When you see dozens or even hundreds of ants crawling around your kitchen or yard, it’s hard to imagine ever getting rid of them. But killing ants isn’t as daunting as it first seems. You can learn how to kill ants of all kinds.

Our guide will walk you through the process and offer natural solutions while teaching you how to safeguard your home against ants. Ants may be a big part of your daily life, but they won’t be forever. If bed bugs are your problem, we’ve got a solution to them too.

Determine The Best Ant Bait

The best way to start killing ants is to find out which bait works best for the ants in your home. You’ll start by choosing the bait, which you will learn about later, where to place the bait, be it a countertop or behind an appliance.

You likely won’t have to buy bait as you probably have good ant bait at home. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be experiencing an ant problem, would you?

After you set up a bait test, wait a day or so and see which bait attracted the most ants. Whichever bait it was will be the one you want to sue. Remember, though, adhesive baits will appear to have killed more ants since dry bait doesn’t impact the insects immediately.

How To Kill Ants Naturally

There are more natural methods you can use to kill ants than chemical solutions. Ants are naturally attracted to food, which means there are many different types of bait available, and some of which you probably have in your home.

You can always buy ant-killer or traps, but these are the easiest ways to take care of ants without investing any money. Plus, we should use more natural solutions for every purpose. It’s always a good idea to keep it green when using repellants and attractants.

Natural Repellants

Most of us don’t care about killing ants. We just want them to stay away. Natural repellants will keep ants away from areas where they are applied. You should use them in places you want ants to stay away from.

Pepper

Pepper is one of the simplest ant repellants. You can sprinkle it around baseboards or behind appliances as ants do not like the smell. Both black and cayenne pepper work well.

Peppermint

Although we may love the smell of peppermint, it works as a bug and ant repellant. Mix 10 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil with two cups of water and spray the mixture around the perimeter of your room or home.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon also offers a strong scent that can help get rid of ants. The best part about cinnamon is that you can buy cinnamon sticks, so you won’t make a mess when exterminating ants. However, sprinkling cinnamon in problem spots is more effective.

Tea Tree Oil

Like peppermint oil, tea tree oil works well in repelling ants. Only with tea tree oil, you use half as many drops per cup of water. You can also dip cotton balls in the solution and set them where you want to deter ants.

Remember, with essential oils, keep them out of reach of children and pets.

Vinegar

Vinegar is great because it isn’t harmful to children or dogs. You can clean your kitchen with vinegar from top to bottom with a 50-50 solution. You can use straight vinegar to kill ants directly or spray it on problem spots.

Natural Attractants

The following attractants can be used as bait. The thought of attracting ants may be appalling, but it’s the best way to kill them. Natural baits attract ants, so you can poison or spray them with ant killer. You will need to use them in areas you want the ants to gather.

Honey or Sugar

Honey is one of the best ant baits. Ants are attracted to sugary substances than anything else. But honey is used over sugar because it can ensnare ants like a trap, not allowing them to escape.

Cheese

Cheese is a good option if you don’t want the mess that crumbs or honey leave behind. One solid piece is all you need, and afterward, it’s easy to clean. However, it’s not quite as effective as honey or high-carb foods. But if when it works, it’s mess-free.

Crackers

Crackers are crumbly, and ants can carry their crumbs home. If you’re trying to track ants, crackers might be your best option as ants will carry crumbs all the way to their homes. We already know how strong ants are.

Greasy Food

Greasy foods work well because they are usually high in carbs, and they leave oil behind that the ants can track. Foods like these also leave crumbs and smell strong, so ants will know when you’ve left them out.

How To Kill Ants In The House

The area where you’re likely to find ants is your kitchen. People can deal with outside ants, but when they gather in the same place that humans eat, they become unbearable.

When ants appear in the kitchen, you want to get rid of them ASAP. Sometimes, you can’t wait for baiting and repelling. Sometimes, you need ways to kill ants immediately and on sight.

Cornstarch

This may be the messiest way to kill ants, but it’s also effective. Sprinkle cornstarch over large groups of ants. From there, you can either vacuum the smothered insects or pour water over them to finish the deed.

Boiling Water

This works on most bugs. You pour boiling water over ants, and they will boil and drown immediately. Use this method with caution and only in small amounts indoors. If done outdoors, you can pour it down an anthill.

Coffee Grounds

This only works if the coffee grounds are used and wet. They repel ants or smother them. Sprinkle them over problem areas or leave them on a piece of paper. Just make sure to replace them often.

Boric Acid

With this method, you must be careful if you have pets and children. This is one of the few certified ways to kill ants, as boric acid is real ant poison. After you create a boric acid sugar solution, the entire ant community will be gone in about three weeks.

Diatomaceous Earth

You probably won’t have this lying around the house, but if you can find some, it’s well worth it. It kills ants and other bugs by absorbing the oils in their skeletons. This dries them out. Avoid inhaling it when using it.

If you’ve tried everything else and it hasn’t worked, then diatomaceous earth may be your best bet.

How To Kill Ants In The Yard

Killing ants in the yard directly isn’t as easy as killing them in the house. However, there is a benefit to having ants all over the yard rather than clumped up in the house. When they are in your yard, you can spray the entire area.

After you mow the lawn, spray your yard with insecticide. You may need to rent a sprayer if you don’t have one. Spray early in the morning or evening as that is when ants will be most active. Don’t forget shrubs and trees too.

Remember, you don’t want to eradicate ants in the yard, so don’t freak out if you see them. Ants are an important part of the outdoor world. You should only want to get rid of the majority of those pestering your family.

Ant Home Prevention

If you get rid of the ants in your home but don’t try to prevent ants from gathering again, then your work will have been for nothing. You can start exterminating ants before you see them. But if you don’t start until you do, then that’s okay.

Erase The Ant Trails

You may not know this, but ants leave behind a trail that other ants can sniff out. So, if you want to stop that seemingly inevitable ant parade, spray the trail that the ants leave behind.

Just follow them and spray behind them as they go. Make sure you don’t kill the ant until it has made its final journey home. If you do, you’ve lost your guide and trail, leaving ants to follow it once again.

Find The Ant Nests

With that same trail, you can also find out where the ants live. When indoors, ants often live in walls, so exterminating them by yourself isn’t easy. When outside, you can find an anthill and pour a liquid detergent over it.

If you can’t get rid of the ants, you may need to call an exterminator. Just make sure you tell them where you think the nest is for the cheapest and most efficient service.

Search For Entryways

If you want to keep ants out of your house, then you’ll need to discover how they are getting in. Search the border inside and outside of your home for holes. Fill each hole with spray foam or something similar.

If you kill the ants in your home and eradicate every passage route they use to enter your home, you’ve accomplished the task with flying colors.

Keep Things Clean

The best thing you can do to prevent ants from being inside your home is to keep your kitchen clean. Wipe your counters multiple times daily. Don’t leave fresh food in the open, and make sure food boxes remain closed.

If you want to take that extra step, then buy sealed containers for your chips and other snacks. That way, ants won’t know if there’s any food to be eaten. Not to mention, you’ll be cutting off their food source.

It’s a great practice to keep things clean anyway, especially during a pandemic.

Conclusion

No matter which method you use to kill ants, know that you’re not alone. Millions of homes have the same problem. Not every home will have the same solution, so find out what works best for you.