange peel, or orange peel oil to make this mixture more potent.
- Spray any ants you encounter with this mixture.
Method 3 of 5: Using Barriers and Deterrents
Step 1. Put up a defensive barrier
There are many natural ant deterrent ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen. These materials just need to be laid out properly. The width of the barrier need not exceed 1 cm, but must form an unbroken line. Place barriers in areas such as sills, floors, countertops, and around ant entry points. Some materials that can be used as barriers include:
- Charcoal powder
- Chalk to make lines
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
- Orange oil
- Black pepper, chili powder, or red chili powder
- Vaseline (suitable for windows and doors)
- Baby powder
- Cleaning powder
- Vinegar and water
- Powders that can dry out insects (e.g. diatomaceous earth or silica airgel)
Step 2. Sprinkle the scented barrier material
Ants don't like certain scents, such as mint, garlic, and camphor. You can use it fresh or in the form of oil to prevent the arrival of ants into the house. Use camphor with care as it is toxic to animals and humans.
- The advantage of using this scented barrier is that you can use your favorite ingredients to enhance the smell of any odor in your home.
- Sprinkle the crushed mint leaves in the ant-infested area, and plant the tree around the area where the ants enter. Dried mint leaves are also effective in repelling ants.
- Rub raw garlic on the paths and points of entry of the ants.
- Sprinkle lavender oil on the ant-infested area and plant the tree near the ant's entry point.
- Apply clove oil to the infested area, or grind a clove and sprinkle it as a barrier.
Step 3. Use bay leaves or bay laurel (a type of bay) to keep ants from coming to their favorite food
Ants love sugar, flour, and peppers. Place bay leaf or bay laurel in a bowl of sugar, flour, and paprika.
Over time, the efficacy of these leaves in repelling ants will diminish and their potency will disappear. For best results, replace the leaves every month
Step 4. Sprinkle Splenda (an artificial sweetener product) on the ant trail
Splenda is not harmful to small children so it is very suitable for use in areas where children gather, for example at schools. This material is also safe for pets so it can be a good choice if you have pets. Sprinkle Splenda on any ant trails you come across.
After eating Splenda, the ants will die in a not too long time. Re-sprinkle Splenda if necessary
Step 5. Use coffee grounds
Spread the coffee grounds on the anthill mounds and along the foundation of the house. This safe ingredient confuses worker ants because the scent trail is gone. This condition makes the young ants that hatch in the colony die of starvation because they do not get a food supply.
- Do it diligently and patiently when you use this method. It may take you a full season to get the desired results.
- It is very important to re-sprinkle coffee grounds (at least) once a year. Sprinkling coffee grounds more frequently will have a stronger and immediate effect.
Step 6. Use a mixture of baking soda and dish soap
Mix baking soda and a little dish soap in a half-filled bucket of water. Stir this mixture using your hands or a mixer. Spread this liquid thinly along the area where the ants enter the house.
This method is very suitable for dealing with ant attacks that enter through window frames
Method 4 of 5: Using Bait
Step 1. Make your own ant bait by mixing boric acid and syrup
Ant baits can be purchased, but they usually contain chemicals that are not compatible with your efforts to get rid of ants naturally. You can easily make your own ant bait. Boric acid is a very effective ingredient for ant bait. Boric acid and sodium boric salts can naturally be obtained from several minerals, such as sassolite.
- When walking through boric acid, ants will swallow it and die. Boric acid is a toxic substance that should not be swallowed, in contact with the eyes, mouth or nose. Wear gloves to handle it.
- Ant bait can be made from a mixture of maple syrup and boric acid. Pour a tablespoon of maple syrup into a dish, then add the desired amount of boric acid.
- Use a stick, toothpick, or cotton bud to stir to mix the boric acid and syrup evenly.
- Place this boric acid bait in a place frequented by ants. Keep this material out of reach of pets or children. You can see the results within one week.
Step 2. Use food to kill ants
Many foods cannot be digested by ants. This method is very effective, although you will have to clean up any dead ants after doing it. Spread some of the bait foods below in areas frequented by ants:
- Cornstarch. This method works great around children and pets because cornstarch is non-toxic.
- Wheat porridge (farina). Spread this material raw in areas frequented by ants. The wheat porridge will expand in the stomach so that the ants will die.
- Coffee grounds. Ants are insects that are sensitive to caffeine. Place coffee grounds in areas frequented by ants. The ants will take it to the nest and eat it. You will have to wait a few weeks to see the results.
Step 3. Get rid of carpenter ants naturally
The attack of carpenter ants has a serious impact because it can harm or damage the structure of the house. Piles of detached wings and ant carcasses of longer than average length are indicative of carpenter ants. You may also notice grains of feces (which look like sawdust), or hear a rustling sound inside the walls. Some ways to deal with these ants include:
- Put the bait. Carpenter ants love sugar. So, use sugar to get rid of it. Mix the boric acid with the sugar as described above.
- If possible, vacuum up the carpenter's anthill that is on the wall.
- Call an exterminator. A professional exterminator can drill a hole in the wall and spray diatomaceous earth, silica airgel, or boric acid into it to kill ants. They could also use pyrethrin.
Method 5 of 5: Using Professional Pest Control Services
Step 1. Make sure the exterminator uses natural pesticides
Several extermination services exist that specialize in using natural methods. Search the internet for services near you with the keywords "organic insect and pest control" or "natural insect and pest control".
- The rules regarding pest control are not too strict. Some services claim to use "natural" or "organic" methods, but in reality they don't.
- Call the exterminator and ask directly about the service. Ask something like, "Are your methods completely natural?
Step 2. Call a professional service to deal with fire ants
Fire ants rarely enter your home, but if you see them indoors, contact a professional exterminator immediately. Fire ants are very aggressive with a painful sting and can sometimes trigger an allergic reaction.
If the ants do need to be sprayed, ask them to use an ingredient that contains an insect growth regulator, such as abamectin
Step 3. Follow all the advice given by the exterminator
They are professionals who are not only trained in pest control, but also prevention. If you're having trouble executing any of the methods described in this article, ask them for advice.
For example, maybe you've looked everywhere for ants to enter your house (both low and high), but still can't find them. A professional exterminator can help you find it
Step 4. Attack the nest directly
Even if you're not a professional exterminator, you can use these professional techniques to get the results you want. Approach the anthill when the weather is cold, then pour a few liters of boiling water into the entrance of the anthill.
- To make the water more lethal, add vinegar, citrus oil, insecticidal soap, pyrethrum-based insecticide, or ammonia.
- Repeat this process every day or so until the ants give up and move. You will have to wait a few days to see the results.
Tips
- Ants will die if they come into contact with household cleaning products (such as Vixal or Superpell).
- Spray hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the ants to kill them instantly. This material is non-toxic to humans and has no pungent odor.
- You can also mix boric acid with honey or syrup and place it on an 8 or 10 cm square cardboard. The ants will eat it and bring it to the colony to share with their friends. All the ants will die after eating it. This method can eradicate the entire ant colony within 2 to 3 days.
- Spray the ants and their tracks with undiluted vinegar.
- The ants that you often encounter in your home include argentina ants, sidewalk ants, pharaoh ants, thief ants (oil ants), and unpleasant-smelling house ants.
Warning
- Boric acid is banned in a number of countries.
- Pyrethrins are deadly to cats. Do not use this product if you have a cat.
- Carpenter ants are very tenacious house-crushing ants. If you encounter carpenter ants, contact a professional exterminator as soon as possible.
- Camphor is a toxic material, not only to ants, but also to animals and humans. Do not use this material in the play area of children or animals, or where it is possible for them to reach and swallow it.
- Boric acid can be harmful to humans. Although the toxic effects only appear in doses of a few grams, take precautions when handling and using them. Wash your hands after you use them to prevent potential harm to children or pets.
