How to get rid of Ants – Naturally, Easily and Permanently
2 Answers
Answer :
So, you want to get rid of Ants from your home? Maybe Ants are marching in your kitchen, Right? and They keep on coming. it seems there is no end of their trail. So what to do in this situation?
Generally, Ants comes in a colony to find water, crumbs or warm place to make a new shelter. They travel through kitchen, bathroom, cracks or windows and they make sure that they will stay at your home for a long time. It can damage your property, plant, spoil your food or it can give you severe itchy crawly skin.
As per the Antweb.org, there are more than 16000 Ants in the world and number is increasing day by day (new species are found every now and then). Most common house Ants are Pavement, Ghost, crazy, carpenter, rover, Fire, Argentine, Odorous acrobat, and pharaoh.
So is there any way to keep your House free from Annoying ants?
Yes, there are some cheap, natural ways, which will help you to remove all ants from your home and that too without killing them. Either you can learn this way and become a pro or ask professionals for the help.
If I am at your place then I would choose to become pro instead of wasting money on professionals.
Professionals use pesticides which are harmful to humans and the chemicals are toxic, which is harmful to environment.
You can use these simple Natural ways to get rid of ants and that too without even killing them. These tricks can work effectively across the globe no matter where you live.
Here are some tips which will help you to get rid of Ants permanently.
Lemon
You don’t need to use toxic chemicals when you have lemon in your house. It will make your home Antproof. Ants don’t like the scent of lemon and its acidic property keeps away the trail of ants. It also helps to remove Cockroaches and Fleas. Lemons will give a message to the ants that they are not welcomed in your residence and they should not dare to enter the home.
How to use lemon to repel ants?
Squeeze Lemon Juice and pour it indoor thresholds, windowsills, cracks in the kitchen and other possible areas.
Also, Squeeze Lemon Juice into the possible ant’s entries.
Pour Lemon essential oil on cotton balls and keep it in Kitchen, cabinets, drawers, study table and other areas (if needed).
Cut lemon into small pieces and scatter it on the entrance of the home and back door of a kitchen (outdoor).
Squeeze 4 or 5 lemons and mix it with water to clean your floors. It will make your home ant proof.
White Vinegar
Ants don’t like the smell of White Vinegar, it gives a clear indication to the ants to leave the house. It also hides the scent their trail, which makes them confuse and they will forget directions. It is cheap, reliable and nontoxic.
How to use white vinegar to get rid of ants?
Mix water and white vinegar in equal amount and pour it in a Spray bottle.
Spray it on Anthills or directly on the ants to kill them.
Wipe it after an hour or two with damp paper towel and discard them.
Also, spray it on windowsills, doorways and other possible entries of Ants.
You can also use white vinegar as cleaner. Clean your kitchen top, floors, window and other areas with a solution of vinegar. It is excellent household cleaner and keeps away bad bugs and irritating insects away.
Precautions: Don’t use an excessive amount of white vinegar on Plant as it will change the PH of Soil. It will difficult for the plant to grow or it can kill a live plant.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon can work as entry barrier and it will discourage ants to enter into your home. It will not kill ants but it makes them confuse and likely to change their routes.
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications has published a study in 2014 that Cinnamon essential oil can work as insects repellant.
Make a mixture of Cinnamon essential oil (½ tablespoon oil and cup of water)
Soak a cotton ball in the mixture and wipe the ant entrance and other possible areas.
You can also use this mixture in a spray bottle and spray it windows, doors and on all possible areas.
Tip: use it only on affected areas and the entrance of ants.
Chalk
A normal blackboard chalk can be used to keep away the ants. Many people forgot that chalk is made of calcium carbonate and ants do not prefer to cross the lines of chalk or walk through a chalk line as they will not able to follow scent trails left by others.
How to use chalk to remove ants?
Draw a line of chalk on the entry point of Ants.
Create a line around the plant and pots.
If ants are already in your kitchen then draw a link over the entrance and use white vinegar or lemon and wipe affected areas.
Precaution: Many ant killer chalks are available in the market which contains chemicals. Children can make mistakes and use it as a normal chalk. There is no need to use toxic chalk as normal chalk work as effectively as Hazardous Chalks.
Peppermint
Just like the cinnamon, Peppermint to work as an ant repellent. It won’t kill ants but it discourages ants to enter the home. Use peppermint essential oil and add it in a spray bottle with a good amount of water. Spray it on the affected area and it will keep ants away from your kitchen. You can also spray this mixture in a kitchen sink, behind the walls or between the walls.
Answer :
Boric Acid
Boric Acid works as poison and it will kill ants from your home. It is cheap and easily available nearby your areas. When Ants eats boric acids, it damages its stomachs and kills the ants. It is natural and you can use in windowsills, wall cracks, behind the walls, plants, or in a carpet.
How to use boric acid powder to kill ants?
Take one tablespoon of water and one cup of water.
Pour it into a water bottle and Spray it in affected areas, entrance, windowsills and other possible areas.
You also mix boric acid with honey, sugar or jelly-like stuff make a paste and leave it for the ant to eat it. It will kill insects eventually.
Precautions: However boric acid is nontoxic but it should not be consumed by humans or animals. It can make some serious damage if it’s eaten by humans. Also, don’t use where children’s are playing.
Borax
If you are thinking that Boric acid and Borax are the same then you are wrong. Both are completely different but both can kill the ants.
How to treat ants with borax?
Method-1
Take ½ cup Borax with 1 cup sugar and add some water (hot water).
Mix it well and pour it into affected areas, creak, windows and kitchen
Method-2
Take Borax with Jelly or Honey and put it near the ant’s trail. Jelly or honey attracts the ants and Borax will kill the ants.
Method-3
If you know the entrance of the ants then sprinkle borax powder directly on it. It will prevent the entry and kill more ants.
Note: it can work very well against carpenter ants.
Precautions: Borax defiantly kills ants permanently but it can be toxic to pets if they consumed it. So keep it away from pets and children.
Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth or DE is the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton. It looks like off-white talk like powder. DE has sharp edges which cut the exoskeleton of ants and absorb body moisture. Eventually, insects die due to dehydration.
How to get rid of ants with Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth?
You can sprinkle DE into Kitchen, windowsills, bathroom, on Anthills or any other area which is affected.
You can also sprinkle it around the plant. It can take some time to get rid of ants but it will clear areas after a couple of days.
Baking soda
Baking soda is yet another nontoxic and natural way to kill ants. It is easily available everywhere and its acidic substance reacts with baking soda and ultimately kills the ants.
How to kill ants with baking soda?
Mix equal amount of baking soda with powder sugar and mix it well. Sugar will attract ants and baking soda will kill ants when they eat it. Pour mixture, where ants are marching or else pour it on the entrance of the ant.
If you are not able to find ants entrance then pour it on ant trails as they will take their nest and will do your job.
Talcum Powder
Talcum powder or baby powder cannot kill the ant but it can work as repellent. Just make powder lines where ants are marching and ants will not cross the lines. They cannot follow the trail left by others. You can use any form of talc which is easily available in your home.