On Earth, the ant population outperforms humans by a ratio of 140,000:1. However, this does not mean that ants can be guests in your home. Avoid ants by destroying nests, removing food sources, building barriers, and luring worker ants. Read further on this article to learn how to stop ants from entering your home uninvited.
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Method 1 of 4: Keeping Ants Outside
Step 1. Close all login areas
Because ants are tiny, they can find thousands of tiny entrances into your home. Some of them are easy to identify; while others can only be realized when there is a swarm of ants passing by. First, determine where the ants enter the house: follow the ant's trail to see where they enter and leave the house. Seal any inlets you can find using silicone chalk, putty, glue, or plaster. Temporary methods may include petroleum jelly or poster tack.
If using a temporary sealer, such as a poster tack, do so only until you can fill the space with a more permanent seal. Weaker materials will erode over time, and gaps will open again
Step 2. Seal the crack with chalk
Seal gaps around windows, doors, and walls. Block all the spaces that might be the entry point for the ant army. Your sealing efforts will be more effective if done carefully.
Another advantage of sealing is: more effective temperature control, resulting in lower energy bills. In addition, this is one method that is not too risky for children or pets
Step 3. Add anti-ant agents to the entrances you suspect
This tactic is more aggressive than covering the gap. You can create a barrier of chemical liquids and powders that prevents and - even kills - stubborn ants. Consider diatomaceous earth, salt, and even commercial ant poison. It can serve as bait.
- Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder that kills ants by drawing all moisture from their bodies. The way it works is that it absorbs the liquid from the ants directly, but this soil works best in a dry environment. Also make sure no one inhales it (especially pets and children).
- Try using salt. Salt has a similar drying effect on the ant, especially if it brings it to the nest. You can spread the salt under doors, near windows, and along the edges of walls.
Step 4. Make a barrier out of tape
Cover the kitchen with duct tape with the sticky side facing up. You don't need poison or messy powder. When an ant tries to climb it, it will stick to the glue – so it can't move. Make sure the ants can't get under the tape; try double-tapping or sticking the bottom of the tape to the floor, walls, and countertops to keep ants from getting through the bottom.
Step 5. Try creating a barrier with talcum powder
Talc in various forms is thought to be able to repel ants, although how it works is not yet understood. Sewing chalk and baby powder usually contain talc, so use both to deter ants. Regardless of the type of talc you use, keep in mind that talc is considered a potential carcinogen.
- Many sources advise you to use plain chalk; however, ordinary lime is made from gypsum, not talc. This misconception may be due to "ant's lime", which is an insecticide with a form similar to ordinary lime. Chalk was banned in the US in the 1990s, but you can still find it on some black markets.
- Some brands of baby powder are made from cornstarch, so they won't be effective on ants. Check the composition before building the barrier.
Step 6. Try using a non-toxic ant deterrent
You can also defend your home with scents and substances that ants don't like. Consider a combination of vinegar, peppermint oil, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, whole cloves, and bay leaf.
Be careful when placing ant deterrents: keep pepper and spicy items away from children and curious animals
Method 2 of 4: Killing Ants by Hand
Step 1. Squeeze the worker ants
Colonies regularly send lone ants in search of food sources. If an ant is hanging around the coffee table, don't let it return to its nest alive. It will tell the colony where you spilled the apple juice. If he returns to the nest and brings companions, these ants will follow the scent trail. Unless you're ready to go fishing and waiting outside – squeeze things out quickly.
- Spray ant trails with an all-purpose cleaner or bleach solution, then wipe with a damp paper towel. Spraying anthills can be effective, but make sure you get rid of them all. If you only kill part of the colony, some species of ants may come along and make new colonies – meaning you won't be able to stop the ants from returning to your home.
- For a less hassle-free solution, use a vacuum cleaner to suck in the ants. Then, suck on talcum powder or diatomaceous earth to kill the ants inside. This second step is important: make sure the ants don't stay alive in the vacuum cleaner!
- You can also kill ants quickly. Use damp hands or a towel. Squeeze the ants or brush them to extinction. You don't need fancy methods to kill worker ants.
Step 2. Use water
If ants are all over the floor, pour water over them and wipe them off with a paper towel. If ants are on the bed, get plenty of paper towels and a cup of water. Soak a towel in water. Squeeze to dry it -don't let you sleep on a wet bed -then sweep the ants clean.
Repeat the process as needed. You may have to do this a few times to get all the ants out of your house
Step 3. Destroy the nest
If ants continue to invade your home, do the opposite. Attack the ant house. If you can find the nest, pour in a few gallons of water to kill most of the ants. If you don't know where the ants are coming from, the best alternative is to fish for them.
Step 4. Kill the queen ant
The most permanent way to get rid of ants is to destroy their source: the queen. The queen produces many ants and gives direction to the nest. Destroy the queen and the ants will scatter. Find the queen in the center of the anthill. Follow the ant's trail to the nest if possible.
Consider hiring an exterminator. If the worker ant tracks disappear into the kitchen walls, it will be more difficult for you to track them down. Insect exterminators can do that for you
Method 3 of 4: Getting Rid of Food Sources
Step 1. Do not leave food carelessly
Ants come to your house because of something they are after: a food source or a warm environment. If your house is very dirty, ants will breed – so make sure you clean the house every day. The cleaner the house, the less food for the ants, so they will look for other sources to survive.
- Clean all surfaces. Spray countertops and surfaces with a mild bleach or vinegar solution. Make sure you follow a regular cleaning schedule: sweep, mop, and vacuum at least a few days each week.
- If you accidentally leave food behind, take the opportunity to follow the ant's trail back to the source. Getting rid of a swarm of ants right away is tempting – but try to think of a long-term solution to this problem.
Step 2. Remember that all it takes is an ant
If there is an ant hanging around the kitchen table, this means he is stalking the situation. It looks for scents in your kitchen and food sources. If it finds a food source-even just a sticky sweet spot on the countertop-it will relay information back to its nest, so your home will be infested.
Step 3. Store food in airtight containers
Even if you put food in the cupboard, ants can still get in through the smallest holes. If the ants can smell its scent and reach it, the ants will swarm it. Storing food in airtight containers will also keep it fresher.
- Consider buying Tupperware or another brand of standard sealed containers. This will make it easier for you to keep an eye on the food container (lid and bottom) if you use a uniform set.
- Consider washing containers with lids and then reusing them to store food. This can be a covered yogurt holder or lunch box, or even an already used Ziploc bag.
Step 4. Keep the sink clean
This means that there should be no dirty dishes, leftover water for the ants to drink, and no food in them. If you clean your hands, food and dishes in this sink, make sure the sink is a safe and clean environment.
Place the pet food bowl in a larger bowl, then fill the larger bowl with water. This trick makes a trench around the pet's food, so the ants can't cross it easily
Method 4 of 4: Ant Fishing
Step 1. Choose your poison
Mixing borax powder with maple syrup is the most common bait; some popular commercial ant poisons use this ingredient. Borax affects ants both externally (in powder form, the effect is similar to diatomaceous earth) and internally (when ingested). Ants will carry this poison (borax) to the colony and spread it. If the numbers and timing are right, you can eradicate a colony of bears, but this may take several weeks to months.
Step 2. Mix the bait carefully
Bait that is too strong will kill the ants before they make it back home, and bait that is too weak will only temporarily weaken the colony. Think of increasing his strength. The main idea here is to spread the poison throughout the colony before starting to kill the carrier ants. Borax kills ants; water dissolves it; and sugar attracts ants. Try these recipes:
- Mix a cup of water, 2 cups of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of boric acid.
- Mix 3 cups of water, a cup of sugar, and 4 teaspoons of boric acid.
Step 3. Lay the bait
Try placing it on an upturned lid or low plate for easy access. If you have pets or small children, leave the bait in a container that the ants can enter, but not wide enough for larger creatures to reach. Carefully shake the poison at the bottom of the metal can. Smash one of the sides, but leave a gap narrow enough for the ants to get in.
Step 4. Wait for the ants to appear
Get rid of any ant repellent if you used it before; the fishing idea here is to attract the ants to kill themselves. Do not lure new ants with bait, or you will attract new colonies.
Step 5. Move the bait closer and closer to the anthill
Once there is a busy line of search ants, place the bait right next to the path. A group of ants will begin to surround the bait. Continue to keep them away from the kitchen and place them closer to where the ants enter.
Be careful not to place the bait directly in the ant's path. You will confuse the ants and cut off their marching path to the house, making your fishing strategy less effective
Tips
- If you want to get rid of red ants, only use bug spray.
- If the wave of ants is bigger than you can handle, try asking a friend or exterminator for help.
- Most air fresheners kill ants when they touch them. These products also work like most insect repellents. Plus, your kitchen will smell great!
- You can get rid of ants with many household items, including: vinegar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, Windex, and lime.
- If you are dealing with red ants, you may be better off staying away and contacting an exterminator. Red ants are dangerous, don't let them bite you.
- If you can't find an anthill, place the food on the table. An ant will see it and tell its friends in the nest. Follow the ant, but don't kill it while pointing the way.
- Windex can instantly kill ants upon contact.
Warning
- If there are small children in the house, avoid placing ant traps. Most of these traps contain toxins and other harmful chemicals.
- Non-toxic glue trap.
- Diatomaceous earth can cause allergies or breathing problems. Do thorough research before using it.
- Be careful when you are around a swarm of red ants.
