Getting rid of ants can sometimes take a fairly long time and its rather hard to find a source of information that will show you exactly how to free yourself from these pests naturally. In this article, I have taken some time to compile only the best methods and tips that will help you kill ants.
I am going to break down this guide into four sections. The first section is about stopping a army of ants (ant deterrents) from invading your home, the second one will discuss actual removal methods, the third will elaborate on preventive measures (two steps) and the last one will outline various tips and warnings for effective ant control. Please make sure you follow each step correctly to ensure the fastest removal at the highest success rate. If you enjoy the article, please share it with your friends so they can also benefit from the information. Ant control doesn’t need to be a hard task and this DIY guide will get you going in the right direction without incurring much cost. Lets start!
How to Deal With Ants in Your Home
The first thing to note is that a colony of ants are not usually the cause for disease and while you still might be afraid of them, the worst that they may do is give you a little bite that you will hardly feel (with the exception of fire ants). However, I completely understand that they can get rather annoying. I remember washing the dishes after moving into a new place and often seeing these little bugs running up and down the hairline cracks in the wall tiles. Personally, I always prefer natural remedies for any type of pest control and getting rid of ants was no different. Let’s take a quick look at where these little pests come from before we look at the removal process.
Contrary to popular belief, ants are not little creatures sent from outer space to terrorize children. Feel a bit better? Thought so! 😉 Most of the time, they are just looking for food and want to just go about their business without being bothered. Ants can be found in a variety of places, ranging from offices to homes to even hospitals. I recently found a massive ant nest in my outdoor garden shed and had to apply the steps I’ve listed in this article to get rid of them. Here are a few places you can look for them:
- Surfaces in your kitchen and bedrooms. If they are in the office, check your desks and look for any old lunchboxes that may have been left behind by the staff.
- Inside and near electrical wall sockets.
- Behind and around basins, taps and pipes.
- Underneath furniture and behind picture frames.
- Inside cracks in your walls, ceilings and other small areas.
Ant Colonies 
Ants are also attracted to an area that offers suitable shelter and protection for their queen and their colony as a whole. According to studies, ants are also commonly found near sources of water, especially in dry regions around the world! Ants tend to gravitate towards anything sugary or sweet, so if you are fighting an ant invasion, it’s a good idea to look for any spilt sugar, soda drinks or even certain types of fruit juice.
Keeping that in mind, before we start any of the removal steps, I recommend taking some time to just clean up your house. Regardless of how small your house is, this is not a 5 minute job. Take the time to clean the entire place, under furniture, behind couches, under the fridge and any other place where they may be hiding or they will just keep on coming back. I always prefer to stick to long term solutions and when it comes to killing ants, you should as well otherwise you will be disappointed. Some ant remedies are deterrents while others are actually used to get rid of them. However, before we investigate those steps, let’s take a quick look at the different types of ants, because it is both interesting and so that we know what we are up against.
Identifying Different Types of Ants and Species
According to recent studies, there are over 20 000 species of ants worldwide and each colony can contain anything from 30 to a couple thousand ants. Each nest consists of the following ranks:
- Fertile Ant Males – These ants (more than one) are responsible for impregnating Her Majesty the Queen ant. They are also called “Drones”.
- Fertile Ant Female – This ant is the ruler of the nest. All the other ants actively protect, feed and serve her. She is also responsible for making eggs and thus is a critical part of the colony. She is often called the “Queen” ant.
- Soldier Ants – These guys are the military for the nest. They protect and ensure that order is kept.
- Worker Ants – These ants actively look for food and are responsible for building the nest and helping the colony.
- Scout Ants – They look for suitable places to start or expand a colony and leave pheromone behind them for other ants to follow.
How to Get Rid of Ants
Importantly, there are a number of species of ants and to fight them effectively, it’s ideal to know all the different types. Here is a list of the most common ones. Feel free to browse Wikipedia for more! The Fire ant (Solenopsis Invicta) are usually found in gardens or abandoned shelters and have a very painful bite. The Argentine ant (Linepithema Humile) are usually found outside in soil and anthills and can really mess up your lawn. The sugar ant (sometimes called pavement or house ants (Tetramorium Caespitum) are the most common and are often found in your home and in your living spaces. The Odorous house ant (Tapinoma Sessile) are usually found in soil mounds or near your geyser as they are attracted to the warmth.
The Pharaoh ant (Monomorium Pharaonis) are usually found inside cupboards, furniture and electrical wall sockets. Velvety tree ant (Liometopum Occidentale) can be found near rotten branches and broken trees. And lastly, carpenter ants (Camponotus Spp) are commonly found burrowing out pieces of wood, including your furniture and other parts of your house. To learn how to get rid of carpenter ants in your house, check out that guide as its a slightly different process due to where they live. However, to keep things simple, for the following steps we are going to look at a general approach on how to get rid of ants that usually works for most ant problems. Without further delay, let’s look at 5 steps that will get your house ant free as quick as possible.
Section 1: Preventing Ants From Getting in Your Home
It’s always important to be proactive in your approach to getting rid of ants. Firstly, most of the time, ants can be controlled simply by making it clear (using ant deterrents) that they are not wanted in your home. Additionally, ants serve a vital part of the ecosystem so I try and make an effort to prevent the infestation in the first place or make my house an unpleasant place to live for the ants before I start stomping on every little black insect I see. While it is still your decision, I highly recommend this course of action so please don’t skip this section as there are many added benefits.
Step 2: Keep ants away by using a natural ant barriers to keep those ant invasions away!
Step 3: Preventative measures for ants and information about your pets.
Step 1: Use fibrous materials to seal off any entrance in your home that ants could be using. This is usually done by using a caulking gun, as shown in the picture. This process has been around for a long time and effectively keeps bugs out and even keeps your heat in, which lowers your carbon footprint and reduces your electricity bill. Places that you should be targeting is cracks in the walls, floorboards, etc.
Step 2: Many people recommend using a mineral called “Talc” that comes from rocks that are processed and milled. While it does keep ants away, it is toxic and has properties that closely resemble asbestos, which is known to cause cancer (carcinogen) after prolonged exposure. However, please don’t panic. Notice I mentioned “prolonged exposure”. You will not get cancer by just touching the stuff but it’s definitely not recommended to use it over a long period of time. I find that a salt mixture is sufficient in most cases. Here are a few more natural remedies for ants:
- Lavender, mint, chillies, cinnamon and eucalyptus (crushed)
- Diatomaceous earth (this is great), camphor, vaseline and baby powder
- Double sided adhesive tape, powdered chalk and charcoal
- Flour, vinegar, cucumber slices, lemons and oranges
Step 3: Its time to clean up! Grab a mob and whatever cleaning utensils you can find and give everything a good scrub. Remember that those ants came into your home looking for food and its your job to ensure that there is nothing available for them to eat! Make sure that you look under the fridge (kids often kick fallen grapes, raisins, etc that fall from their hands, trust me I have seen it) and behind your rubbish bin. Its important to do this and will ensure that they don’t come back again.
NB: If you have pets and find that you always have ants around their bowl, place it inside a larger bowl and fill it with water. This create a moat which ants cannot cross and until they learn to swim, this is a very effective remedy. If you don’t want to do this, make sure you put your pet’s food away after they are finished eating.
Section 2: Start Getting Rid of Ants as Fast as Possible
Step 2: Force a relocation of the colony or kill them on the spot!
Step 3: Set up a homemade ant trap
Step 4: Purchase ant fumigation or hire exterminators
Step 1: The easiest way to kill ants that are running around your home like rampaging orcs is to suck them up with a vacuum cleaner. Don’t worry, you don’t need those expensive gimmicky models that you see on TV, just a cheap one will work just as well. Proceed to stalk your house with it and attack any unsuspecting ants you see doing their daily errands. Depending on the size of your home, this may take about an hour. Perhaps take the opportunity to do some spring cleaning. Don’t say you will do it some other time, you know you won’t 😉 If you followed my first recommendation, you should have already cleaned the house fairly well and giving it a good vacuum will do wonders!
Step 2: Next, look for any ant trails that may be leading off to the nest. Follow this and try and figure out where their source is. If you find it, use a soapy mixture of dish washing liquid and hot water and flush them out. I have found that using a bleach mixture or an all-purpose cleaner also works wonders so perhaps give that a try as well. It’s also a good idea to pour about 10 liters of boiling water down the ant hill or nest (unless they are fire ants!) as this will kill them quickly.
Step 3: I have found that ant traps work fairly well as well. There are a number that you can purchase but I recommend making your own as this is the most affordable option. There are many different types but to keep things simple, the easiest and fastest method is to mix a decent amount of Boric acid with peanut butter in a metal pot and place it on a biscuit inside of a cardboard box. Close the box up, punch a number of holes into it and place it in a problem area. The Boric acid kills ants on contact, the peanut butter attracts them and the box makes disposal easy.
Another simple trap method is to use cornstarch to eliminate ants. Simply sprinkle it around areas that are infested with a colony of ants and wait for them to carry the corn starch off to their nest. Since ants have trouble digesting starch due to its high fibre content, they will eventually swell up and die. Although I find this method does take a little longer then others, its extremely effective and is a proven method for ant control.
NB: Please make sure that you keep your pets away from the box as it can be dangerous if they consume a large amount of it. Also, try and keep it off your fingers. It’s not going to cause instantaneous rigamortis or anything serious but it’s definitely not good for your skin. 😉 If you want to buy a trap, make sure that its ingredients are on the Organic Materials Review or the USDA-National Organic Program if you want to use it to get rid of ants safely.
Step 4: Lastly, but often a necessary step, its recommended that you hire some professional help. The easiest way to do it is to contact your local exterminator. If you are renting, it’s a good idea to give your landlord a call as it’s often their responsibility to fix up your ant problem, especially when it comes to caulking (read above for the explanation) and fixing cracks, etc. If you would like to ask any questions about these steps, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will personally answer it for you!
Section 3: Keep Ants Away by Being Proactive!
Step 1: They say prevention is the best cure and when it comes to ant control, this principle is no different. It’s the responsibility of your household to all do their part to help out. When food is eaten or prepared, take a little bit of time to clean up immediately and try your best not to leave it for the next day. Another common mistake is spilling a bit of soda or juice on the floor on your way to watch TV or something and forgetting to wipe it up because after a while, it seems to evaporate. Well the liquid may be gone but the sugar is not and this can easily cause an entire colony to set up camp! It’s also important to keep up regular mopping of the floor, sweeping up dirt, vacuuming regularly and wiping of counters and surfaces.
Step 2: A good proactive step to preventing ant infestations is to put a small lavender, mint or pot plant near your kitchen window and a few other places where you think ants could be sneaking in. Not only will this give your home an amazing aroma, it’s also a natural ant deterrent and will keep them away from your living areas. This doesn’t mean that you can ignore the previous step but at least it will minimize entry points for ants in your kitchen and home. A few of my friends have also had much success with using Vaseline on their window panes (usually outside). This also prevents ants from getting in so give that a try if you don’t have much success with the pot plant.
A Few Additional Tips for Effective Ant Control
Get Rid of These Ants
- Make sure that you clean up around your house before starting to exterminate ants otherwise you will be fighting a losing battle.
- While you fight the ant infestation, it’s always useful to utilize some ant deterrents to assist with the battle. (See information above)
- Refrigerate your leftovers or keep food in sealed plastic containers so it doesn’t attract ants.
- A few sources have told me that Windex is a great option for killing ants. It seems that “Michael Constantine” was right about that spray in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, it really does cure or fix anything. 😉
- If you are determined to purchase an ant trap, try Terro ant traps as they work very well. If you need a more industrial strength option, try a granular ant bait that contains Niban. Just be careful however, as baits like Maxforce are highly toxic!
- If you do set up my DIY ant trap or purchase one from the shop, don’t put any ant deterrents (listed above) near them otherwise ants will avoid the very place where you want to trap them!
- If you see a queen ant, kill her to force that colony of ants to leave your home or garden.
A Few Warnings For Treating Ant Infestations
- As previously mentioned, be careful with some ant poisons as they are fairly toxic. Keep these substances away from children and pets.
- While most ants are not dangerous, I recommend staying away from fire ants as there are cases where people are allergic to their bites, not to mention that in comparison to other ants, their bites are rather painful!
- When preparing your ant traps, it’s recommended that you wear gloves and to ensure you don’t inhale the fumes. My homemade trap isn’t highly toxic, but it’s definitely not for swallowing 😉
In conclusion, getting rid of and killing ants is fairly easy when you know how. While it may take some time and effort, you can completely free yourself from ant problems without spending a large amount of money. The first step should always to stabilize the situation and prevent more ants from pouring into your home. Once that has been achieved, follow the steps in this article to eliminate them quickly before moving on to a more proactive stance, which stops these ants from coming back. Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I would appreciate it if you shared it with your friends. Not only will they benefit from the information but it will also assist with the popularity of this article. If you have any questions, please use the comment section below and I will try my best to get back to you within 24 hours. So what are your experiences with ant control and getting rid of them? Let me know your thoughts! P.S: If you are having any flea problems or are suffering with fruit fly infestations, be sure to check out these articles for effective solutions! Thanks 🙂
Educational Video On Removing Ants:
Hello! My name is Natasha, and I have been helping people with their insect problems since 2012. I have published a book, worked with many pest control companies, and helped thousands with various infestations on a one-to-one basis. My goal for this blog is to create evidence-based guides that are easy to understand, provide sufficient depth and can be trusted to be very accurate. Please remember that my guides are for informational purposes only, and that you agree to the terms of use when reading content on this website. If you leave a comment, I typically respond within 48 hours.
Hi NaTasha. I seem to have a little black ant problem in one of my sons bedrooms. I cant Identify where they are coming from. Of course he’s a boy and doesn’t listen so every now and again I find candy wrappers in his room. Well they are a bit obnoxious at this point. What solutions do you have for me? His room is in the middle of the house and there is carpet in his room.
Hi Teneesha! That is a tricky one, as things like candy will attract ants, even if you don’t have an “ant problem” per say. Unfortunately you are just going to have to work on making sure that the room doesn’t have any sugary sweets lying around, as I don’t think killing the ants will help right now (more will just come). Sorry hehe 🙂
Hello, Just a heads up on the ant problems. I live in the high desert of Los Angeles county, and found that # 1 keeping my house clean #2 patiently following the ants to where they enter, then chalking works, #3 putting Diatomaceous earth along all of my baseboards in every room, never mind the visitors, when they ask, they thing that its such a genus idea, since they have ant problems also. have has the DE for a month now and no major invasion, scouts come around but die or leave. also, if I see a ant hole out side, I scrap the top of dirt, leaves and rocks and with a funnel I pour a tablespoon of DE, within an hour they are gone. I just felt the urge to share this. Thank you
Hi Amanda! Thank you, that is some great advice! I appreciate your wise words and I am sure that the community will benefit from it.
Nice article. Except that wasn’t Robert de Niro. It’s the dad from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” that uses windex on everything.
Ah yes, good catch! It was Michael Constantine xD Thanks for the comment 🙂
Hey! Is there anything I can use to get rid of the trail they leave behind. I have a very big issue with ants being attracted to my pantry (which is a bookshelf sadly). They seem to be coming from underneath my carpet and running along the baseboard and climbing into my “pantry”. I would appreciate any help; it’s been months dealing with them and I feel it’s almost infestation level. Thanks!
Hi Sara! You can just use a little soap and warm water, should do the job. Hope that helps!
Hi Natasha!
For the past 2 weeks I’ve been finding carpenter ants in our kitchen. Not many maybe 8 a day, we find them in our dishwasher and garbage can mostly. We have removed our garbage can and that has helped a little. We do not know how the ants are getting in our home. Do you suggest us trying traps? Or should we call a professional in to do the job?
THANKS!
Hi Anna! It is a bit difficult to say how they are coming in without physically being there, but you can try follow a few of them and see where they go, eventually you will get an idea of how they are doing it. Otherwise, I recommend that you try some traps first, they are cheap enough. Let me know if that doesn’t work, and I will recommend a professional. 🙂
A grape rolled under the stove and I cannot get it out. I don’t want to move the stove since it could break the connections.
What do you recommend?
Hi Ted, maybe use a thin piece of wood to push it out? It is a bit difficult to suggest a course of action without knowing your environment.
Hi, I am renting and I just found out where the ants are coming from. They’re always ants in this one room and tonight I just found out where they came from. I added comet but I don’t know if that will work. They are coming from my wall… a little crack on my window sill, help
Hi Pamela! I recommend that you try a simple ant trap before doing anything drastic (or worrying about it too much). They are cheap, so buy one and put it by your window, let’s see if that helps.
First, thank you for this article. Very Helpful. I moved back home and started to fix my bed room up. I found that my wall likes to shed alot of drywall everywhere. Sinelce There were SO MANY holes in wall I thought it could be that. So I used some wall putty and covered them all up. That’s how i found out I have ants living in my wall. I tried to cover the holes again with wall putty to block there access but they just keep eating through it and making the holes bigger…… Help me??
Hi Donna! Since you know exactly where they are, I recommend putting some poisoneous ant bait right in there. They are small granules (available at most general stores), just wash your hands after pushing them in. Hope that helps.
I’ve been battling sugar ants for a couple of years. I was gone for 6-7 months a year or two ago, and when I came home, they were in poorly sealed comtaainers of dried fruit, sugar and honey.
I have tried a lot of different ‘recipes’ with little no success, (they would get sort of interested in any bait I made, but then ignore it after a day). I have finally come up with a winning recipe.
After trying various ratios of powdered sugar and boric acid, dry, and mixed with water, I accidentally discovered their love for pineapple juice when I left a can lid unwashed.
I decided to use pineapple juice instead of water, and the ants have positively swarmed it, in three locations. I am able to mix a bit stronger boric acid to sugar ratios, getting as high as 3 parts boric acid, 6 parts powdered sugar, and enough juice to make a thick sauce.
My most successful ratio has been 2 parts boric acid, 6 parts powdered sugar.
I place it on plastic lids from recloseable containers, and when it dries out after 8-10 hours, I spray it with enough water to just coat the bait, and it softens up.
I recycle it back to the container I made it in whenever attndance drops off completely for more than 4-5 hours. I mix the old stuff back in with the unused, and put out a fresh load. I think the pineapple juice has a strong aroma, because they will run to a fresh dribble when I add some to a lid, instead of recycling it.
This nest is so large, it looks like it will take a month or two of constant baiting to wipe them out.
One more thing, my usual 15% bleach solution I keep in a sprayer under the sink for cleaning, kills them in 3-4 seconds, and throughly wipes out pheromone trails.
I have found they don’t like vinegar when it is liquid, but once it dries, they couldn’t care less about the smell, so it hasn’t been as successful as many have said on the Internet.
GeoD
Hi GeoD! Thanks for your fantastic comment, so many juicy tips in there 🙂 I am sure that the community with benefit from your wisdom, I really appreciate your time 🙂
Rubbing Alcohol will kill and keep ants away as well. I moved from the States to the Philippines. I never seen so many ants. I controlled the problem with baby powder and Rubbing Alcohol. Rubbing Alcohol kills on contact. I had a problem in my bathroom ants were going from the shower head down to water spikit. I was shaving I had shaving cream in my hand so I wanted to play. I made a line. My shaving cream had mint in it. At that time I did not know nothing. Well The ants would bet near the cream and stop. 1 half go back down the go back up. I did not know what was going on. So I did research about ants. I found out ants do not like mint. Well mint is very expensive. so I looked at different ways. You have this in your sheet Talc powder. Well that is hard to find now So I was thinking baby powder it worked. The only problem was you have all this powder all over the house. One day I had a bit so I was putting Rubbing Alcohol on it will there just happen to be and ant there as well and it spilled on the ant as well it died right a way. The next time I seen a lot of ants I tried the Rubbing Alcohol again. IT DID WORK! It was a big pill. It is the smell I think. I made a mote around them they all died very fast. Now every month or when I see ants coming in I wipe everything down with Rubbing Alcohol. I also still use the baby powder but not as much.
Hi Robert! Thanks for your fantastic suggestions, really appreciate you taking the time to share them with the community. Have a good one!
Thank you for the great article!
We just bought our first home and now that Spring is coming we have noticed 1-3 large black ants a day. We can’t find a trail or a nest and they seem to be in any room. One in the bedroom, another in the bathroom, etc.
We cleaned but now not sure where to start. Would we be better off setting traps in each room? At least until we find out where they are coming from?
Any advice is greatly appreciated and thank you,
Christina
Hi CM, yes, putting a trap in each room would be an excellent start, and may even give you an idea where they are coming from as well (they will go for the bait and you can follow them). Let me know how that goes!
Hi Natasha,
i just start seeing ants in my house. mostly i see them in my den area, where my hot water tank located. they come from crack wood. any suggestion?
Hi Monika! Your best bet would be to put out a bait trap, and to follow them to their source (if the trap doesn’t sort out the issue by itself, especially if it is just a small infestation).
I have small black ants on kitchen counter, walls and around window. It is winter time here and about 20 degrees outside, so I believe they are in my walls somewhere. I have calked all around the window, but they seem to get out anyway. I only see them in small quantities, sometimes only one at a time. I see them mostly during the day when the outside temp. is warmer. I don’t seem to be able to tell where they are coming from but I believe they are in the wall around the window. Sometimes I have seen them in my upstairs bathroom by the window which is directly above the kitchen window. Any idea as to how to get rid of these ants? Thank You, Paul
Hi Paul! You will need to try figure out where they are coming from to completely sort out the problem, but for now I recommend just placing a couple ant traps around your home. They are cheap so give them a try, let me know how it goes.
Hi, we just changed the carpet in our whole house about 2 weeks ago and since then I have noticed tiny ants in every room with carpet and they’re never in the kitchen. We don’t eat on the carpet and vacuum frequently and since they’re so small I can’t tell where they’re coming from. Since it’s new carpet and we have a toddler, how do you recommend killing/ getting rid of them?
Hi Alex! I recommend trying out a few of those cheap ant traps you can find at Walmart, amazon, etc. That might be enough to sort the problem out, no need to pay lots of money for an exterminator. Hope that helps 🙂
Several years ago we found a very safe and natural way to control ants. They absolutely do not like the smell of garlic. When we find ants somewhere we don’t want them, either inside or outside, we just sprinkle some granulated garlic. The more ants there are the more garlic we sprinkle and you can watch them scatter. If you leave the smell there they will not come back. If it gets washed away just sprinkle a little more. For outside we have a big jar of minced garlic that has a lot of liquid in it also. This has a very strong smell and is very effective for outside, but a lot too strong for inside. If we have a problem with ants in the garden, we plant a garlic clove every several feet and it keeps them away pretty good.
Hi Lee, thanks for the great tip, I love it! Definitely going to give this a try and I am sure that it will help the community! Thanks again!
Hi. I have ants coming in my bedroom window which is on the second floor. Some have wings and some don’t. It started last week. I cleaned everything and put traps out. Took about 3 days and then they were gone for 2 days. Now they are back in full force. What do you recommend? Should I call an exterminator?
Hi Brenda, you could try finding out where they are coming from, that is what the exterminator will do as well. If you find that location, I can help you get rid of it. Otherwise yeah, an exterminator will make the problem go away quickly, will send you a link for a free quote in the next hour or two. Hope that helps! 🙂
Wow! This is a very comprehensive article, and I thank you for it! I have a problem and I did a search, but it only keyed in on the word ‘sugar’: I have tiny ants, some of which are lured by a sugar/borax solution. BUT I have other tiny ants that sugar does not lure them at all, they actually steer clear of it!!! How can I bait these types of ants? They seem to prefer protein type foods, even swarming used Kleenex when I have a head cold! I can’t close all of the areas to incoming ants, as my home was built in 1945, and not well. I’m sure some of the ants are in my walls, and/or under the counters. AND probably several colonies under the house, so using something around the foundation will only serve to keep them in! Help? I have tried the Taro bait traps which has worked for many of the sugar type ones. But now, the non-sugar loving ones are coming in and are not going to the traps, but roaming around looking on my counters and sink.
I have found that ants LOVE vinegar! So I don’t use it except in a wonderful spray that I found that uses white vinegar with water and essential oils of clove, peppermint and tea tree: kills them on contact!!! BUT I got sick of the smell even though it is nice, and tired of the sticky residue it left everywhere. Plus, they kept coming as it didn’t deter them at all, only killed them. Recipe: 3/4 cup white vinegar, 1/3 cup water, 20 drops EACH: Clove, Peppermint & Tea Tree. Shake and spray!
HI Carol, thanks for sharing the recipe with the community, very useful. Have you tried using a commercial flea trap? They are pretty cheap and if you leave a couple of those around the house, it might work for you 🙂
Hi Natasha
I have noticed carpenter ants in the second floor. after a year we have fixed the stucco which helped for disappearance for 1 year then they appeared again. I have got terminator who checked in and out the house and said I don’t see any infestation. the year after appeared again so I sprayed the room at the baseboard where they come from and the front of the house. Then I noticed in the front yard same kind of ants.
What is your recommendation.
Thanks alot
Hi Geno, your best bet is to leave some bait out and try track down where they are coming from. Then probably hire that exterminator to blast their nest. Hope that helps.
Natasha – Congrats – babies are wonderful but make sure you get plenty of rest — when you can!
Just wanted to add – ants do not like the smell of vinegar and a good deterrment is when you see them coming in have a spray bottle of 2/3 water and 1/3 of white vinegar if they are little ants or 1/2 and 1/2 if they are bigger and spray them – not enough to kill them but just enough to sting them so they go back to the next and spread the word your home is not where they want to be. I know it sounds craxy but it works. An entamologist(sp) told me that one. If you kill them for every worker that does not return home the queen lays something like 10 more eggs so you want them to get back to the nest. I did not believe it either but seemingly it does work after a few tries. Just have to be patient. On the large ants if the vinegar does not seem to be doing the trick I have tried spraying a little Clorox Cleanup on them, again not enough to kill them , just to burn them a bit andthat did work for me…..and cleaned my floor at the same time.
Hi Sue! I will do, thanks 🙂 That is a great tip, thanks for the contribution to the community, pretty sure that many will benefit from it. Have a good one!
Great article. We live in Glenview, IL. We noticed little brown or blank ants travelling across our living room floor. We put some Terro liquid traps in what believed was the trail. Shortly afterward I found where they were going. From the floor they want up the side of a wall and disappeared behind the molding that is around the doorway (similar to crown molding only around double door entry to another room). Is that possible that the nest is in the upper corner of a doorway behind molding? And how did they get there? Do I have to worry about a hold in wall behind the molding? Thanks.
But seriously a great article.
Hi Paul, thanks for your kind words. Yes that is possible, I suggest that you just put the ant trap as close as possible to that area, should get rid of them regardless of there being a nest or not. Hope that helps.
I’ve worn myself out and gone crazy in the process over here. I have teeny tiny ants some seem to have long antenna some march in a straight line. I think they have infested my attic crawl space. I found them first in my bathroom coming in from light fixtures, around medicine chest, drain in the shower and where the tile meets the ceiling and in the corners. Next they were coming from electrical outlet boxes and even my thermostat in the hallway. I found an ant hill behind the flower garden at my front window. We did the hole 18 inches in and poured boiling water, tea tree oil, peppermint oil and cayenne pepper in there…they moved to the other side of the column and built again. We sealed with clear sealant all around bathroom walls, cabinets and light fixture but now they seem to be coming in the exhaust fan on the ceiling and still the shower drain (thinking they can’t swim this boggles my mind). They are back in the living room and kitchen again. I vacuume constantly, I scrub with tea tree and the smell of that cayenne pepper, oil and water mixture while it smells good is making all of us cough. We hit the second hill with boiling water and dish soap yesterday. Today we are sealing every single solitary outlet in the house and any holes we think they might be getting in. I have a new litter of puppies and three grown dogs so I cannot call an exterminator. Will the ones in the attic leave (assuming they are up there to get in behind the wall plugs.
Hi Deb, yes it is possible. Honestly, based on your description of the situation, I recommend that you house those dogs for a day and let an expert come in and help you. It is not like you havn’t tried yourself so give yourself a pat on the back for that. Sorry if that is not the answer you are looking for.
Please help! I washed icing off my hands in my bathroom and the next day there are ants! I already tried spraying bleach all over them but there are MORE! They just wont disappear! I have no clue where they are coming from, and its hard to kill the rest because they are on the wall by the shower head! Can you please give me a solution that can get rid of them but isn’t toxic?
HI Avila, I would start off with some soapy water and a spray bottle. Cover any ants you see with the mixture and see if (after a couple days) their numbers subside. If they don’t, let me know and we can work something out.
Hi I just move into a brand new apartment and it’s a 2nd floor apartment. It has just been built brand spanken new and I finally moved in today is day 3 here and o found ants coming from under the carpet in two rooms. There red why do I have theses if this is a new building and there is no eating in that room. Very strict on that lol. What do I do? I hate ants!
Hi CaliGirl! Start off by grabbing yourself an ant spray. If they continue to bug you, contact the landlord, it should be fairly easy to sort out honestly so don’t stress about it.
Making sure that you don’t have any food hidden on the floor is good in ensuring that the ants won’t come looking! You should clean up any mess you make out in the kitchen as well as sweeping the floor. That way, you are doing your best to keep the ants away!
Hi Kendall (from greenleafpest), thanks for the wise words! I am sure that the community appreciates it!
Hi Natasha, my roommate drinks flavored margaritas in a can of his room and more ants started appearing. I don’t think the owner of the house will allow me to set traps so what should I do. There is also points where I wipe their trails with soap and they dissappear for like 2 hours, but will simultaneously show up especially on my bed. This causes me to wake up with a black trail on my arms and legs what should I do?
Hi Jeonghye! I am sure that the owner won’t mind, they are very small and don’t let off any vapor or anything like that. You can get them for cheap as well.
I found ant’s in my car last week and I have been spraying and putting down regular bait trap’s but they still keep slowly coming out of the dashboard and side’s of my car. I don’t ever see a trail of them so I don’t know where they are in the car. I have vacuumed the but they keep coming back. Do you have any tips? I am ready to call an exterminator.
Hi JP! It is tricky in a car honestly, it is probably best to let a pro help you. Sorry if that isn’t the answer you were hoping for hehe, thanks for stopping by!
I belief I have ants in the walls of my home, they seems to come out to the kitchen whenever as within minutes of having food out. How do I kill them in the walls? I have a dog and try to prevent using toxic measures?
Hi Honey! You could try use a ant bait trap, they should think it is food and then take it back to their nest. Grab a couple from your local retailer, they are usually very cheap.
I have an ant problem in my bedroom, and I haven’t had an ant problem in here for over a year, I’ve narrowed down 2 possible entry points, my window, and a floorboard or two under my bed, I have a counter/shelf right next to my bed that they climbing onto, and I already cleaned it up, and they are still crawling on it… any ideas, I don’t have much money, and I don’t exactly know what I have around my house that I can use. but the thing about my window is I’d see walking up and down my wall to my window… help…
Hi Sgt! As a quick solution, you can install a fine netting over the window and calk the holes in the floorboards. As a longer term solution, I recommend getting an ant trap or two and putting them in those areas, they will work because it doesn’t sound like it is a massive infestation. Hope that helps!
Hi Natasha. We just notice pavement ants on the sidewalk in several places around th perimeter of our home. What can we use to get rid of them
Hi Vi, I suggest that you just grab some regular old ant poison and use a pressurized spraying bottle to disperse it in the problem areas.
Hi
I’ve been seeing ants move from my bedroom window to my bathroom as it’s en suite. Tried killing them numerous times to no success. Today I see a WHOLE army, proper infestation by this cupboard that my geyser is housed in, in my bathroom.
I
I need to get rid of these ants immediately as I have a serious phobia for them (as crazy as that sounds)
Can I just put a fogger by that cupboard and hope they all die?
Thanks
Hi Thandeka, usually it is not recommended to put a fogger in such a confined space. I am not saying it won’t work, just make sure that you read the label on the product. Let me know how it goes.
HI;
I have seen a few small ants in the house and tonight I noticed them all over my ceiling in the back bedroom / office.The ants are very small and may be pavement ants. I sucked up all I could see with the vacuum, but do not know what to do about “baiting” the ceiling. I have tile fixed to the ceiling (not a drop ceiling) It would be a really big expense to start ripping out the ceiling but I can see them crawling out from between the space between 2 tiles
All suggestions would be appreciated
Hi Sandra! If you can get a bunch of ant traps up there, that might be all your need. Is that a possibility?
No; The tiles are adhered directly to the ceiling. I did put a trap on the book case below where they are coming in and out, but that is a out 45″ below the ceiling.
Hi Sandra, yeah I thought as much. That makes things a little tricky, might need to call someone in to treat that as you can’t get into the roof. Let me know if you would like a free quote, completely up to you.
i have small ants on my night stand,beside my bed, i have tried ant spray but they keep coming ,what should i use
Hi Jean! I suggest that you try an ant trap, you can buy them cheaply and it will work for your situation.
I am not an entomologist, but this economical home remedy works for many weeks to rid yourself of these pesky creatures. Use 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup icing sugar and mix well. Do not put this mixture on grass but place it along driveways or inside your home where ants are seen amassing. Ants are nature’s most resilient creatures, and soon you’ll see them disappear as they’ll be attracted to the icing sugar to take morsels to their hidden nest. Sprinkle a little along the paths ants are seen travelling, and directly on top of their ant hill. The borax is the silent killer, and soon you will see no signs of them for several weeks, but re-apply later to keep them out. It is much better solution than harmful chemical costly commerical sprays that are dangerous to pets, children and our environment. Good luck and enjoy the summer without these pests disrupting your time. Kerwin Maude
Hi Kerwin, thanks for your lovely suggestion, really appreciate the tip!
Hi there do you have any advice on odorous house ants in Washington. I moved into a house with ant infestation! Our landlord called exterminators they spraid some poison they take with them we used Terro bait they have come out a couple times the past 3 months and the ants are still around and don’t seem to go away. It is driving me crazy we have them in basement kitchen and bedroom and living room! I don’t even sleep on my room anymore. I mean how long do we have to suffer we have cleaned and done what we can. They are still outside near walls and on house and inside walls and the bait isn’t getting rid of them?
Hi Rana, yeah it sounds like they didn’t do a very good job at exterminating those ants to be honest, you shouldn’t have to suffer like this. While I have a few ideas, since it is your landlords responsibility, I suggest that you (or him) get a free quote from a company that will get it right first time, will send you some more information shortly.
Hi Natasha,
I have a trail of ants coming from underground, but can not find out where. I have massive amounts of ants in front of my door. I live in a condo and I don’t think it is my responsibility to try and kill off these ants. I am afraid that my puppy will get bitten by these ants. I have no idea what to do with this problem. Please, please help!
Hi Shauna, do you have landlord who you can contact about this problem? Let me know.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for the article. It’s been very informative. I’ve been battling small black ants for about a year now. Not so bad in full winter but the other seasons I’m full on infested. They used to only be in the kitchen and bathroom, now the are in the bedroom. I have used a mix of half vinegar and half blue Dawn dish soap (only Dawn works this way) which kills the ones I can see instantly but doesn’t take care of the nest. I like your idea of the DE, think I’ll get some tomorrow. We have a baby running around. If we spread it every night and vacuum it up every morning will it still be effective enough to rid the ants fairly quickly?
Btw, am exterminator told me last year ants are also looking for water. A single moist paper towel will water an entire colony. That’s why they like kitchens and bathrooms.
Thanks again,
Shanon
Hi Shanon, it will be safe, provided its food grade. Thanks for sharing info about the wet towel, very useful to know 🙂
We have ants in the kitchen sink area. The sink area is an island with a searing bar behind the sink. The ants are located in that wall. Since this is a food preparation area we cannot use poison or traps with poison. Somehow we need to get something inside the wall to kill the ants. It is possible to go under the sink and drill into the wall. The question is what should we use? Thanks for you help.
Hi Rebecca, yes that is possible but I don’t recommend that you do it, will send you some info via email shortly.
Hi there. Just recently discovered your site. Some good advice. I have been living in a Wendy House/Bachelor Pad in the back of someone’s garden I’m renting from for the past 3 Christmases. Usually around the summer/hotter months I find increased ant activity in my place. I never leave food around and keep my place tidy, but ants always seem to want to come in. While not a swarm it is still a nuisance.
I have had my landlady fumigate inside the roof, I have used toxic chalks (which leaves lots of dead bodies), sprays (both inside as well as outside my place that apparently prevents and lasts for 3 months), as well as ant traps. I’m just not sure if I’m being super fussy (living by myself for the first time, coming from a super clean house with no insects) and basically being spoiled. Anyway, just wanted to share this.
Hi Rigard! Thanks for sharing, really appreciation.
Hello, i have small ants with wings in my bathroom sink..its been on going for a few weeks now..i have cleaned with different types of cleaners and even sprayed raid..still no luck..plz help im annoyed by them and hearing my son scream every time he enters the bathroom is starting to be too much..thanks
Hi MaddyB, might be worth getting a quote for an exterminator, especially since you have tried to sort the issue out yourself with little results. I will email you some details. Sorry for the anxiety this is causing you, hate ants!
I read your advice on getting rid of ants. However, we have become infested with ants in our carpet and bathrooms. I don’t know what they are after. Any advice?
Hi Marti! Usually its food or shelter. Look for scraps that might be attracting them, otherwise follow some of the steps in this article to get rid of them 🙂
hi i have ants in my room and vinegar isnt working and niether is the water and soap??? :O
Hi Emily! Try find a natural ant spray from a local retailer, just make sure it doesn’t contain strong chemicals (since its in your room).
I just found that BiolEan Bac-out destroyed most of the ants and their entrance into the house … sprayed some in the entrance cracks and hit the rest on the floor with it… 99 percent gone and immobilized in seconds. Weird.
Hi Miles! Thanks for the info, I am sure that it will help the community 🙂
Hi, there I have had any problem for a few days I did the spring cleaning method sprayed a mint line to try a deture them. They were gone for a week found a new trail a couple of days ago. They literally seem to be coming out of my wall. Is there something different I need to do to make this stop?
Hi Jackie! Have you tried using an ant trap?
I am finding these tiny, almost transparent ants on my counters, now finding them in my living room. Even crawling on me. I live in a brand new house in Florida. Do you know what type of ants these are? I am currently taking the diatomaceous earth ( food grade) and have a lot of it. Will this work in killing these ants?? And how exactly am I to apply it to counters, carpets and under the fridge? And how long do I leave it there? Also is it good as a barrier? Thank you
Hi Tanis! I would need a picture to confirm. DE will definitely help, try using lavender as a barrier (plus it smells awesome). Leave it down for at least 2-3 days. Good luck!
hi all
Small Camphor pieces is powdered and apply the area where Ants comes.. its a good solution try it out
Hi Ashwini! Thanks for the suggestion, really appreciate it 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I have found what I think is the home of all my resident ants: inside the back of the refridgerator! Last night I sprayed a can of insect poison around my kitchen as well as into the area behind the metal sheet on the back of the ‘fridge. Masses of dead and live ants fell out of their home but when I moved the ‘fridge again today, there were a few ants under the fridge. can I spray something like lavender oil into the back of my ‘fridge? Please advise!
Hey Sue! I would rather suggest that you use an ant trap as I get a bit nervous when recommending direct spraying onto electrical appliances. Just put a couple of them at the back and it should be fine 🙂
Natasha…we have had a problem for the last two weeks. I hired an exterminator and he came once the first week and then again the second week…we do not see a load of ants at one time but a few on my counter…in my cabinets where my dishes are (clean of course) and now in my bathroom and my kids bathroom. Tried vinegar…did not work…Our bathroom is attached to our bedroom so needless to say I am skeeved out. Raid does not work the ant traps seem to be attracting them into rooms that do not have them…I am using lavender soap and water in a spray bottle feeling like a western…one spray here another there on the counter on the wall on the floor…I cannot take it anymore is there an end in sight…will the traps work? Wondering if I should invest in some peppermint oil and place it around the house…I am getting chills thinking about this….not happy 🙁 I too am stressing my family out not to mention really making myself tense. I will not cook until this problem is solved…cannot take a shower without sharing it with one or two ants….do not want to get used to this…really do not know if I ever could….please help…
Hey Jennifer! The first step would be to figure out what is attracting them into your house. Secondly, yes the traps should work. If the ones you have at the moment are not doing the job, simply buy a different brand. It also helps placing the traps wherever you actually find the ants, not in rooms where there are none. Let me know how that goes 🙂
Hi Natasha
I hired exterminator recently and again last couple days ago they came n check. So today I check the cupboard which I’m confused why do red ants attract to my plastic plates? Even they re clean. I have clean and sweep and mop. Even all dishes are clean in cupboard. I found red ants crawl few underneath the plastic plates in cupboard I got furious! I don’t understand how red ants kept coming back to only plastic plates so I grab ten plastic plates are clean in the sink and rinse it with hot water. Tomorrow I will use vinger and water to mop the floor. I ll try put some Vaseline on window shelf . I still can’t find where red ants coming from. I feel like to leave clean plastic plates in dishwasher so ants wouldn’t come back 🙁
Lisa
Hey Lisa! Those ants might be attracted to some sort of residue on those plates, even if there is not visible food on them. Did they come back after you hot washed them? Sorry about my delayed response, please let me know if I can help you further 🙂
Help! Found ants (size of a grain of sand) coming out from our floor molding. Have seen ants marching across our patio, A bit larger. Then proceeded to look further and our fence and house was covered with ants. The handle on our gate, you couldn’t even see because the mound of ants. Checked fence & house and covered with millions/trillions of ants marching. Of course, went to Lowes and bought massive ant killers. Terro, Raid, gel traps etc. Cashier mention that I was in a killer mode and concerned. lol Diligently, I check all areas and still find in our house. Some dead, some alive. Outside, I destroyed 2 nests. I’m concerned what kind of ants we are dealing with. Pharaoh, Argentina, wood, etc. Of course, did my research and their are differences. Ants have one or two nodes in between their bodies and we magnifying, they are so small I can not see the nodes. I have decided to go to our research center here in town. Any suggestions for this annoying problem? I’m a bit freaked out with this problem. I have relocated here to Georgia. Neighbor said, ” You live in Georgia. What do you expect? ” Mind you, we been here 6 years now and have not had this problem . Plus, the amount of ants is unbelievable. Thank you Molly
Hey Carolyn! If you could send me a pic, that would really help me help you 🙂 But as a general approach, maybe try and find out what is attracting them and then use some of the methods in this article to keep them out. Are there any exterminators in your area that can help you with this process? It sounds like its a bit out of hand to use natural removal methods. 😛
We just finished building our house and here come the ants… My husband has been caulking under each floor molding he puts up and after several weeks of ant traps and other methods all the worker ants (some of them also had wings), have disappeared immediately after they stopped i started finding a larger ant with wings… 2-3 each night roaming my hallway. I think they are drone ants. I know they are not carpenter because the head is too small. I can’t figure out where they are coming from. They are too big for the ant traps and don’t seem to to be deterred by the other methods. Am I right about them being a drone ant and how besides killing them with my foot or the vacuum can I get them out of my house? They have been showing up for about a week and a half now.
Hey Molly! It sounds like they are drone ants and based on your description, I think it would be best to call an exterminator to sort this problem out for you. I would be more then happy to help you find one near you, just drop me a message and I will assist. Cheers!
Yes I’ve got a massive amount of ants they are every where under my carpet, inside my walls, under my trim on the floor I’ve even taken the trim completly off and caulked and a few days later they come through the caulk, I’ve even sprinkled black pepper down that does not work now I’ve got a part of the carpet folded back with a mess of pepper and terro in the middle what do I do do I vacuum up the pepper or leave it until there finished with the terro I don’t know what to do I’ve cleaned everything and they still come back I cannot find where on the outside they are coming in they are mainly coming up through the concrete going under the trim and showing themselves I don’t know how they have mad it in the walls in the middle of the house what do I do oh I forgot to mention I live in a downstairs apartment.
Hey Chris! I recommend that you give DE a try as its very effective against all kinds of ants. The best bit is that the powder can and will fall between any cracks in the walls, floors, etc. and will essential reach and kill any ants in these places. You can pick some of the stuff up for a minimal amount and its completely non-toxic. I do have an article about it and although I wrote it for flea control, check it out as you can use the same method for ants. Good luck!
I’m going to make a solution of boric acid and either honey or syrup for the ants I have living in the ceiling of my house. What proportions do you recommend? I’m also wondering what proportions you recommend for the peanut butter and boric acid trap. Thanks for all your help!
Heya! My recommendation is for every 2 teaspoons of your lure substance (honey, peanut butter, etc.), use half a spoon of boric acid. Please let me know how it works for you, either via email, my social networks or even here in the comments. Good luck!
Hey need some help with this ant problem please
Hey Andy! What problem are you having exactly? Have you tried the tips in this article? Would you like me to send you a few free exterminator quotes? Let me know, cya!
Hello! Thank you for your post. I see about 10-15 sometimes more black ants crawling on my hardwood floor in the kitchen area and sometimes in the family room area as its attached to it. I have tried sprinkling cinnamon and black pepper mixture (freshly ground) but that does not help and they crawl right over it. I have even tried mopping my floor with vinegar and water mix but that does not help either. I can’t seem to find where they are coming from as they are spotted here and there in my kitchen family room area. I have tried really hard to look for entry points but can’t seem to find it. Sometimes they snuck up in the natural gaps of my hardwood floor planks. I know that they are not carpenter ants. Please tell me what can I do next to get rid of them? I am just shocked that they came in the first place as I always … Always use to (still do) vacuum and mop my floors everyday after dinner. I also kept my counters very clean. I am just so frustrated now. And I think I am driving myself and my family nuts. Any suggestions on what to do next? Is it time for ant trap? But I am so scared that this will encourage more ants than I see now and make my problem worse and out of control. Also, I am due in a month and really want to get rid of this problem naturally and before the baby comes. Any help is appreciated. Is it time for ant trap? Should I just suck it up and let them swarm in hoping they’ll die eventually instead of increasing in number? Sorry this is long but I really need some help and advice.
Hey Nina! Here is a great solution that I have been using to good effect recently (I should also emphasize it more in this article). Go and grab yourself some Diatomaceous earth and make sure its the food grade. Sprinkle this powder on your hardwood floors, twice a day and after leaving it there for a couple hours, vacuum it up and repeat for about a week. This substance is 100% safe and is not toxic in any way, plus its super cheap and accessible. I have highlighted it in a dedicated flea article but it will apply here so go ahead and take a look at it when you have time (just replace “fleas” with “ants” hehe).
Thank you! Can I use it when I am pregnant? Also will it my hardwood floors slippery? Thank you again!
Hey Nina! Yes, as long as you don’t consume it in any way and preferably wear gloves, you will be perfectly fine 🙂 You may find the floor as a little less traction but while its nothing significant, please be careful 🙂 Hope that helps, have a good one!
I had ants in my microwave. So I put some Terro on some cardboard in the microwave and let them eat it all up. I did this for 2 days and then they were gone, but I found one method that has gotten rid of them for good. Drum roll…..PEPPERMINT OIL…I put a plastic measuring cup (one that I don’t use anymore) with water and peppermint oil in it and micro wave for 1 min after every time I micro wave food. I also put peppermint oil around the wall outlets. This interrupts their smell so they can’t smell any food. I have been FREE from ants in the kitchen!!! Plus it makes the house smell good. I hope this helps everyone like it did for me…Good Luck!
Hey Alex! Thanks for sharing that tip, I will definitely pass it along to anyone who is experiencing something similar (I have a couple people in mind already). Have a good one!
Nina, have the same issue. Very sparse ants on my hardwood floors around my kitchen and living room and maybe total less than 10 over half the house. No trails and not sure if I need to trap yet. We have had flooding so I suspect they are scouts from outside seeking a new home
Hi David, yes that is very likely. I recommend that you just put a few ant traps out (provided you don’t have pets/children as they are toxic), it doesn’t sound like you have a big infestation so this should be sufficient.
GIGANTIC ant hill just found around 3 sides of the electrical box in the yard. Loads of deer, plus I have pets and do not like to use poisons in the environment. Can you help? I’ve been pouring bleach solution on them but this hill is HUGE. Please help….Annie
Hey Annie! Considering the size of the ant hill, I recommend that you use a terro ant bait. I know that you dont like using poisons but unless you want to get the ant hill removed professionally (they will probably also use some chemicals along the way), I recommend this solution. Using this trap, worker ants will eventually bring the poison to the queen and when she is dead, the colony will leave. Simply place them right next to the ant hill and this should happen in a week or so. Good luck!
iam so frustrated because of them so i burn my sofa set…i hate ants.. They always bite me at night.
Hey Nitin! Ants can be frustrating, I have had to deal with them a couple times (fairly bad infestations) at my own place so I know how you feel. However, hopefully this guide has shown you a couple good ways to deal with ants in the most effective manner. Let me know if I can assist you in any way 🙂
I heard from another source if u use a vacuum to suck up the ants, then they will grow and build an ant colony in the vacuum. Please tell me it’s not true! 😮
Hey Sushilovr! Epic name by the way, I am a big fan of sushi myself, in fact I am craving some right now hehe 😉 Anyways, while it is possible its extremely unlikely so you don’t need to worry about that happening. If you are still a bit concerned, just pour a little borax powder into your vacuum bag and that will kill any insect that you suck up, ants included.
Is it true that you HAVE to hire an exterminator? Is it still possible to get rid of the ants (in section 2,part 4) the easy way? And I tried cinnamon and vinegar but the ants still keep on coming. Do you have any other common household deterrent? Also, I have carpet in the house, do these deterrents and tips and stuff still work, any other good tips? Thanks!
Hey Panda! No, thats not entirely true. If you follow the instructions in this guide, you can get relief from ants without hiring an exterminator. If you are finding that these ants are making their way into your home through open windows, etc. I highly recommend that your use lavender oil or the actual plants to keep them away. Of course, you will need to get rid of them once if they have already invaded (as shown in this article) but lavender works wonders at keeping them away.
I have lavender oil. Do u think mopping with vinegar& water & lavender oil will be a good deterrent?
Hey AJ! I never thought of doing that but it will definitely be a fantastic deterrent! I am actually going to try this out, specially if I notice a number of ants roaming my floors in the future. Thanks for the suggestion! One small addition, just make sure that you take steps to keep them off your counters and other areas of your home (besides the floor) and you keep those ants away for good 🙂
Hi, I Live in Galveston, Texas, it is Hot and humid here, I have been battling sugar ants for two weeks now, I don’t know where they have been coming in from up until today. I have caulked every crack and crevice I could find. Sugar ants are the tiniest of ants so they can come from anywhere. Well today I did find another spot where I found them coming in from. I guess I should add, I live in a upstairs garage apt. . The ants are not in my cupboards, they are coming from the cracks and gaps of my cupboards on the outside and my hardwood flooring. Initially I was spraying to kill them. I found this non toxic concoction and it works, 2 cups water, 1/3 cup of vinegar, and 18 drops of essential oil, either Eucalyptus or Peppermint. I used Eucalyptus since it’s what I have on hand. Put in a spray bottle and start spraying. It kills them on contact. As for my hardwood flooring just today I found them crawling in and out. I used Boric Acid and brush and swept it into the cracks of the flooring. I’ve been going crazy because I couldn’t find where they were coming from. So hopefully I have solved the problem. I plan to leave the powder on the floor for several days. I’m single with no pets so not very concerned about it being there. I do suggest using Dawn dish soap and washing down your counters really good to eliminate the trails the ants follow. Thanks for this article..
Hi Pam, thanks for sharing your story! It has been a little while (sorry for the late response), did your efforts succeed?
Hi Natasha! I’m living here in Seattle and i was wondering if you could recommend me a professional ant exterminator or a website with the same services? We have ants attacking from all directions here at our house. I’ve made the trap you recommended and there’s still a bunch of them stealing our food. It’s like it’s an endless cycle of agony for my family here. This country house has been standing since decades and the ants may try to diminish the supporting foundations of this house. Is there a possibility that ants can chew their way through woods? I’m worried. Thanks for the help! I’ll be waiting for your reply! As for the moment, maybe i should replace my dog for an ant eater 🙂
Hey! I don’t actually live in Seattle so I cannot vouch for a service that I have used personally but you can do a quick Google search using your city name and the word “exterminator” and you should be able to find one – Good luck 🙂
Hey Natasha. I have ants all over my kitchen. They are crawling on my counters and dishes. This is where I serve and prepare my families foo. What I wanted to know is, Do ants poison or leave germs that can harm us?
Hey Shara! Sounds like you have a ton of ants that need removing 😉 However, there is no need to stress as ants as they are not poisonous and are very unlikely to leave germs. However, remember that ants sometimes feed on rotton food so its possible that the food they carry around might contain bacteria that could be a concern for health, especially since its in the kitchen. Regardless, I highly recommend getting rid of them by following the steps in this article. If you are still stuck or unsure, just shout and I will assist you personally!
I had a fairly bad red ant problem a couple days ago and I had an exterminator come around and get rid of them for me. Problem is that I was bitten a few times and I think my puppy may also have been bitten. Should I be worried? Thx
Hey Sandy! I presume that these were fire ants? Fire ants are quite a nasty pest and the venom can cause pretty bad swelling on some people. If the pain doesn’t subside in about 60 minutes after being bitten, you may want to go and see a heath care practitioner. By the time that you read this comment (I see you posted it 19 hours ago), if you are feeling slightly nauseous then definitely go seek medical help. For future reference, if you get bitten by a fire ant, firstly wash the area with soap and water and then apply a mix of baking soda and water on the area. This have been proven to give a fairly immediate relief to the pain and itchiness. Hope that helps! 🙂