Here’s How to Get Rid of Ants Permanently in Your House

How to get rid of ants is one of the most common queries for every household. And why wouldn't it be? 

Who would like the feeling of being outnumbered in their own home? But ants do have the power to make you feel that way. There is an average of at least ten thousand ants crawling around every home right now. If the ants were to grow a conscience and decide to revolt, we humans would not stand a chance because there are 10 billion ants in the world while there are a mere 7.9 billion of us. You can see why that would be problematic. Thankfully, a major portion of those ants is relatively harmless and are only looking for food to take back to their colonies; while they plot world domination. I’ll stop now. But just in case, your paranoia gets the better of you, here are 25 ways to get rid of ants at home.

There are over 10,000 different ant species, the biggest being Dinoponera at 3 – 4 centimetres. You should count the lucky stars that you do not need to deal with them. But if you are already surrounded by these species and looking for a solution to how to get rid of ants at home? Here are certain easiest and best ways of doing it. Let us start by understanding about 5 common species of ants as household pests.

Effect of Ants on Health and Hygiene

Ants are known carriers of viruses, bacteria, and dangerous pathogens, and you can frequently see them foraging for food close to filthy sources. Ants can transmit harmful organisms in our food and take up disease-causing bacteria.

When they come into contact with exposed or unprotected food laying in our houses, they can contaminate it more efficiently than any other kind of insect since they move in great numbers. One of the main reasons to get rid of ants is that having a large colony of red ants inside the house can serve as a breeding ground for illnesses like e.coli, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, etc.

How to Get Rid of Black Ants?

The black garden ant is the ant that most of us are familiar with. Their length is usually between 3 – 7 millimetres and can live up to 15 years. As their name suggests, they are often found in gardens. But they also show up inside houses mainly in kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. The best methods on how to get rid of ants in the house are listed below:

• Clean your house regularly. Usually, ant's head out to look for food and if by any chance they find any crumbs or drops of sugary liquids lying around, they will take it back to their anthill and you will have an infestation by the evening. The best way to keep this from happening is to have a polished and clean counter and airtight containers for all your ingredients, especially the sweet kind.
• Do not leave damp spots. Mainly during summer, ants tend to gravitate towards sources of water to get away from the dry heat. So, it is time to fix those leaky taps and pipes and keep an eye out on all the humid areas of the house like the bathroom and under the kitchen sink.
• To keep the ants away, you can scent the area with peppermint or eucalyptus or any other strong-smelling substance as ants primarily depend on their sense of smell.
• Now, it is time for some detective work. You need to find how the ants are breaking into your house – these can be small holes in the wall or cracks on the floor or even gaps between windows and doors – and seal them as soon as possible. If you are unsure as to where they are showing up, just drop a few crumbs and when the ants come to get them, you can follow the ant trail.
• The trail ought to lead you outside where you will come across the source of your problem, the anthill. To destroy the anthill effectively, use a stick to put two holes into the ground and then pour boiling hot water into them. And this is how you get rid of ants permanently.

How to Kill Red Ants?

Red ants are a lower sub-type of fire ants. They are also quite common around the area. They are light brown in colour and their bites tend to leave a sting which in some cases can trigger allergic reactions. They are mainly found in gardens and pretty much all parts of your house. 

How to Get Rid of Red Ants in the House?

• Prepare a solution containing equal portions of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Then go around your home looking for those pesky insects and spray the solution directly on them for an instant kill. You can also use this to prevent the ants from getting in. Just spray it all around your house, especially in the areas through which you think the ants are getting in. It may look like you are pulling off some kind of ritual but hey! It gives results.
• Get in touch with your sadistic side when you use cinnamon to get rid of the red ants. The cinnamon effectively chokes them. You can either sprinkle it directly on the ants or inside the anthill opening. You can also use cinnamon oil mixed with a little bit of water. Spray it around the house and all possible entry points.
• Another home remedy for killing ants would be lemon juice. Since its properties are similar to vinegar, it is just as effective. Mix the lemon juice with water at 1:3 ratios. And then, you know the drill; spray away. Make sure you cover both the inside and outside of the house. If your neighbours look at you weird, spray some of them as well.
• If you do not have any cinnamon powder, you can try black pepper powder which is equally effective. You can either place them at the entry points so that it acts as a wall to keep the illegal immigrants out or you can go around spraying your home from top to bottom.
• Mint is a plant with a strong scent and hence acts as a natural insect repellent – guess they are not fans of oral hygiene. You can spray mint extract or mint essential oil (mixed with water) in and around your house. Do it repeatedly, at least once a day. For a more permanent solution, you can plant mint around your house. You can even keep one of those small kitchen’s mini gardens with mint plants.

How to Get Rid of Ants Who Love Sugar - the Sugar Ants?

While there is a whole species of ants, named sugar ants; in Indian homes, basically any ant with a sweet tooth is nicknamed a sugar ant. These are ants that are particularly attracted by the sweet smell and hover around the kitchen or directly attack the food containers set down. Either way, they are equally annoying and they mainly appear in the kitchen.

• One of the best methods to get rid of sugar ants is by using soapy water to wipe down every visible part of the counter and the floor where the ants are present or may turn up sometime. This is a proven method to erase sugar trails left by the food in your home. Using the soapy solution not only covers the trail, but it also prevents ants from walking across your floor and walls.
• Borax is a common cleaning mineral and a very effective ant killer. You can spread the powder around entryways and you are bound to land up with a bunch of bodies. However, this method is not recommended if you have children or pets as it can be quite dangerous to them as well.
• Corn starch is a less hazardous alternative to borax. It can again be spread across entryways and areas where the ants show up often. Advise caution even though corn starch is a commonly used cooking ingredient.
• Diatomaceous earth is a soft sedimentary rock made from fossilized diatoms. Again, this can be spread near entryways and outside your home, directly on anthills to prevent ants from getting in. Take the right measures before using this as it is a very strong substance capable of causing irritation in the eyes, lungs and skin. If you have sensitive skin or allergies, it is best you choose more natural techniques.
• Bay leaves act as a very strong ant deterrent. Just place one bay leaf in your pantry and storage areas. Another effective deterrent is cucumber peels which ants absolutely despise.

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ants work overtime on destroying your furniture and other wooden commodities in your home. They do not function like termites, but they bite into the wood, creating pathways for their colony and leave behind small piles of wood shavings as presents. They are usually between 0.6 – 2.5 centimetres in length and appear entirely black, red or brown in colour.

• Carpenter ants feed on wet, mouldy wood. Even if they built a colony in your home, they can be quite tricky to track down because they do not turn up in trails like other ants. So, the first step would be to bait them and then follow them to their nest. They too are attracted to sweets so try dropping a spot of jam and then lie in wait.
• An alternative to this method would be to mix a 50/50 part of sugar and baking soda and leave it out in a dish. The sugar will bait the ants and the baking soda will naturally kill them.
• When you follow the trail and find a colony of ants in your sofa or in any other wooden commodity, you’ll need to get inside it to destroy the ants completely. First, you need to drill a hole where you suspect the ants are residing, and then spray/puff boric acid through the holes. You may have to repeat this process several times for it to be fully effective.
• Carpenter ants leave a trail of pheromones to find food. And by destroying this trail, you have effectively erased their map. You can do this by cleaning your surfaces or any other areas where the ants have appeared with strongly scented substances. You can use the natural scents created with essential oils by mixing it with water and spraying it around, or you can also use vinegar. You can also disrupt the trail by mixing equal portions of dish soap and water and either spraying it around or using it to wipe all surfaces.
• Carpenter ant nests may be quite complicated to handle and will lead to further problems if not dealt with properly. So, it can be recommended to call an expert exterminator to get rid of them permanently.

How to Get Rid of Fire Ants?

Fire ants are the highest in the red ant hierarchy and are known to have caused death in about 5% of the cases where the victim had been bitten by said creature. Safe to say, that we all want these creatures as far away from us as possible. They usually appear in a translucent red shade or a deep red colour and are usually around 0.4 – 1 centimetre. They are usually found in mounds and will aggressively attack if disrupted.

• To treat a fire ant mound, you can try the baiting and mound drench technique. The first step would be to kill the ants deep inside the colony. And the second step is to insecticide directly on the mound itself to discourage further breeding in the future. It is advisable to perform these treatments during cooler time periods when the ants are foraging.
• The best ant baits are granular insecticide as they will kill the pests instantly. You can either target each hill individually or if you have many mounds around the place, you can broadcast the bait. Either way, during this process, keep children and pets away. And this procedure must be conducted on days when there is not a high chance of rains.
• The next step is the mound drench. Use a hand sprayer and spray liquid insecticide directly on the mounds. Or you can use granular insecticide and place them directly on the mound itself and about 3-4 inches around the mound.
• If the fire ants are breeding inside your home, use natural materials like boiling water, vinegar, baking soda or any other material mentioned earlier. The most effective killer, however, is Diatomaceous Earth. Place it in and around your home and other entryways, but it is best to avoid using this on counters.
• Seek professional help. Getting bitten by fire ants is a painful and dangerous ordeal, so it might be best to leave it to the experts.

Stir Up a Stink to Scare Off Ants

Any location's fragrance has a big impact on ant infestation. They can be effectively driven away from a surface by certain scents. Therefore, you are already one step ahead of the ants if you can spray some potent scents, such eucalyptus or peppermint.

They are strangled by cinnamon, which is another interesting characteristic of these ants. To avoid red ants in the house, you can choose to sprinkle cinnamon directly on them, spray cinnamon oil and water on the anthill, or purchase a water combination of peppermint, garlic, lavender, or cinnamon oil that works wonders by obliterating potential access points. When using easily accessible black pepper powder from the market, the aforementioned approach works just as well.

Tips and Tricks to Get Rid of Ants

1. Peppermint

A natural insect repellent like peppermint may work well to keep mosquitoes, ants, and other pests away.

Follow these instructions to utilise peppermint essential oil as an ant repellent:

• In a clean plastic spray bottle, combine 2 cups of water and 10 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil.
• Around your home's baseboards and windows, mist the mixture.
• Once the mixture has dried, repeat as necessary.

Keep peppermint oil out of the reach of animals, especially cats, who can get quite sick if exposed, as is the case with most essential oils. It's possible to find peppermint essential oil at your neighbourhood health food or grocery store.

2. Diatomaceous Earth

A form of silica known as "diatomaceous earth" is created from the fossilised remnants of aquatic animals called diatoms (a type of plankton).

A toxin, diatomaceous earth is not. By absorbing the oils from their bones and drying them out, it kills ants and other pests. Avoid inhaling in or touching your skin with diatomaceous earth, though, as it is an irritant.

Online stores sell diatomaceous earth suitable for use in food. Follow the instructions on the packaging or sprinkle the powder anywhere you notice ants to use it to kill them.

3. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil can be a powerful ant repellent, much like peppermint oil. Follow these steps to apply this technique:

• In a clean plastic spray container, combine 2 cups of water and 5 to 10 drops of tea tree essential oil.
• Wherever you frequently find ants in the house, spray the mixture there. As an alternative, you can spread cotton balls around your house after soaking them in the mixture.

Note: If the aroma is too overpowering, try combining water, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil.

Keep tea tree oil out of pets' reach, as you should with most essential oils. You can buy tea tree oil online, at your neighbourhood grocery store, or a health food store.

4. White Vinegar

An inexpensive and efficient method to kill and repel ants is to use white vinegar, which is sold in all grocery stores. It functions as a natural cleaner as well.

Wherever ants are prone to go, try cleaning hard surfaces with a 1-to-1 vinegar/water solution, including floors and countertops. Spray the mixture on any ants you observe or remove them with a paper towel. Ants can smell the vinegar when it dries, but most people don't notice the fragrance for very long.

5. Cornstarch

Cornstarch, which is common in grocery stores, can be a useful tool for smothering numerous ants simultaneously.

Cornstarch can be used in one of two ways to get rid of ants:

The first technique involves liberally sprinkling cornstarch and water over the entire colony of ants. You can then clear up the countless dead ants that are then covered in cornstarch as a result.

The second approach involves dusting cornstarch on the ants before vacuuming them up. Be sure to throw away the vacuum bag that was sealed shut outside right away.

6. Coffee Grounds

Ants can be repelled by coffee grounds that have been brewed. Consider leaving the freshly brewed coffee grinds on disposable surfaces (like index cards) in pet bowls and other gathering places for ants.

The grounds can also be set on window sills. If you wait until the grounds are dry before changing them, they might lose their effectiveness.

7. Neem Oil

A naturally occurring pesticide, neem oil is obtained from the Indian neem tree. Neem oil is advised for use around plants by gardeners, particularly in areas where ants or aphids are present. Neem oil can be used to kill aphids, which are tiny sap-sucking insects that are raised by ants, thus eliminating both types of pests.

According to reports, diluted neem and products containing neem extract don't function nearly as well as full-strength neem oil. Neem oil is available online or at many health food stores.

8. Boric Acid

According to an earlier 2003 animal study, boric acid is a form of poison that can kill some species of worker ants and their queen after 3 weeks of exposure. It accomplishes this by destroying the ants' guts and exterior shells.

• Boric acid should be kept away from children and pets since it poses a risk.
• Wear protective gloves.
• Make a solution with 1 cup warm water, 8 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon boric acid.
• Boric acid and sugar should be stirred until they dissolve.
• Place cotton balls that have been saturated throughout your house in locations where ants are frequently seen.
• Wash containers properly after use or throw them away.

9. Liquid Detergent or Glass Cleaner

When they move, ants leave a fragrant pheromone trail behind them that serves as a guide. This technique might get rid of the smell and keep the ants out of your house.

Here's how to go about it:

• In a clean spray container, combine dish soap and liquid detergent for glass washing.
• Spray the mixture on areas where ants tend to enter from or swarm around.
• Wipe clean the area after spraying, leaving a faint residue.
• Follow the procedures above as often as necessary.

Note: Using soapy water of any kind (such as hand soap or dish detergent) will probably eliminate the odour of ant pheromones if you don't have access to a glass cleaner.

10. Borax

Despite having similar names and being chemical compounds, borax and boric acid are not the same. Both methods could be just as successful at eliminating ants in the house.

Borax must be kept away from children and pets since it could be hazardous.

Take the following actions to use borax:

• Wear protective gloves.
• Make a solution with 1 cup warm water, 8 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon borax.
• Borax and sugar are dissolved by stirring.
• Place cotton balls that have been saturated throughout your house in locations where ants are frequently seen.
• Wash containers properly after use or throw them away.

What Is the Fastest Way to Remove Ants from Home?

The fastest and most effective way to rid your home of an ant infestation is through professional pest control. Not only will they get rid of the ants from every nook and corner for you, they will also ensure the infestation does not take place again any time soon.

How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of an Ant Infestation?

Once you have an infestation, ants can be challenging to get rid of because they swarm. An ant infestation can usually be controlled within a week or two with some diligence and a combination of treatments that include both indoor and outdoor bug management and ant removal. To avoid their reappearance, follow-up measures are essential.

Why Does Professional Pest Control Work Better than Home Remedies?

Effectiveness is the ultimate goal of any pest management method; you want it to be successful. When using DIY techniques, you typically only treat the locations where a problem is currently present. These products work well for minor bug infestations but often aren't powerful enough or durable enough for larger infestations.

Correct identification is essential for efficient pest control. The type of pest, the extent of the infestation, the size of the house, the environment, and many other factors all affect the proper course of treatment. The guidelines and warnings on the labels of DIY pest control products are very straightforward to follow. Professionals, however, have access to information and training on emerging markets and goods that may not be easily accessible to average consumers. They can offer speedy examinations and efficient treatments because they are aware of the essential indicators to look for.

Pests can develop resistance to many of the chemicals utilised in these products due to their high adaptability. Modern techniques and products are used in professional pest control procedures. They can also take care of infestations in places you might not be able to see, like crawl spaces, attics, and inside walls.

The majority of DIY products are made to be applied to current problems. These remedies are frequently not used until after an infestation has already taken hold. Whether there is a current pest problem or not, visits are required with a competent pest control service provider. When infestations are under control, the technician can apply preventative measures to stop them from thriving in your house.

Worried about ants at your home or business premises? Book your customized pest control service from NoBroker to find out the right answer to the question of how to get rid of ants, and let the experts help you free your home from all types of ants and other bugs

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