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Boric acid is a type of poison that can kill certain types of worker ants, according to a 2023 animal study. Black or red (cayenne) pepper is a natural ant deterrent, as the insects may find the smell irritating. It’s often used as a cleaning product, emulsifier, or insect repellant. Keep reading to learn about how to kill and repel ants safely.
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An Easier Approach To Ant Control
When using any chemical agents, read the label and follow the manufacturer's directions carefully. Keep the pesticides out of the reach of children and pets and dispose of any unused chemicals following the guidelines of your municipality. Professor Michael Potter suggests looking for baits that contain fipronil, imidacloprid, indoxacarb, thiamethoxam, or dinotefuran. For carpenter ants, Potter recommends drilling small holes in the affected areas and inserting boric acid powder into the holes with a syringe or puffer. As a bonus, not only will you drive the ants away, but your home will smell nice.
Distilled White Vinegar
If you’ve seen ants marching in a line, try wiping down the surface with vinegar or bleach to disrupt the chemical trail. You’ve probably noticed ants more commonly come indoors in summer - that’s largely because most insects are more active in the warmer months. Because ants swarm, once you have an infestation, they can be difficult to dislodge. It takes vigilance and a combination of treatments using both home and perimeter insect control, but an ant problem can typically be resolved within a week or two. Follow-up prevention is key to ensure that they do not return. There can be some identification confusion between ants and termites; the two seem similar upon initial encounter, but a closer look can reveal exactly which of the pests you are taxed with.
Bait ants with peanut butter and honey
According to the National Wildlife Federation, there are more than 12,000 species of ants around the world. Pill bugs are oval-shaped crustaceans with a segmented exoskeleton about 1/4 to 5/8 inches long. They are gray to dark brown but often have a shiny metallic appearance.
How To Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Sprinkle some used coffee grounds on a disposable surface such as cardboard, and place in areas prone to ants. These can be used indoors or outdoors, and can also make for a great soil nutrient from the minerals. Mix glass cleaner and dish soap — Combine glass cleaning spray with dish soap in a clean spray bottle. Spray directly onto surfaces or areas where the ants congregate before wiping down to just leave a light residue. Typically, ants leave a scented pheromone trail behind when they walk, which then leads other ants to follow. By removing this scent, you're deterring ants from coming into the home.
Sprinkle a layer of the powder in the areas you've noticed ants or anywhere you don't want them. The diatomaceous earth will then stick to the ants, dry out their exoskeletons, and exterminate them. If you've noticed that ants have started moving into your kitchen or pantry, it's time to take action. Below are several methods to either exterminate the creepy crawlers or lure them away from your home.
Some people use 100% vinegar in a spray bottle or a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar. Various store-bought products can do the trick, but for harmless ant varieties, chemical baits and sprays can be more detrimental than the ants themselves. Try these cheap, natural ant remedies to rid your home of the tiny pests. Seal up any cracks or holes and clear away any food and water they are consuming. Mix a 50/50 solution of water and distilled white vinegar to wipe away the trails the ants have been following.
Hiring someone who knows how to kill the colony is especially important if you're dealing with carpenter ants, which can cause damage to your home over time. A 2019 study found that peppermint oil, in varying concentrations, was more effective than lemon juice at repelling fire ants. Additionally, a 2018 study found that peppermint oil was far more effective than vinegar at killing and repelling fire ants. In some tests, 100% peppermint oil killed all the ants that were exposed to it. When carpenter ants build their nests, usually in damp or decaying wood, they dig out tunnels which weakens the wood from the inside. You’ll know you have these pests by the appearance of small holes on the surface of wood and by the debris they produce from tunneling.
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However, if you find any damaged or wet wood, it could be a sign of a carpenter ant infestation, and you should call an exterminator. “And both species prefer damp areas.” That means showers, windows, and damp spots in the basement need extra attention. The most straightforward and most proactive of all home remedies for ants inside is to eliminate their water and food sources, so they don’t want to be in your home in the first place. Make sure you keep your kitchen counter free of crumbs and clean up spills right away. It’s also good to keep any edible items you want to leave out of the cupboards sealed in airtight containers.
Natural and non-toxic, cinnamon not only kills ants, but its strong smell makes it shine as a repellent, too. It's understandable that you'd want to get rid of ants fast, and the internet is in no short supply of all-natural ant control methods. While there isn't a quick, steadfast way to get rid of ants, natural ant-repellent methods are very effective. Ants also avoid citrus, so using lemon juice to clean or leaving lemon peel around areas where they are entering your home should deter them.
You’ll typically find him in his old fixer-upper, engrossed in a DIY project or trying out a new recipe. You might be tempted to apply a bug barrier spray around the foundation of your home to discourage entry, but Hansen doesn’t recommend it. For starters, the spray wears off and addresses only one potential source of entry for ants. By far the best course of action to keep ants outdoors where they belong is to remove the temptation to venture over the threshold of your home.
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It is important to check insect traps regularly and refresh them periodically to ensure they continue to be effective. Baits have the added advantage of being easy to place and relatively mess-free. Ants hate the smell of citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and oranges, so they're an excellent natural repellant. Save your lemon or grapefruit peels and scatter them around entryways. Because ants need water and food to survive, start by cleaning up in and around your home.
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