6 Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Ants

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There’s nothing like walking into your kitchen first thing in the morning, bleary eyed and ready for your morning cup of coffee only to find that your home has been invaded. As common household pests go, ants can try a homeowner’s patience. A survey conducted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) found that ant infestations are on the rise across the country, making ants America’s number one nuisance bug. Get rid of these foraging insects using eco-friendly remedies made from household items found in your pantry or at the supermarket.

Ants want the same thing any creature does: water, food, and shelter. Which is why these bite-sized bugs have a habit of invading our homes. And whilst these tiny insects aren’t harmful or hazardous to health they can often be an unpleasant sight, or worse, chew their way through important electrical wiring.

Mint

Peppermint is a natural insect repellant. You can plant mint around your home or use the essential oil of peppermint as a natural remedy for control of ants. Ants hate the smell, and your home will smell minty fresh! Plant mint around entryways and the perimeter of your home. Place a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball and use it to wipe suspected areas. You can also place a peppermint oil cotton ball in areas such as cabinets where the ants frequent.

Vinegar and Water

Vinegar mixed with water can repel and kill ants. It’s also not dangerous to humans unless you have an allergy. The only drawback is the smell it leaves behind. Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Then spray the mixture on any entry points that ants may use to gain access to your house, such as windows and doors. This is effective for all ants in general as a preventive measure to repel them. You can also spray it directly on the insects to kill them, though this won’t help you target a colony or queen. This mixture is nontoxic and totally safe to use indoors.

Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray it directly on the ants to kill them, then wipe up the ants using a damp paper towel and discard them. You can also use vinegar and water as a deterrent; spray it around your windowsills, doorways and other places where you see ants coming inside.

Baking soda / Baby powder

How it works: Baking soda and baby powder both suffocate ants by clogging their spiracles, which are pores in their exoskeleton that they need to breathe. If ingested, baking soda will create a chemical reaction inside the ant that kills it.

What to do:

Step 1: Sprinkle either baking soda or baby powder inside the ant nest or anthill, all around the nest, along ant trails, and anywhere else you’ve seen a lot of ants.
Step 2: Create a barrier of baking soda or baby powder around your outdoor living spaces, potential entry points into your home, and indoor food sources. Ants may cross the barrier, but they should die soon after.
Step 3: For more widespread control, mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar to create an ant bait. Ants will be attracted to the sugar and eat it, then take it back to the nest for other ants to eat it, too. They’ll ingest the baking soda with the sugar and die.

Downsides: Baby powder is safe to use anywhere, but baking soda can dry out your grass and soil. Water will wash away either one, so you have to reapply after rain or watering your lawn.

Lemon Juice

Just like vinegar, lemon juice also seems to destroy the scent trails that ants follow. Try mixing up a solution of 1 part lemon juice to 3 parts water and use as an all-purpose spray. Spray the lemon solution around entryways and the perimeter of your home, or any areas where you see ants.

Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) also works well as an ant repellent. This powder is the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton. The microscopic razor sharp edges of DE can cut through the ants’ exoskeletons, gradually causing their body to dry out.

Gently sprinkle a thin layer of DE on windowsills, beneath the fridge, under cabinets, in and around garbage cans and any other places where you see ants.
Repeat once daily until all the ants are gone.

Soapy water

The soap breaks down ants’ cell membranes and destroys the protective wax coating that keeps them from losing water and dehydrating to death. If you add oil, the oil will clog ants’ spiracles (which they need to breathe) and suffocate them.

Step 1: Combine 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap or ¼ cup of Castile soap for every quart of water. You can add canola oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil to make the mixture even more effective.
Step 2: Spray soapy water directly on any ants you see outside the nest to kill them on contact.
Step 3: Pour the solution into anthills in your yard (or indoor ant nests, if possible) to kill the ants remaining underground.
Step 4: Repeat spraying and pouring the solution as needed. Soapy water will only kill ants it comes in direct contact with, and it has no lasting residual effects.

Soap can damage some plants, so you have to be careful about applying it in the lawn and garden.

Cayenne Pepper or Black Pepper

Ants hate cayenne pepper. Black pepper will work just as well too. Locate the source of the ant infestation problem, sprinkle some pepper around that area and if possible, create a wall that will stop the ants from accessing your household. An alternative solution is to mix some pepper with water and spray the resulting solution at the ants. The pepper won’t kill the ants but it sure will deter them from returning.