Home remedies for ants, how to kill ants naturally, review 14 methods!

House ants is one of such things which are difficult to get rid of, once it appears. Luckily, there are various home remedies for ants that kill them, and if you find the most suitable ones, the problem may be solved forever.

How did it appear in my house?

The reason for ant infestation is the one: it serves as the source of food and water. Another question is where these sources are located:

• open packages with snacks and food;
• trash bins;
• dirt and food residues in the kitchen tables, top counters, etc.
• pet’s bowls with food and water.

If you realize your house is full of invaders, block their access to these sources. Otherwise, their population will continue growing. Whatever the reason is, the faster you start acting, the easier this long-lasting battle will be.

List of natural or home remedies for ants!

Before applying special remedies and chemicals, try some natural way to get rid of ants:

1. Pure lemon juice is not going to kill ants, but if sprayed around their paths, the acid will destroy the tracks they leave. That may temporarily perplex their search of food, making it more difficult to orient.
2. These tiny bugs also hate peppermint smell, so you can resist ant problem, if put some mint oil essential around doors and windows. Another method: mix natural mint soap with water in 1:1 ratio and spray it where necessary.
3. A usual piece of chalk is of much use, if you need to keep the insects at the bay. Draw a line in the places you suppose they enter your house, and they won’t cross it. You can make chalk on your own, there us special powder sold in the nearest stores and home depots.
4. Mix sugar powder and baking soda with some minor amount of water. Put it in places of bug habitation and… watch them suffer. Since ants have some acidic substances in their bodies, it reacts with soda and sugar, killing the bugs.
5. Have a lot of used coffee ground? Put it in the cracks and places where ants enter the house. Its penetrating odour repels ants making them go away.
6. Cornmeal is one of the safest natural ways to get rid of ants, which is especially useful for those who have children and pets. Just sprinkle it in the places where ants go, and it will gradually make them disappear.

1. Cream of wheat is another ant killer. When eaten, it starts expanding in stomach, and the insects die.
2. Vinegar is one of the cheapest effective solutions. First, you may add it to the water used for mopping the floor and washing kitchen counter (or any places where food can be found). Second, you may trace the ants to their nest and pour it with 0.5-1 l of vinegar: that is best way to get rid of ants, because they will be destroyed together with the queen and the house.
3. Mix Equal with sweet juice and apply to the places where ants go. This is a strong ant poison that will start working just in a matter of several days.
4. Diatomaceous earth also scares ants, if put around the perimeter of house or inside. Do not pour water at it, or the substance won’t work. In a week the bugs should go away. As a temporary method to make ants lose tracks it works okay.
5. The easiest way ever is to pour boiling water on ant hill or in cracks and hard to reach places where they hide.
6. See the insects exploring your kitchen and dishware? Wash the dishes and all utensils with water mixed with a drop of liquid soap. It will keep bugs away.
7. Cinnamon in any form is one of the safest home remedies for ants. Put ground spice or cinnamon oil around windowsills, doors and floors. Invaders hate it being put on their tracks.
8. One of the most widespread methods is borax and sugar. If you make a paste of it, using water, and prepare ant traps, in two weeks it will work wonders. Note that it is toxic only if eaten, so it should be applied in places beyond children and pet access.

List of special ant killers

If you don’t want to spend time on preparing handmade ant traps and detergents, there are various ant killers in nearby stores and online shops:

• Terro ant baits, gel or dust have simple contents: this is above mentioned borax and sugar. It kills al common house ants and can be put indoors and outdoors.

• Ortho Home Defence is used to kill different insects. One pack is enough to process 2.000 sq.ft. at least twice. One application helps to get rid of insects for three months. A special applicator and bottle make it easy to apply the ant repellent.
• Eco Defense Organic Home Pest Control is the choice for those who own pets and have children, and don’t want to use chemical-based remedies. Being produced in the form of spray, it is easy to use and may be applied in the farthest corners all around your house. It works in two directions, killing pests and keeping them away from home.
• What kills ants quickly is Hot Shot Ant Bait that exterminates insects within a day. Works good for destroying nests and killing the queen. It lasts up to three months, so one pack will be enough to get rid of this problem for the whole season. Suitable for homes with children – baits are resistant to them.
• Advion Ant gel is another strong ant killer that allows controlling the whole colony, especially, Sweet feeders. Having a homogenous structure, it is very attractant and easy to be spread by insects. Has an impact on all life stages, which makes this remedy highly effective. One application is enough to destroy the whole nest without even finding it. The product lasts at minimum 2 years.
• Spectracide Capsules – is one of the strongest remedies that is capable of killing the queen and the rest ants in the house in a matter of minutes. Has a deep-reaching formula, may be used both inside and outside the house. The only drawback is that it is highly dangerous for children and pets, so you should keep the product away from them.
• Combat Gel for ant killing has a perfect formula with high water content, which encourages faster feeding and extermination. With a syringe applicator you may easily apply the remedy in all hard to reach places, leaving the poison on their tracks. Just in 3-5 days you will observe the improvement, and the colony may be destroyed totally.
• Bayer Ant Killer Dust allows killing the queen and the mound. The dust is simple to use: with a special applicator, you can put it even in the smallest cracks and crevice. Works instantly and is not highly toxic. A good solution for the houses where ant nests are difficult to find and reach.
• Grant’s baits are used to kill all types of ants invading houses and the territories around them . Easy to use:  put the baits in discrete places where the insects live, or water sources can be found. The remedy will kill the whole colonies and prevent ants’ return.

Preventive care

Anyway, the battle with house ants is a long and difficult process, especially, if they have been invading home for months. So you better avoid their interference. How it can be done? Here are some pieces of advice.

1. Clean tables and counters after each meal. Don’t live any crumbs, stains and dirt.
2. Store all the food in sealed and properly closed containers so that ants couldn’t reach it.
3. When cleaning the house, do it fundamentally: don’t forget about the floor, the sink, cabinets and the stove.
4. Don’t leave sweets open – their smell attracts sugar ants.
5. If you have a pet, change the food in its bowl, washing it properly several times a day.

Home pests is the problem that cannot be ignored, because this is the matter of your health and comfort. Getting rid of ants is always hard, but the insects may be exterminated entirely, if you use suitable methods. With these natural ways to get rid of ants you will definitely make the invaders go away.