Generally, seeing a couple of ants strolling on the dinner table is not a big deal. That’s because most of the ants commonly found in our homes don’t do any real damage anyway. But, when there’s an ant, there’s likely a sprawling colony with hundreds—maybe even thousands—of ants lurking somewhere. We don’t know about you, but the thought of that sends shivers down our spines. Thankfully, there are ways around this. Here’s how to get rid of ants permanently from your home.
How To Get Rid Of Ants At Home In 9 Practical Ways
Lemon
If you’re thinking about how to kill ants, lemons can’t do that. However, what the citrus fruit can do is disrupt the scent trails that ants leave for each other, causing them to scramble and rush back to their colony. All you have to do is squeeze lemon or place lemon peels near their points of entry to your house, such as small cracks and crevices, floorboards or window sills.
White Vinegar
Here’s how to get rid of ants with a common cooking ingredient. Create a potent concoction with white vinegar and water to repel ants! Ensure that the solution is equal parts white vinegar and water, and poured into a spray bottle for easy application at hot spots where ants congregate. You can also wipe down countertops, tables, and chairs to remove the pheromones that ants use to communicate.
Tea Tree Oil
Although tea tree oil is known for its rejuvenating and anti-bacterial properties in skincare products, the age-old substance also acts as a strong deterrent against ant infestations. Similar to how you get rid of ants using white vinegar, combine about five drops of tea tree oil with water and use it as a spray. If the scent is overpowering, you can mix it with essential oils or dilute it with more water. That said, be careful if you have pets at home because exposure to a high concentration of tea tree oil causes nausea in both dogs and cats.
Boiling Water
Though gruesome, pouring a kettle of boiling water directly into an ant hole will instantly kill a lot of them. The colony can run deep and you most likely won’t catch all of them this way. As such, treat every hole you see within the proximity of your home.
Coffee Grounds
Don’t throw away the coffee grounds after your morning cuppa! Although coffee grounds don’t kill ants, their potent and caffeinated aroma is proven to remove ants from their trails. This method is effective both indoors and outdoors; no matter if you sprinkle coffee grounds at doorways or at crevices behind cupboards or shelves. Coffee grounds lose their potency rather quickly, especially if placed outdoors, so try to replace them daily.
Cornstarch
This common food staple is predominantly used for cooking, specifically to create sauces and soups. But did you know that it’s also a deadly ant bait? Mix one cup of cornstarch with a half cup of borax and sugar, then spread it on an ant trail. Here’s how cornstarch gets rid of ants: The ants will carry the mixture back to their colony, and they will die in less than half an hour after consuming it.
Ant Repellent Spray
If you aren’t confident about the potency of natural sprays, you can’t go wrong with ready-made repellent sprays. Formulated with everything required to keep ants at bay, these sprays can be used on different surfaces from walls to glass. Some even double as a cleaning agent for you to remove dirt and dust!
Ant Traps
Due to their almost-microscopic stature, ants are tough to locate. That said, there’s a way to lure them out and even eliminate the entire colony. When thinking about how to kill ants, there are only a few methods that are as effective as an ant trap. How these traps get rid of ants is by stuffing the baits with slow-acting insecticides camouflaging them as “food”. Then, ants bring the baits back home, subsequently killing the colony when the baits are ingested.
Boric Acid
Also an effective way to kill cockroaches, many use boric acid when figuring out how to get rid of ants. Derived from fruits and plants, this potent destroyer of insects comes in powdered or gel form. Despite its natural source, the substance is poisonous to children and pets, so ensure they never come in contact with it. To deploy boric acid, dilute it with water and spray the solution at conspicuous areas where ants tend to appear, such as wall cracks and seams.
Create An Insect-Free Environment By Knowing How To Get Rid Of Ants
Although not anywhere near as disgusting as cicaks, having ants roaming around the house is still a very annoying problem to have. But as long as you know how to kill and deter ants with the appropriate methods, you can prevent potential ant infestations at home. Nonetheless, it’s important to also remember that an untidy and grimy environment is a hotbed for pests.
Looking for ways to help you clean better? Have a look at these handy car vacuum cleaners that are also suitable for home-usage. If you prefer a more automated approach, check out these robot vacuum cleaners that don’t break the bank.
