How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally
Are you worried where to store your favorite sweet dish where there will be no ants? Are you just remembering the approaching long line of ants in the kitchen towards the sweet dish? Or have you ever used that light brown powder near your door to get rid of those stubborn ants which always spoil your food?
After looking at the spoiled sweet dish, you must be thinking why ants are coming into my home? Every time I am pouring water or using some preventive measures, but still they are coming. In this case, you badly need some home remedies to get rid of ants.
In this article, we have brought some of the effective home remedies which will help you to remove ants from your home.
Why Natural Remedies?
You might be thinking why to kill ants naturally whereas pest control is an option to get rid of ants? Well, my friend, believe me pest control will cost you a lot. And there is always a fear that ants will attack back. Moreover, if you have kids or pets in your house, then the use of chemicals to kill ants can backfire anytime. Kids or pets can get in touch of poisonous pesticide which is harmful to them. In order to avoid such life-risking situation, you should use home remedies to kill ants naturally.
Types of Ants
Ants which trouble us a lot are of different types, such as odorous house ants, sugar ants, flying ants, small black ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, argentine ants, borax ants, ants with wings, leaf cutter ants, fire ants etc. . Some ants attack food stuff, whereas some other attacks the wooden items. The major ants found in the US are of 3 types:
Pavement Ants: Pavement ants are those who generally are found under pavement slabs, lawns or under stones. They are not destructive in nature, but very difficult to get rid of.
Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants are most destructive in nature. You can observe them boring into wood items like doors, wooden tables or cupboards. Some of the carpenter ants have wings and known as ants with wings. Carpenter ants are black or red in color. They don’t eat wood but make their hive on wooden items. Carpenter ants are as dangerous as termites. If not prevented on time, carpenter ants can distort your wooden item by boring it rigorously.
Sugar Ants: Sugar ants attack sweet items and spoil them quickly. Sugar ants attack the food stuff which has sugar content like honey, bread, nuts, cheese, etc. They are also found in washrooms, where proper sanitation is not maintained. It would be funny, but you can find sugar ants eating your bath soap. Sugar ants are most annoying of the ants.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Ants
Home remedies for getting rid of ants from your house are very easy to implement, hence widely used by many people. Use these remedies to remove ants from your kitchen or tiny little ants from any part of your house. Home remedies are safe to use and doesn’t have poisonous ingredients which can have an adverse impact on your family’s health.
1. Use Vinegar
You must have observed that ants have a very efficient system to work. They always create trails which lead back to their colony. Ants also have a well-developed communication system which is based on chemical signals. You can disturb their trial by applying any other strong smelling chemical. Ants lose their direction due to disturbance in chemical signal. Thus, it will be easy for you to get rid of ants by using vinegar.
Gather it
One cup of white vinegar
One cup of water
Water spray bottle
Perform it
2. Use Lemon Juice
For killing or getting rid of ants in your house, use lemon juice. Lemon juice is considered as one of the best ways to kill the ants. The fragrance of lemon and its acidic nature make your home free of ants. The citric acid makes it difficult for ants to continue the trail.
Gather it
Juice of one fresh lemon
½ cup of water
Perform it
3. Use Mint
Mint is also one of the most effective remedies for ants. It will drive ants away and protect your property from getting spoiled. It is effective on both carpenter ants and sugar ants. Use it in the kitchen or near the door step to prevent the ants entering your house.
Gather it
Mint tea bags or dry mint leaves
Water
Salt
Perform it
4. Use Ant Honey Pot
The ant honey pot is actually a trick to attract ants by providing them food. Due to this free food ants will be all engaged and will not come back to your house. You have to make this honey pot a bit far from your home, but near to the ant colony.
Gather it
One tablespoon of honey
Two tbsp of sugar
Paper ball
Perform it
Take 1 tbsp of honey.
Add 2 tbsp of sugar to it.
Mix it well to make a sugary syrup.
Dip a little paper bowl in this solution.
Place 2-3 balls away from your house, but near to the ant colony.
You will find lots of ants marching towards that place.
It is one of the ways to keep your place safe.
5. Use Peppermint Oil Spray
The strong smell of peppermint oil creates communication issues for ants. The strong smell makes ants run away from the place immediately. The loss of communication makes it difficult for them to find the right way towards the foodstuff.
Gather it
Two tbsp of peppermint oil.
Cotton balls.
Perform it
Take 2 tbsp of peppermint oil.
Mix it with 1 cup of water.
Spray the liquid directly.
Or you can soak the cotton balls in the liquid.
Place the cotton balls where ants are present.
The smell will be unbearable for ants and they will get away from your house quickly.
You can use a strong perfume instead of peppermint oil.
You can keep the cotton balls on the gaps and cracks which you have in your house.
This will prevent the ants from entering your house.
6. Use Boric Acid to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
As compared to sugar ants, it is difficult to remove carpenter ants. The strong smell strategy doesn’t work much on carpenter ants. Thus, you have to take some strong action to get rid of carpenter ants.
Gather it
One tbsp of boric acid
One tsp of sugar
One tsp of honey
Some water
Prepare it
Take 1 tbsp of boric acid.
It is poisonous in nature, so handle it with care.
Mix it with 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of honey.
Keep it in the place where the carpenter ants are present.
The ants will get attracted towards sugar and will eat the mixture.
The boric acid will kill the ants.
Keep the mixture away from the reach of children.
You can also use this remedy in order to get rid of sugar ants.
7. Use Cucumber
Ants cannot bear the smell of cucumber. Ants even don’t like the taste of cucumber. So if you place cucumber near any foodstuff, then it will be secured from ants.
Gather it
One cucumber
Pepper powder.
Perform it
Take 1 cucumber.
Cut it into small pieces without peeling it.
Sprinkle some pepper powder on it.
Place near the trail of ants.
The ants will disappear in no time.
8. Use Cornmeal to Kill Ants Naturally
Ants are not able to digest cornmeal. Ants will eat cornmeal due to some sugar content in it. It is difficult for ants to identify that they are eating cornmeal. Thus, ants will eventually die after eating cornmeal.
Gather it
Two tbsp of cornmeal
Filter net
Prepare it
Take 2 tbsp of cornmeal.
Spread it on the wooden material which is affected with ants
You can use filter net to spread it equally.
This remedy can be used both for carpenter ants as well as sugar ants.
You will find many ants marching at the place cornmeal are spread, but eventually all the ants will die after eating cornmeal.
9. Sprinkle Soap Water
Soap is well known to break down the waxy layers of ants. It actually dehydrates the ants and kills them. Soap has a direct killing action on ants and is safe to use. This sprinkling of soap water will keep your place clean and also will help you to get rid of ants.
Gather it
Scented soap
Water
Spray bottle
Perform it
Take a piece of scented soap and dilute it in water.
Make a liquid concentrated with soap.
Spray it on the entry spots or the gaps you have in your house.
It will block the entry of ants to your house.
You can also spray the liquid on the colony of ants.
10. Use Baby Powder or Talcum Powder
The sweet smell of baby powder or talcum powder makes it suitable to use it as a remedy to make ants run away. Ants cannot stand the strong smells. Once you sprinkle the powder wherever ants are present, ants will run away quickly.
Gather it
Baby powder or talcum powder.
Perform it
Take 3-4 tbsp baby powder or talcum powder.
Sprinkle it directly on ants.
You can also draw a line using talcum powder at the entrance of your home.
You can also use talcum powder to fill up the cracks in walls or small holes made by carpenter ants on wooden items.
Ants will run away quickly.
11. Destroy Ants Colony
In case of carpenter ants, it is necessary to kill the queen of colony to stop the attacks of ants. For sugar ants also if the ant colony is nearby your house, then none of your foodstuffs is safe from ants. It is essential to destroy the entire colony of ants to finally get rid of the ants.
According to this home remedy, you don’t have to use toxic materials or fire the nest of ants.
Gather it
A bucket full of boiling water
One mug full of soap liquid
Perform it
Before applying this remedy, be ready to put barriers at the entrance of your home.
The barriers will avoid the entrance of ants that will run away from the nest.
Keep a safe distance from the nest of ants, so that ants will not attack you and beat you.
Take a bucket full of boiling water.
Add one mug of soap to it. You can use detergent or dish wash liquid.
Mix it well and pour the boiling water on the nest of ants.
Pour it in a safer way so that it will not overflow.
Wait for some time and repeat the same process.
The ant colony along with the queen will be killed.
Prevent the Entrance of Ants
It is difficult to deal with ants when they are in your house. You can prevent the ants to enter your house by taking some precautions. You just have to avoid the situation which attracts ants. The prevention is very easy and you can do it as a routine.
All the time keep your house clean.
Mop your floor using a disinfectant with a strong smell.
Sweep the floor after meals and wipe out the food particles.
Clean the wooden items using soap solution to avoid attacks of carpenter ants.
Keep food items covered with tight lids.
Throw out your trash; don’t store it for many days in your house.
Inspect your house and close the gaps and cracks in the walls.
Keep the window of the kitchen open so that the room will not be moist and damp.
Sunlight should reach your house to avoid a humid atmosphere in the house.
Are you worried where to store your favorite sweet dish where there will be no ants? Are you just remembering the approaching long line of ants in the kitchen towards the sweet dish? Or have you ever used that light brown powder near your door to get rid of those stubborn ants which always spoil your food?
After looking at the spoiled sweet dish, you must be thinking why ants are coming into my home? Every time I am pouring water or using some preventive measures, but still they are coming. In this case, you badly need some home remedies to get rid of ants.
In this article, we have brought some of the effective home remedies which will help you to remove ants from your home.
Why Natural Remedies?
You might be thinking why to kill ants naturally whereas pest control is an option to get rid of ants? Well, my friend, believe me pest control will cost you a lot. And there is always a fear that ants will attack back. Moreover, if you have kids or pets in your house, then the use of chemicals to kill ants can backfire anytime. Kids or pets can get in touch of poisonous pesticide which is harmful to them. In order to avoid such life-risking situation, you should use home remedies to kill ants naturally.
Types of Ants
Ants which trouble us a lot are of different types, such as odorous house ants, sugar ants, flying ants, small black ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, argentine ants, borax ants, ants with wings, leaf cutter ants, fire ants etc. . Some ants attack food stuff, whereas some other attacks the wooden items. The major ants found in the US are of 3 types:
Pavement Ants: Pavement ants are those who generally are found under pavement slabs, lawns or under stones. They are not destructive in nature, but very difficult to get rid of.
Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants are most destructive in nature. You can observe them boring into wood items like doors, wooden tables or cupboards. Some of the carpenter ants have wings and known as ants with wings. Carpenter ants are black or red in color. They don’t eat wood but make their hive on wooden items. Carpenter ants are as dangerous as termites. If not prevented on time, carpenter ants can distort your wooden item by boring it rigorously.
Sugar Ants: Sugar ants attack sweet items and spoil them quickly. Sugar ants attack the food stuff which has sugar content like honey, bread, nuts, cheese, etc. They are also found in washrooms, where proper sanitation is not maintained. It would be funny, but you can find sugar ants eating your bath soap. Sugar ants are most annoying of the ants.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Ants
Home remedies for getting rid of ants from your house are very easy to implement, hence widely used by many people. Use these remedies to remove ants from your kitchen or tiny little ants from any part of your house. Home remedies are safe to use and doesn’t have poisonous ingredients which can have an adverse impact on your family’s health.
1. Use Vinegar
You must have observed that ants have a very efficient system to work. They always create trails which lead back to their colony. Ants also have a well-developed communication system which is based on chemical signals. You can disturb their trial by applying any other strong smelling chemical. Ants lose their direction due to disturbance in chemical signal. Thus, it will be easy for you to get rid of ants by using vinegar.
Gather it
One cup of white vinegar
One cup of water
Water spray bottle
Perform it
- Take 1 cup of white vinegar in a bowl.
- Add 1 cup of water to it. Mix it well.
- Fill the liquid in the water spraying container.
- Spray the liquid on the ant’s trail.
- Spray it at the places where ants often attack.
- In no time, you will find that ants are vanished from your house.
2. Use Lemon Juice
For killing or getting rid of ants in your house, use lemon juice. Lemon juice is considered as one of the best ways to kill the ants. The fragrance of lemon and its acidic nature make your home free of ants. The citric acid makes it difficult for ants to continue the trail.
Gather it
Juice of one fresh lemon
½ cup of water
Perform it
- Take 1 or 2 lemons. Squeeze it to get fresh juice.
- Mix it with ¼ or ½ cup of water.
- Spray it on the ant trail using the water spray bottle.
- Use this liquid to mop your kitchen floor.
- It will reduce the frequent visits of ants.
3. Use Mint
Mint is also one of the most effective remedies for ants. It will drive ants away and protect your property from getting spoiled. It is effective on both carpenter ants and sugar ants. Use it in the kitchen or near the door step to prevent the ants entering your house.
Gather it
Mint tea bags or dry mint leaves
Water
Salt
Perform it
- Take mint tea bags or powder of dried mint leaves.
- Boil it in water.
- Add a pinch of salt to it.
- Let the water cool down.
- Filter it and fill it within the water spraying bottle.
- Sprinkle it on the ants or on the places which ants often attack.
- Do it frequently to prevent ants entering into your house.
4. Use Ant Honey Pot
The ant honey pot is actually a trick to attract ants by providing them food. Due to this free food ants will be all engaged and will not come back to your house. You have to make this honey pot a bit far from your home, but near to the ant colony.
Gather it
One tablespoon of honey
Two tbsp of sugar
Paper ball
Perform it
Take 1 tbsp of honey.
Add 2 tbsp of sugar to it.
Mix it well to make a sugary syrup.
Dip a little paper bowl in this solution.
Place 2-3 balls away from your house, but near to the ant colony.
You will find lots of ants marching towards that place.
It is one of the ways to keep your place safe.
5. Use Peppermint Oil Spray
The strong smell of peppermint oil creates communication issues for ants. The strong smell makes ants run away from the place immediately. The loss of communication makes it difficult for them to find the right way towards the foodstuff.
Gather it
Two tbsp of peppermint oil.
Cotton balls.
Perform it
Take 2 tbsp of peppermint oil.
Mix it with 1 cup of water.
Spray the liquid directly.
Or you can soak the cotton balls in the liquid.
Place the cotton balls where ants are present.
The smell will be unbearable for ants and they will get away from your house quickly.
You can use a strong perfume instead of peppermint oil.
You can keep the cotton balls on the gaps and cracks which you have in your house.
This will prevent the ants from entering your house.
6. Use Boric Acid to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
As compared to sugar ants, it is difficult to remove carpenter ants. The strong smell strategy doesn’t work much on carpenter ants. Thus, you have to take some strong action to get rid of carpenter ants.
Gather it
One tbsp of boric acid
One tsp of sugar
One tsp of honey
Some water
Prepare it
Take 1 tbsp of boric acid.
It is poisonous in nature, so handle it with care.
Mix it with 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of honey.
Keep it in the place where the carpenter ants are present.
The ants will get attracted towards sugar and will eat the mixture.
The boric acid will kill the ants.
Keep the mixture away from the reach of children.
You can also use this remedy in order to get rid of sugar ants.
7. Use Cucumber
Ants cannot bear the smell of cucumber. Ants even don’t like the taste of cucumber. So if you place cucumber near any foodstuff, then it will be secured from ants.
Gather it
One cucumber
Pepper powder.
Perform it
Take 1 cucumber.
Cut it into small pieces without peeling it.
Sprinkle some pepper powder on it.
Place near the trail of ants.
The ants will disappear in no time.
8. Use Cornmeal to Kill Ants Naturally
Ants are not able to digest cornmeal. Ants will eat cornmeal due to some sugar content in it. It is difficult for ants to identify that they are eating cornmeal. Thus, ants will eventually die after eating cornmeal.
Gather it
Two tbsp of cornmeal
Filter net
Prepare it
Take 2 tbsp of cornmeal.
Spread it on the wooden material which is affected with ants
You can use filter net to spread it equally.
This remedy can be used both for carpenter ants as well as sugar ants.
You will find many ants marching at the place cornmeal are spread, but eventually all the ants will die after eating cornmeal.
9. Sprinkle Soap Water
Soap is well known to break down the waxy layers of ants. It actually dehydrates the ants and kills them. Soap has a direct killing action on ants and is safe to use. This sprinkling of soap water will keep your place clean and also will help you to get rid of ants.
Gather it
Scented soap
Water
Spray bottle
Perform it
Take a piece of scented soap and dilute it in water.
Make a liquid concentrated with soap.
Spray it on the entry spots or the gaps you have in your house.
It will block the entry of ants to your house.
You can also spray the liquid on the colony of ants.
10. Use Baby Powder or Talcum Powder
The sweet smell of baby powder or talcum powder makes it suitable to use it as a remedy to make ants run away. Ants cannot stand the strong smells. Once you sprinkle the powder wherever ants are present, ants will run away quickly.
Gather it
Baby powder or talcum powder.
Perform it
Take 3-4 tbsp baby powder or talcum powder.
Sprinkle it directly on ants.
You can also draw a line using talcum powder at the entrance of your home.
You can also use talcum powder to fill up the cracks in walls or small holes made by carpenter ants on wooden items.
Ants will run away quickly.
11. Destroy Ants Colony
In case of carpenter ants, it is necessary to kill the queen of colony to stop the attacks of ants. For sugar ants also if the ant colony is nearby your house, then none of your foodstuffs is safe from ants. It is essential to destroy the entire colony of ants to finally get rid of the ants.
According to this home remedy, you don’t have to use toxic materials or fire the nest of ants.
Gather it
A bucket full of boiling water
One mug full of soap liquid
Perform it
Before applying this remedy, be ready to put barriers at the entrance of your home.
The barriers will avoid the entrance of ants that will run away from the nest.
Keep a safe distance from the nest of ants, so that ants will not attack you and beat you.
Take a bucket full of boiling water.
Add one mug of soap to it. You can use detergent or dish wash liquid.
Mix it well and pour the boiling water on the nest of ants.
Pour it in a safer way so that it will not overflow.
Wait for some time and repeat the same process.
The ant colony along with the queen will be killed.
Prevent the Entrance of Ants
It is difficult to deal with ants when they are in your house. You can prevent the ants to enter your house by taking some precautions. You just have to avoid the situation which attracts ants. The prevention is very easy and you can do it as a routine.
All the time keep your house clean.
Mop your floor using a disinfectant with a strong smell.
Sweep the floor after meals and wipe out the food particles.
Clean the wooden items using soap solution to avoid attacks of carpenter ants.
Keep food items covered with tight lids.
Throw out your trash; don’t store it for many days in your house.
Inspect your house and close the gaps and cracks in the walls.
Keep the window of the kitchen open so that the room will not be moist and damp.
Sunlight should reach your house to avoid a humid atmosphere in the house.
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