With these simple, expert-approved methods, you can drive annoying ants out of your home and back to their nest.
Lisa Marie Conklin
Your house is being attacked
Your home is your castle, and it is sadly vulnerable to attack…by a big army of microscopic ants. An ant invasion is inconvenient, but depending on the sort of ant you’re dealing with, it might also be hazardous to your health and your home. And, like with any insect problem, you should not ignore it and hope it goes away. So, what can you do to put a stop to this problem? Do battle in the most strategic way imaginable. We got the scoop from insect specialists on how to get rid of ants and ultimately evict these pesky visitors from your house in a safe and easy manner.
Attack with soap and water
Good ol’ dish soap and water packs a powerful punch when it comes to how to get rid of ants outside. Sebring says to pour one part dishwashing soap to three parts water in a bucket. Pour the mixture directly into the opening of the mound. “The water will drown the ants, while the soap will coat them so they suffocate,” he says.
Keep your home as clean as possible
How do ants know you have food, anyway? They have an extraordinary sense of smell, which they put to good use when they’re foraging and sending scout ants from the nest to search for food. Sometimes, the food source is in your home, and it only takes one ant to discover a crumb and spread the news through the colony. The big problem is that they leave behind pheromones as they scout. “When they find a new source of food, they gather a piece of it and follow the pheromone trail back to the nest,” explains Sebring. There, the colony investigates the food to determine if it’s a viable food source. If it is, a band of scouts will follow the pheromone trail back to retrieve more.
Cut out the sweets
Don’t worry: You don’t have to give up sugar. But you should make it harder for ants with a sweet tooth to discover the sugar in your pantry or on the countertop. Some ants, like odorous ants, are drawn to sugar like moths to a flame. Here’s one simple mistake you might be making: snapping the lid shut on a bottle of honey and putting it away without first wiping off the bottle. If you don’t do this, the leftover honey residue is like an open invitation to ants like this. And a closed lid on a cardboard cereal box isn’t a deterrent for a hungry, determined ant, but an airtight container is.
Reduce moisture
Have you ever seen an ant in the bathroom and wondered how it managed to avoid the kitchen? Ants are drawn to our houses for a variety of reasons, including food. Ants, like humans, require water to survive. “It’s also why you may notice ants in your home during periods of really dry weather or drought,” Sebring explains. “They’re looking for moisture, and because it’s dry outdoors, your home could be an oasis for them.” Moisture accumulates in places such as crumbling window ledges and stagnant water from leaks.
Set up a trap
This could be what you were looking for in terms of how to get rid of ants, and ant baits do work on the most prevalent species. However, they do not work on all ants. “They work based on the palatability and attractiveness of the bait,” Green explains. “Knowing the ant and their feeding preference can really help when it comes to the control strategy.” Carpenter ants, for example, will ignore ant baits since most store-bought options are sugar-based, and they prefer protein.
Location is crucial when it comes to success. Green suggests placing baits as close to the nest as possible so that ants don’t make it to your kitchen counter.
Use essential oils
Studies have shown that peppermint oil can work as a natural solution for a number of pest problems, including how to get rid of ants. “Spraying peppermint oil can deter ants from coming into your home, and if you spray it directly on ants, it can kill them,” says Sebring. Other research indicates that clove essential oil can successfully kill red fire ants. Of course, the fewer chemicals you use in your home, the better.
Evaporate ’em
Agricultural diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring substance that eradicates insects—including ants. It’s essentially made from dead algae that contain microscopic particles with sharp and jagged edges. While it feels soft and powdery to us, it’s the opposite to ants. “The diatomaceous earth cuts the ant’s cuticle and results in desiccation,” says Sebring. For the best results, sprinkle it around the base of the mound. As ants leave the nest to cross the barrier, they will come into contact with the diatomaceous earth and eventually die.
Spritz the path
It’s tempting to smash ants as soon as you see them, but the pheromones they leave behind are easily picked up by another colony member. Because of the number of pheromone trails, getting rid of ants is difficult…but not impossible. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water or lemon juice and water to remove the fragrance. “Spraying a mix of vinegar and water or lemon juice and water on an area where you observe ants can interrupt their pheromone trail, making it more difficult for ants to find their way back,” Sebring adds. For the best results, remove the food source before spraying, and keep worktops, floors, and other surfaces clean.
Use baby powder in ant hot spots
Ants aren’t keen on the soft touch of baby powder. So, sprinkling talc or baby powder in areas where you have seen ants might discourage them from coming back. “Ants don’t like to cross the powder and get it on their bodies,” says Sebring.
Sprinkle cinnamon in problem areas
Cinnamon has been touted as a natural ant repellent. Scientific research backs up the claims, but the study that looked at this technique used highly concentrated cinnamon essential oil. Sebring cautions that household cinnamon probably doesn’t have a great enough concentration to be truly effective, but he says it’s worth a shot. Sprinkle cinnamon on the areas where you have seen ants, or saturate cotton balls with cinnamon essential oil and use them to wipe down known trails and entry spots. But a word of caution: Essential oils can strip paint and stain surfaces, so test how your floor reacts in an inconspicuous area before you use it everywhere.
Spray a pyrethrin barrier
If you prefer to use a store-bought ant repellent, Sebring says the most effective ones on the market contain pyrethrin. “There are multiple pyrethrin products that could be listed on an ingredient label, so look for products with ingredients that end with ‘three,’ such as bifenthrin and cypermethrin,” he explains. Look for an indoor/outdoor ant repellent that has a spray and trigger function, so that you can create a protective repellent barrier in large areas or in tight spots. Ants aren’t your only potential concern, of course.
Seal up even the tiniest spaces
Keep the ants from marching in by excluding them from all possible entryways. “Many times, ants will come up through cracks in the slab or by way of the expansion joint, so sealing those cracks will help keep them out of our living spaces. As for access points, doors and windows are common because there are often gaps and places that have lighting, joints, and cracks and crevices,” says Green. And don’t forget sealing around kitchen windows, outlets, garage expansion joints, weep holes, and any areas with moisture damage.
Seal up the ant mound
To stop up a mound opening, all you need is some basic Elmer’s glue. Pouring it into the opening of the nest will force the ants to go elsewhere. Just be forewarned, says Sebring, that elsewhere could be somewhere else in your yard—or somewhere closer to your home.
