10 Quick and Easy Ways to Get Rid of Pesky Ants (2024)

If the heat of summer is ushering an ant infestation into your home and yard, don’t panic. You may not require toxic pest control products or a professional service to take get rid of these pesky creatures. In fact, chances are good you already have everything you need to do it yourself. Or, if you prefer commercial products that are eco-friendly and work fast, I’ve got that for you, too.

Knowing how to get rid of ants around the house is important. Butit’s also fun to know just how fascinating these creatures are.

Some ants can support up to 50 times their own weight while upside down on glass. Most of the ants we see are workers. They are female, but they cannot reproduce.

Queen ants, sometimes living for up to 30 years, give birth to millions of babies! Male ants’ only job is to mate with the queen. (You’re chuckling.)

Ants are found almost everywhere on Earth. The largest ant colony ever found was over 3,750 miles wide. And you think you’ve got problems?

Despite how amazing ant facts may be, control and management are important for both health and safety reasons. If you suspect you have a serious ant infestation despite measures you have taken to do it yourself, consider calling a pest control professional.

However, most ant problems—especially those teeny tiny sugar ants*—are generally annoying and a problem you can solve quickly with ordinary items you have around the house and garage. Think of what follows as a kind of buffet to get rid of ants. You pick the solutions that meet your immediate need with items you have on hand.

*Sugar ant is a common name that many people use to describe any small ant that is attracted to sweets.

Soap and water

If you have ants or other bugs around the house, pour a 50/50 mixture of Blue Dawn dish soap and water into an empty spray bottle and keep it handy. When you see the insects, spray them with the mixture. Provided you really saturate those little critters, the soap actually breaks down their exoskeletons, and they die almost immediately. Cheap and easy cleanup, too.

Clean, mop, vacuum

To get rid of sugar ants, start by mopping the floor at least once a day. Mopping and vacuuming help to remove the ants’ pheromone trails. Cleaning and mopping will also rid your home of the food and crumbs that attract the ants.

Make sure you don’t leave any dirty dishes in the sink, and empty the trash bin regularly.

Black pepper

To deter sugar ants, sprinkle ground black pepper around the home’s entry points to keep the ants from coming inside.

Cinnamon

Place cinnamon sticks and whole cloves at the entry points of your house and areas where you suspect ants might enter. This not only helps to keep ants away but also leaves your home smelling fresh and earthy. Cinnamon is known to be a useful DIY ant control method because its strong smell acts as a natural repellent for ants. To make it even more effective, you can mix some essential oil with cinnamon powder to create a stronger scent that will deter ants from coming inside.

Borax

Borax, sold in most grocery and supermarkets as Twenty Mule Team Borax and found in the laundry aisle, is pure sodium borate — a natural mineral that will kill any ants that ingest it. Mix equal parts borax and sugar with just enough water to make it crumbly. Place this bait in more hidden areas and corners where the ants are trailing or feeding.

WD-40

Spray any areas where ants are feeding or accessing your house with WD-40. The spray will kill ants and also serve as a deterrent from further access as long as residue from the spray remains. Not sure where they’re coming in? Spray WD-40 along the outside perimeter of the house. They will not cross it because ants hate the smell of WD-40. (So do rabbits!) Repeat as necessary.

• MORE:For Every Problem, WD-40

Chalk

Keep ants at bay by drawing a line around your home’s entry points using an ordinary blackboard or sidewalk chalk. The ants will be repelled by the calcium carbonate in the chalk.

White vinegar

Ants cannot stand the smell of white vinegar. Use it to send them away! Make a mixture with equal parts of water and white vinegar. Add a few drops of essential oil, shake it thoroughly, and store the solution. Spray or sprinkle this solution at the entry points where ants come in. Do this once a day.

While white vinegar will not kill ants, it will deter them from entering those areas. You can also spray it around windowsills, doorways, and other spots where ants commonly appear.

Boiling water

If fire ants plague your yard or patio and you’re tired of getting stung by those tiny attackers, a flowerpot can help you quench the problem. Place the pot upside down over the ant nest or ant mound. Carefully, pour boiling water through the drain hole and you’ll be burning them and their house for good.

• MORE:Get Rid of Bugs and Crawling Insects Fast and Easy Without Poisons

Citrus

The rinds of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons contain a substance called d-limonene, which is toxic to ants. Instead of throwing away those peels, save them to create an ant repellent. Squeeze some lemon juice or place the peels in areas where you often see ants in your home. It will help keep the ants away.

• MORE:What Would You Do with 35 Pounds of Lemons?

Coffee

Sprinkle your used coffee grounds in the garden and around the outside of your house. Ants are repelled by the scent given off by the grounds and as a bonus coffee grounds are good for your soil and plants.

Professional exterminators

While in most situations, natural solutions can eradicate the problem without adding chemicals or toxins to your environment. And then there are the really difficult cases where calling a professional exterminator appears to be your only hope.

Search for someone who is dedicated to using the least toxic products available. Inform them about any specific concerns you may have, like having children, pets, or respiratory health issues.

Certain professional exterminators may include “green,” “organic,” or “eco-friendly” terms in their titles. If you’re worried about chemical usage, be sure to inquire about the substances they commonly use for ant treatments before deciding to hire them. Then do your own due diligence and research before making a decision to hire.

All-Natural Outdoor Bug Spray

Ingredients

• 1-quart water
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cayenne powder
• 1 tablespoon Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile soap, or other liquid soap

Instructions

1. Pour the water, garlic, and onion into a 1-quart jar. Allow steeping for 1 hour.
2. Next mix in the liquid soap.
3. Then strain through a sieve.
4. Finally, pour into a spray bottle.

This all-purpose insect spray remains potent for only 1 week, so use it up

Hint: Scroll down to find a Printable Recipe Card for this spray.

• MORE:Make Your Own Natural Non-Toxic Ant Spray

Ant Killer Spray

If you prefer a commercial product to get rid of pesky ants, take a look at Harris Ant Killer Spray. It works fast, has no fumes, and is super safe around kids and pets. I use this quite often without any worries because it is:

• Eco friendly. Uses clove and cottonseed natural plant oils as active ingredients that are safe to use around children and pets
• Quick kill. Proven to kill ants in 30 minutes or less
• Non-staining. The formula will not stain when used according to label directions
• Indoor & outdoor use. Can be used as an outdoor perimeter treatment as well as an indoor all-purpose spray
• Pleasant scent.Essential oils emit a pleasant, light odor without the use of artificial fragrance

Since I had my bottle out just this morning to tackle a small ant invasion that I needed to deal with pronto, I snapped a photo for you. And yes, geraniums! They thrive in the glorious Colorado sunshine, even when temps soar—and armies of ants appear suddenly, looking for food and water.

Diatomaceous earth

Diatomaceous earth is a terrific line of defense because it’s non-toxic, readily available and it just plain works! Make sure you’re using food-grade diatomaceous earth(NOT swimming pool DE, which has been chemically altered).

Sprinkle the food-grade DE outside around the perimeter of your home. You can also safely sprinkle it inside where you see the ants—as long as it is food-grade, it is totally non-toxic.

If the diatomaceous earth you select does not come with a powder duster, make sure you have one so you can strategically distribute the DE exactly where you want it.

Once the ants (or any kind of crawling bugs) walk in the fine powder they’ll die because the DE quietly destroys their exoskeletons.

Caution: Should DE get wet, or it ceases to be effective, allow the area to dry, sweep it up and reapply.

Bait traps

Enclosed bait traps with pesticides may be favored by certain individuals compared to sprays. These traps attract ants, which consume the bait and then carry it back to their nests, effectively eliminating other ants.

The bait traps may include boric acid or borax, while some contain a hazardous chemical compound called hydramethylnon, unsuitable for children, pets, and plants like tomatoes.

You can purchase ant traps from various hardware and gardening stores or online. To ensure toxin-free options, it’s advisable to check the ingredients before making a purchase.

More from Everyday Cheapskate

Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines

Last update on 2024-05-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API