Ants make their living by snatching bits of food left around the house and taking it back to the nest. Since they regularly come into your home, you can find them near your kitchen and bathroom. You may find ants in other rooms too, but they usually stick close to the kitchen cupboards when they are foraging for food. After all, that is where most of your food and sweet-smelling items are stored.
Getting rid of ants is a hard task, especially if you have to do it on your own. However, there are some simple and efficient steps you can follow.
The Types of Ants in the House
The first step how to get rid of ants in the house is to make sure you know what kind of ants you are dealing with. Ants are not the same, despite their similar appearance. Knowing which type you have can guide you in how to get rid of ants in the house faster.
The most common types of ants are the pavement ants and the red fire ants. Pavement ants are dark brown or black and have lighter abdomen that is almost white in color. Red fire ants, on the other hand, are bright red in color with black legs and heads.
What Attracts Ants In The House?
If you have an ant infestation, you probably don’t give a thought to what attracts them into your home in the first place. They’re not going to come in from the cold even if they have wings to fly away. No, the reason they’re invading your house is that there are “alluring” elements that attract them. After a little research, you’ll discover that:
Ants can enter your home through small openings around windows and doors or by traveling through cracks in the walls.
They are attracted by food sources such as crumbs on the floor, pet food dishes, and unfinished food scraps in the garbage disposal. Spilled sugar can also attract ants because it provides an energy source for them.
How To Get Rid Of Ants In Your House? 11 Effective Ant Killer Recipes
The best way to eliminate an ant infestation is to treat the outside of your home first, then treat inside areas where ants are seen frequently. You may also need to treat inside areas if you see ants near windows or doors entering your home from outdoors.
The second step of how to get rid of ants in the house is to inspect your home. Look for any cracks or holes where ants might be coming from. You can also check if there are any leaks in your plumbing system that may be attracting ants into your home.
The third step how to get rid of ants in the house is to clean up any food that may be attracting them. Put away leftovers and take out the garbage regularly so there isn’t anything for ants to eat.
The fourth step how to get rid of ants in the house is to seal off any holes or cracks in your walls and floors. Use caulk to fill any small gaps that might be allowing ants into your home. If you want to make sure that these steps work, wait a few days and then see if there are still ants around. If not, then you know that your efforts have paid off.
Homemade Ant Trap
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon Borax
You can kill ants with this homemade ant trap by mixing sugar, water, and borax together. This will attract the ants and drown them when they consume it. To make this ant trap, mix 1 cup sugar with ½ cup water and stir in 1 tablespoon of borax until it dissolves completely.
Pour this mixture into plastic soda bottles with holes poked into the caps or other small containers with openings at least ¼-inch wide (if you don’t have any plastic bottles on hand, try filling empty tuna cans).
Place these bottles around your home where you’ve seen ants congregating (under sinks or behind appliances).
Citrus Fruits and Juices
Citrus fruits are ant killers, especially orange peel and lemon juice. Ants do not like the smell of citrus at all. When you crush an orange or lemon peel, it releases a strong scent that is not pleasant for ants.
They will avoid it and move away from your house if they smell it. Soaking orange peels in water overnight and using the liquid as a spray can be very effective against ants. You can also use lemon juice as a repellent spray. You can also use this method to get rid of ants in the house
Mint
Mint is another natural way to repel ants from your property. Mint leaves and mint oil are both effective against ants. To use mint as an ant repellent, crush a few fresh mint leaves and place them around areas where ants often congregate.
You can also mix mint oil with water and spray it on areas where you think ants will pass through.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves are another effective way to repel ants from your home. Crush some bay leaves and place them around areas where you believe that ants may be entering your property, such as near doors or windowsills.
Alternatively, you can sprinkle dried bay leaves around these entry points or use them as a ground cover around plants that are susceptible to damage from lawnmowers or other gardening equipment.
Peppermint Oil
The smell of peppermint oil repels ants, so it is a good idea to spray some around where you see ants.
You can also spray it directly on the ant itself and then let it dry before touching anything else with that same hand. It will kill the ant quickly and leave no mess behind.
Vinegar
Ants don’t like vinegar either, so if you find yourself with a lot of ants in one spot, pour some vinegar into the hole or crack where they are coming from and wait for them to leave. They won’t come back as long as there is vinegar around.
Dish soap
Mix 7 drops of dish soap with 1/4 cup water and spray on areas where ants appear frequently (like kitchen counters). This will help kill off existing colonies and prevent new ones from forming in these areas.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is great for repelling ants because it is a strong scent that will keep them from entering your home. You can sprinkle cinnamon on the ground around your house or on the window sills and doorways to keep them away.
If you want to be more thorough about it, you can sprinkle cinnamon into cracks and crevices where ants might be coming into your house.
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is another natural repellent that works well against ants. You can use cornmeal around windowsills, doorways, and other areas where you have noticed ants entering your home.
You should also use cornmeal around plants that you want to be protected from pests like slugs or snails. The cornmeal will help keep those pests away as well as prevent ants from getting into your garden area.
Borax
Borax (located in the laundry soap aisle) is another natural repellent that can be used as well. Mix two tablespoons of borax with one gallon of water and spray on plants where ants are seen.
Ant Bait Recipe
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Borax
Mix the ingredients together and place them on a piece of bread or cracker. The sugar attracts the ants, while the peanut butter helps hold it all together.
Place this out near where you see ants congregating and wait for them to take the bait back to their nest where it will kill off other ants as well.
Final Thoughts
You may safely rely on two methods for getting rid of ants; the first is to secure your house so that ants will find it less habitable and the second is to make your house completely undesirable to them.
Get down on your hands and knees and look for small holes along the baseboards or any woodwork near the ground. Seal any cracks with the caulk.
You’ll need a can of caulk, a caulk gun, a utility knife, and some sandpaper or steel wool. Make sure that everything is dry before you turn on the lights.
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