To get rid of ants, use baits like sugar mixed with baking soda or borax to kill the colony, repellents such as vinegar, essential oils (peppermint, tea tree), or cinnamon to disrupt trails, and physical barriers like diatomaceous earth or caulk to block entry points, alongside good sanitation to remove food sources. For severe issues, consider commercial sprays or professional help, but always prioritize safety around kids and pets.
Ants hate strong, pungent smells that disrupt their pheromone trails, especially citrus (lemon, orange), vinegar, peppermint, tea tree oil, cinnamon, coffee grounds, and garlic, which can be used as natural repellents by applying them at entry points or as sprays. Other scents like lavender, cayenne pepper, and eucalyptus also deter them by overwhelming their senses, making it hard for them to navigate or communicate.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Ants
#1 humans. Humans are the biggest threat to ants. Some communities in Southeast Asia and South America eat ants or their larvae. However, deforestation, pesticide use, urban expansion, and climate change pose significant threats to ant habitats, endangering many species.
To get rid of ants permanently, you need a combined strategy of eliminating food/water sources, sealing entry points, and using baits to destroy the colony, as spot-treating won't work; baits let ants carry poison back to the nest, while keeping a spotless, dry, and sealed home prevents future invasions by removing attractants and access.
You shouldn't squish ants indoors because it releases alarm pheromones that attract more ants to the spot, worsening the problem, and some ants release formic acid that smells like vinegar and can irritate skin. Crushing them doesn't eliminate the colony and can even disrupt their trails, causing them to spread out, so it's better to use baits or natural deterrents to handle the source, according to pest experts.
How to safely and effectively get rid of house ants
No, humans likely cannot live without ants because their disappearance would cause catastrophic ecological collapse, disrupting soil health, nutrient cycles, plant life (pollination/seed dispersal), and food chains, leading to massive die-offs of animals and eventually humans. Ants are crucial ecosystem engineers, aerating soil, decomposing waste, controlling pests, and serving as a vital food source, making their absence devastating to environmental balance and productivity.
A sudden ant problem often starts when temperature swings or storms drive ants inside through cracks and crevices. Easy food sources like crumbs, pet food, or spills will bring ants inside and quickly lead to infestations.
Vinegar only remains effective for as long as the scent lingers. When the solution dries up, homeowners need to reapply the solution in the problem areas to keep ants away. However, it's important to remember that vinegar shouldn't be treated as the main line of defense against ant infestations.
Chalk. A common home remedy for ants is to use a piece of chalk to draw a border around the common entry points for ants. It is thought that this works as ants won't cross the chalk line, wanting to preserve the scent trail.
✨ To stop ants: Apply Vicks along wall cracks, around windows, and door frames. It creates a scented barrier that ants avoid. ✨ To keep cockroaches and spiders away: Put a small amount in dark corners, under furniture, and behind baseboards. The strong smell acts as a natural repellent.
Ants hate strong scents, like peppermint, citrus, and vinegar. These smells disrupt their ant trails and keep them from entering homes or businesses.
Use domes, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap to cover all food items when not actively serving. This prevents ants from accessing food and reduces the scent trail that attracts them to your area.
Pharaoh ants are found throughout the U.S. and have the reputation of being one of the hardest ants to control. Pharaoh ants are small, but an infestation can be an extreme annoyance and a serious problem for those in the food and medical industries.
Each human would have to contend with 1.4 million ants.
Notable examples include a few species of medical importance, such as Solenopsis (fire ants), Pachycondyla, Myrmecia (bulldog ants), and Paraponera (bullet ants).
Top Indoor Ant Killer Solutions
What time of year are ants most active? Ant activity varies by species, but ants can thrive year-round. However, March to October are generally the most active months of the year for ants.
If you simply kill a few ants in your home, others from the nest will follow the pheromones left behind and pick up where their brethren left off. To cut off access, you need to remove any trace of the pheromone trail. One way to do this is to use a sponge dipped in hot soapy water and wipe away the ants in the trail.
Ant colonies send out scouts to search for food sources. If a scout finds something edible, it will return to the colony, leaving a pheromone trail that leads other ants straight to the food. If you notice a single ant today, expect a trail of them soon if a food source is available.
Ants release pheromones from specialized glands located throughout their bodies, and these chemicals can serve different purposes. For defense, ants may release alarm pheromones when they detect threats or encounter danger.