Kill Ants

Ants are an extremely common pest problem. The occasional ant may not pose much threat, but if a large swarm has made its home in your yard or around your house, the resulting invasion can be more than a little problematic. If you need to kill off ants invading your home, here are a few tactics you can try.

Steps

Natural, Non-Toxic Pesticides

1. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around problem areas. Apply a fine layer of DE anywhere you notice ants gathering in, focusing on points of entry, major food sources, and nests.
   • Only use food-grade DE. Some DE is used for cleaning swimming pools, but this variety usually contains pesticides and other chemicals that can be toxic to pets and small children if ingested. On the other hand, food-grade DE is non-toxic.
   • DE is a natural compound made from ground, fossilized shells of diatoms, a type of small marine organism.
   • The powder is very abrasive and absorbent. Once an ant crosses over it, DE dissolves the waxy, protective coating on the ant's exterior. The ant does not die instantaneously, but it does eventually die from dehydration.
2. Lay out traps made with baking soda and powdered sugar. Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar. Place small amounts in areas you expect ants to locate, including suspected points of entry or frequented hangouts.
   • The powdered sugar is used to bait the ants, as many species of ants are attracted to sweet food sources.
   • The baking soda is what kills the ants. Ants have an acidic substance inside their bodies, and this substance reacts with the baking soda once the ants ingest it.
   • While this tactic is not instantaneous, it can be highly beneficial. Ants carry the food source back to their nest, where the queen an other ants consume it. As a result, you may succeed in killing off a larger portion of the ants.
3. Try cornmeal. Spread small piles of cornmeal near entryways, nests, and frequented food sources.
   • Ants must ingest the cornmeal before this technique can prove effective. Usually, the cornmeal itself is appetizing enough to encourage ants to eat it. If the cornmeal remains untouched after several days, though, you could try mixing a little sugar into it.
   • Cornmeal disrupts the digestive process of the ant. While ants do not die immediately after ingesting the cornmeal, they die a few days later from starvation. Moreover, since the ants take the cornmeal back to their nests, more ants die off in the long run.
4. Spread cream of wheat. Sprinkle small piles of this common breakfast cereal in areas you expect ants to roam in. This can include points of entry, kitchen counters, or any other gathering place you might notice.
   • When an ant ingests cream of wheat, the product undergoes a reaction that causes it to expand. Within hours, any ant that has ingested the food will quite literally burst.
   • Plain, flavorless cream of wheat will usually work, but if the ants do not seem attracted to it, try spreading a flavored version. Cream of wheat flavored with brown sugar or fruit can be especially effective, but stay away from the kind that uses cinnamon since cinnamon repels most species of ants.
5. Spray the ants with vinegar. Put some undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle and attack any ants you see roaming around.
   • White vinegar and apple cider vinegar both have fungicidal and insecticidal properties that can be deadly to ants.
   • You can also spray areas that ants frequently walk across, such as points of entry or major food sources.
   • If you know where the ant's nest is located, pour 1/2 to 1 qt (1/2 to 1 l) of vinegar directly over and around the nest. This will kill the ants quicker and more effectively.
6. Mix dextrose with apple juice. Stir 2 to 3 tsp (10 to 15 ml) of an artificial sweetener containing dextrose, aspartame, maltodextrin into 1/2 to 1 cup (125 to 250 ml) apple juice. Mix the solution in a spray bottle and spray it on any ants you see.
   • This artificial sweetener acts as a neurotoxin.
   • You can also spray this concoction around areas you expect ants to travel through, including entryways and common gathering spots.

Other Household Pesticides

1. Combine sugar and borax. Combine equal parts sugar and borax, then slowly mix in a little water until the solution forms a paste. Apply that paste to strips of paper or cardboard an place the traps near points of entry, food sources, and other spots frequented by the ants.
   • Borax, or sodium borate, is a salt of boric acid. This compound is often used for cleaning purposes and is usually sold in the detergent aisle of a supermarket.
   • Borax can be toxic if consumed, you should keep these traps away from small children and pets.
   • Ants are attracted to the sweetness of the paste and take it back to the nest, where the queen consumes it. Eventually, the borax poisons all of the ants that ingested it.
2. Use dish soap. Combine 1 qt (1 l) water with 1 tsp (5 ml) dish soap and 1 tsp (5 ml) cooking oil in a large spray bottle. Shake to combine, and spray any visible ants with the solution.
   • The oil causes the solution to stick to the ants and the dish soaps dehydrates the ants to death.
   • You can also spray this solution around areas that ants frequent, but it only remains effective while still wet.
3. Use talcum powder. Use a baby powder or body powder that contains talc.
   • Sprinkle the powder liberally in areas where you see ants, especially if you can determine where they are entering your home.
   • Ants are unable to cross through the powder, but will be kept from getting into your home. You will need to kill any ants that remain behind inside your house.

Chemical Pesticides

1. Place ant bait stations indoors. Purchase ant bait and place a station in every room that has an ant problem, focusing on areas where ants gather most often. Continue to refresh the bait until the ants stop showing up.
   • Ant bait works by cutting off the reproductive ability of the queen. Worker ants carry the bait back to the queen, and the poison prevents her from reproducing. As the ants die off naturally, no new ants are there to replace them.
   • Ant bait is most effective indoors. It can be used outdoors, but should not be placed on wet surfaces or used in temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
2. Scatter ant bait granules outdoors and indoors. Purchase and apply granular bait inside cracks, crevices, and surfaces frequented by ants. You can also pile the bait around outdoor ant mounds or use it inside.
   • Unlike ant bait stations, ant bait granules do not have temperature limitations and can be used both indoors and outdoors.
   • Worker ants take the ant bait granules back to the entire colony to eat. The granules poison the ants after being consumed.
3. Spray any ant spray. Purchase a consumer spray pesticide specifically labeled to work against ants. Follow the instructions, spraying visible ants and perimeters in the manner described on the label.
   • It is absolutely crucial that you follow the instructions on the label. Doing so can prevent the product from working and may even pose a health risk to you and your family.
   • Make sure to use a pesticide labeled for use with ant problems. Some pesticide and insecticide chemicals are more useful against some insects than they are with others, so an insecticide meant to work on bees, for instance, may not work against ants.
   • Some sprays kill ants instantaneously. Others coat the ants with a toxic chemical, killing the gradually so that the poison has a chance to get back to the nest first.
4. Call an exterminator if needed. Many ant problems can be solved at home with consumer products or natural solutions, but some severe infestations may require the help of a professional exterminator.
   • The exterminator will be able to assess the situation and determine which chemical will prove most effective against the ants. Chemicals used by professional exterminators are often more powerful than those available to consumers.
   • If you have small children, pets, or other sources of concern, make sure to let the exterminator know so that he or she can take any necessary precautions before spraying your house for ants.

Non-Pesticide Treatments

1. Pour boiling water on the ants or the nest. Boil a kettle or small saucepan of water and immediately use it to saturate any anthills or large gatherings of ants outdoors.
   • Ants can swim, so warm or cool water will not be enough to wipe the colony out. Boiling water will burn the ants, though, which is an effective means of killing them.
2. Set glue traps. Purchase yellow glue traps and strategically place them in areas where the ants typically gather. After a few days, the traps should be coated in ants.
   • These glue traps are non-toxic, but you should avoid placing them in areas that your pets have access to since pets can unknowingly get caught on the traps. This is especially important if you have a rabbit, rat, ferret, or similar pet that is allowed to roam the house.
   • You can also make your own glue trap by coating a piece of yellow construction paper with petroleum jelly or a paste made with corn syrup and water.
3. Smash the ants. When all else fails, you can always squash the ants with a shoe, old magazine, or fly-swatter.
   • This technique will work against visible ants, but if you have a colony making its home nearby, simply smashing the ants will probably fail to eliminate the problem long-term.

Things You'll Need

• Diatomaceous earth
• Baking soda
• Powdered sugar
• Cornmeal
• Cream of wheat
• Vinegar
• Artificial sweetener
• Water
• Borax
• Granular sugar
• Dish soap
• Spray bottle
• Ant bait stations
• Ant bait granules
• Spray pesticides
• Kettle or saucepan
• Glue traps
• Shoe, magazine, or fly-swatter

Related Articles

• Kill Black Ants
• Kill Ants without Pesticides
• Get Rid of Ants in the House
• Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Sources and Citations

See also

• Hire a Termite Inspector
• Get Rid of Ants
• Kill Sugar Ants
• Catch a Queen Ant
• Control Ants
• Get Rid of Termites
• Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
• Identify a Termite Infestation
• Get Rid of Ants Naturally
• Identify a Termite

Read more ...