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Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ants Fast

  • June 02, 2017

Ants may be a crucial component of the ecosystem, but they are not a welcome visitor at picnics or in your kitchen. Every spring they reappear and are viewed as invasive species by many home owners. If left unchecked they can inflict considerable property damage, and certain species of ants pack a painful bite. This is a real danger in areas where fire ants are prevalent.  

A quick visit to any hardware store reveals how seriously people take ant infestations. Shelves are lined with various traps, baits and poisons designed to get rid of ants. Unfortunately, many of these ant control methods rely on toxins that you don’t actually want in your house. 

There are several common sense measures you can take to rid your household. The Healthy Home Economist provided a number of useful strategies to fight off ants without damaging the environment, or endangering children and pets. 

The best way to keep ants at bay is to keep them out of your house in the first place. Carpenter ants are drawn to moldy and damp wood. They can inflict serious damage on a home because they often build their nests in wooden structures such as walls and support beams. Sealing cracks and holes may keep them out in the first place. 

Another huge step is to remove sources of food. Their name may imply otherwise, but a large percentage of carpenter ants’ diet consists of unattended food, food residue and dead insects. Unattended food and crumbs are a buffet for these persistent insects.  A clean home is a less desirable residence for ants. 

Removing sources of moisture and water from the vicinity of your home can also help. Ants establish their colonies in materials that are near a source of food. Remove tree stumps, wood, branches and other debris from near your homes. These are their preferred colony building materials. 

Pavement ants usually live and breed under pavement and inside cracks; hence, their name. These ants will eat anything. Their diet consists of insects, grease, seeds, meat, bread, nuts and other food items. Usually, pavement ants don’t entirely pose a health threat, but if left alone, they may spread bacteria because of the dirt they leave behind in the food they’ve crawled on.

Of course, many of you have implemented all of these tips and are still overrun by ants. The good news is that there are powerful natural ant baits that can be used in place of the store bought toxic traps. Cayenne pepper is particularly effective at repelling ants and has the added benefit of deterring rodents. 

Spraying lemon water in areas where ants are found is a traditional and effective means of solving an insect infestation. Cinnamon is an effective home remedy that can be found in most pantries. Ants not only hate the strong smell of cinnamon, but this spice also distorts their senses and prevents them from following the pheromone trails. When using cinnamon powder, simply sprinkle it in openings where you suspect the ants are entering your home. You can also use the powder to draw barriers on walls.

Cucumber pieces are a surprising defense against ants. They are physically repelled by this vegetable and you can place small pieces by holes or openings where you suspect ants are entering your home. Crushed mint leaves can also be used to form a final line of defense against the redoubtable ant.