Author:
Lewis Jackson
Date Of Creation:
14 May 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Home with ants is a very common problem. A few single ants that appear won't pose any threat to you, but an entire colony of ants that reside in the yard or around the house can cause a lot of problems. If you need to get rid of the ants that are invading your home, try a few methods below.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: The natural ant killer is non-toxic
Spread diatom soil over the problem area. Sprinkle a thin layer of diatom soil where ants appear much, concentrated at the entrance, main food source and their nests.
- Only use diatom soil used in the food industry. Some diatoms are used to clean pools but often contain chemicals that are toxic to pets and children if swallowed. In contrast, diatoms used in the food industry are not toxic.
- Diatom soil is a type of sedimentary soil, mainly composed of diatom shell, a single-celled marine organism.
- Soil is highly abrasive and absorbent. After the ant has crawled, the diatom soil breaks down the protective wax outside of the ant. Ants do not die immediately, but will eventually die from dehydration.
Set the trap with baking soda and powdered sugar. Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar. Spread the mixture in small amounts in places where ants are found, as well as sites where ants are suspected or concentrated.- Powdered sugar is used as bait, because sugar attracts many types of ants.
- Baking soda is known to kill ants. There is a special acid in the body that reacts with baking soda when ingested by ants.
- Although the mixture doesn't work right away, it can be very helpful. The ant brings food back to the nest for the queen ant and other members to eat. As a result, you can annihilate almost the entire colony of ants.
Use cornstarch. Sprinkle a small amount of cornstarch near the entrance, ant's nest, and main food source.- Before the method gets the desired result, the ant must swallow the powder. Normally, cornstarch is inherently very attractive to ants. If the ants have not touched the cornstarch after a few days, you can add more sugar to the cornstarch.
- Cornstarch disrupts the digestion of ants. After swallowing cornstarch, ants do not die immediately, but will die a few days later from starvation. Furthermore, since the ants bring cornstarch back to their nests, many more will be destroyed.
Sprinkle with whole grain flour. Spread some of these popular breakfast cereal flours on places where ants appear: the entrance, in the kitchen cupboard, or anywhere else you can see them.- When the ant swallows the raw wheat flour, the flour will cause the ant to become swollen. In a few hours, any ants that ingest the mixture will truly explode.
- Flavored raw whole-grain flour without flavor will usually work, but if the mixture doesn't appeal to ants enough, you can use the flavored one. Brown sugar or fruit-flavored cornstarch can be effective, but don't use cinnamon-based flour as it repels most ants.
Spray the ants with vinegar. Pour pure vinegar into a spray bottle and spray on any ants that appear.
- White vinegar or apple cider vinegar has antifungal and insecticidal properties that can kill ants.
- You can also spray the vinegar where ants are common, such as a primary food source.
- If you can locate the nest, pour 1/2 or 1 l of vinegar directly on and around the nest. This will kill the ants more quickly and effectively.
Mix the sugar mixture with apple juice. Stir 2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 ml) of artificial sweeteners containing dextrose, aspartame, and maltodextrin into 1/2 to 1 cup (125 to 250 ml) of apple juice. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray on any ants that appear.
- This artificial sweetener acts as a neurotoxin.
- You can also spray this mixture in places where ants are present, including entryways and frequent gathering locations.
Method 2 of 4: Other household ant killers
Mix sugar and borax. Mix equal amounts of sugar and borax, then slowly add a little water until you have a thick paste. Spread the mixture on a piece of paper or cardboard and place the trap near entrances, food sources, and other ants.
- Borax, or sodium borate, is the salt of boric acid. This compound is commonly used as a detergent and is sold over the counter detergent stores.
- Borax is toxic if swallowed, so keep traps out of the reach of children and pets.
- Ants are attracted to the sweet substances in the mixture and bring them back to their nests for the queen ant to eat. Ultimately, borax will poison all ants that ingest the mixture.
Use dish soap. Mix 1 liter of water with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dish soap and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of cooking oil in a large spray bottle. Shake the bottle well and spray the solution on the ants that appear.
- Cooking oil stains the ants and dish soap, causing them to dehydrate them to death.
- You can also spray the solution around an area where ants are often concentrated, but only if the solution is wet.
Use talcum powder. Use baby powder or talc-based body powder.
- Spread a lot of powder in ant places, especially if you can track ant entrances.
- Ants cannot crawl through the chalk and cannot enter the house. After that, you can easily destroy all the ants crawling behind the powder.
Method 3 of 4: Chemical ant killer
Set up ant bait traps indoors. Buy bait traps and place them in all rooms where ants appear, especially where ants gather most often. Change the trap repeatedly until the ants stop appearing.
- The ant bait works to eliminate the fertility of queens. Worker ants bring prey to queens, and the poison prevents the queen's reproduction. When ants died naturally, no new ants were born to replace them.
- Ant bait is most effective indoors. The bait traps can be placed outdoors, but should not be stored in humid or low temperatures below 21 degrees Celsius.
Spread ants outside and indoors. Buy and spread seed primers inside crevices, crevices, and on surfaces of ants that are often concentrated. You can also sprinkle the bait on the outside or indoors ants.
- Unlike ant traps, ant bait has no temperature limit and can be used indoors and outdoors.
- Worker ants bring bait seeds back to the entire flock of ants to eat. The bait seeds poison the ants after eating.
Spray antsicide. Buy a special insecticide used to kill ants. Follow the instructions, and spray on ants that appear in the manner described on the label.
- It is especially important that you follow the directions on the label exactly. Otherwise, the spraying will not work, and you could harm the health of yourself and your family.
- Make sure you are using ant killers. Some insecticides and insects are most effective against certain species of insects. For example, the bee killer is not effective against ants.
- Some ants kill immediately. Others coat the ants with toxic chemicals, killing them slowly so that the poison has time to enter the ant's nest.
Call an ant extermination service if needed. Many problems associated with ant appearance can be solved at home with household products or natural solutions, but sometimes you have to seek professional help.
- The ant exterminator will assess the situation and determine which substance is best for killing ants. The chemicals used by professionals are usually more effective than those sold in a general store.
- If you have young children or pets, tell the specialist this so they take the necessary precautions before spraying chemicals in your home.
Method 4 of 4: Antsicide-free method
Pour boiling water over the ant or nest. Use a kettle or small saucepan to boil the water and immediately pour it over the mound or large outdoor colony.
- Ants can swim, so warm or cold water will not kill them. On the contrary, boiling water will burn ants and effectively destroy them.
Set the glue trap. Buy gold glue traps and place them in places where ants often gather. After a few days, the trap will be covered with ants.
- Glue traps are not toxic, but should not be kept within reach of your pet as they can be accidentally trapped. This is especially important if you have rabbits, rats, ferrets or other pets that are allowed to walk freely.
- You can also make your own glue trap by covering a yellow craft paper with oil or a mixture of corn syrup and water.
Smashing ants. If all else fails, you can use shoes, old magazines, or fly swatter to smash ants.
- Of course, this will help kill any ants you see, but if the ant colonies are nesting near your home, this damming method won't help you to completely solve the problem.
What you need
- Diatom soil
- Baking soda
- Powdered sugar
- Cornstarch
- Raw grain flour
- Vinegar
- Artificial sweeteners
- Country
- borax
- Granulated sugar
- Dishwashing liquid
- Spray bottle
- Trapping ant bait
- Ant bait seeds
- Sprays of ant killers
- A kettle or pan
- Glue trap
- Shoes, magazines, or fly swatter
