Use citrus, like lemons, oranges, or grapefruit and harnesses the power of d-limonene — the acidic oil found in the peels. This oil is toxic to ants (so it will kill them on contact) and it messes up their trail, so live ones won't be able to find the food source.
Boric acid
Boric acid is a type of poison that can kill certain types of worker ants and their queen within 3 weeks of exposure, according to an older 2003 animal study. It does this by eroding the ant's outer shells and stomachs. It's vital to keep boric acid away from pets and children as it can be hazardous.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a great option for killing ants. When an ant inhales cinnamon, it suffocates and dies. You can use ground cinnamon and sprinkle on the ants' path or around an anthill opening.
Ants hate the smell of strong citrus fruits. Save your orange, lemon and grapefruit peels and scatter them around entry points. It's a natural way to deter ants without harming them.
Better Than Hopscotch: Ants will not cross a chalk line. Draw a chalk line in front of exterior doors, to prevent ants from coming into the house. You can also draw a chalk line around tables on the porch or patio, to keep pesky ants away while dining outdoors.
Two of the best ways to eliminate ants are Borax and diatomaceous earth. Essential oils, including peppermint and clove, are a natural way to repel and kill ants. Food and moisture attract ants, so keep your home clean and dry to get rid of ants permanently.
Use Table Salt + water OR no water. This solution does “kill”. It dehydrates them.
Most of the homeowners choose this solution to get rid of ants as Vinegar does not kill ants. You don't have to feel guilty that you are hurting a living being. Moreover, it is safe to use with young children and pets around us. Do Ants like Vinegar or repels them?
You see, the banana is high in potassium and ants can't tolerate potassium. It will kill them. It's a safe method if you have pets and small children around.
Try combining three parts powdered sugar with one part boric acid. The sugar will lure the ants in and the boric acid will kill them, Pereira says. Liquid is better—adult ants prefer to drink their food—so water this stuff down a little. “I recommend this to a lot of people,” Pereira says.
Poisons set out by humans aren't the only threat. Ants encounter natural toxins too, from new food sources to foods that ferment, so the ant's defensive tactics likely evolved long before the emergence of modern insect repellents.
To an ant, a snack of honey and borax is simply "to die for." Mix one tablespoon of honey with one tablespoon of hot water, then stir in one teaspoon of borax. Create a trap by spreading a fine layer across a small note card or flat lid, and lay it down near the ants for a day or two.
Creatures That Eat Ants
Spiders, such as black widow spiders and jumping spiders. Snails and other hard-shelled organisms. Snakes. Fish and lizards.
lemon is also great natural options to repel ants that you can try at home! It turns that lemon have an acidic oil that toxic to ants and it disrupts up their trail. Squeeze lemon or place lemon peels near their points of entry to your house, such as small cracks and crevices, floor boards or window sills.
Home Ant Control Tips
Windex, the glass cleaner, is a known insect killer. When you have an ant swarm in your house, spray them all with Windex and they will die nearly instantly. Windex can also eliminate some of the scent trails that ants follow to find food.
Carnivorous ants show no such preference. Ants prefer salty snacks to sugary ones, at least in inland areas that tend to be salt-poor, according to a new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Soap and water
Provided you really saturate those little critters, the soap actually breaks down their exoskeletons, and they die almost immediately.
Aside from garnishing your tea, lemons can also be extremely helpful when it comes to combating ants in your home. The smell of the lemons masks the scent trails that they use to get to and from food, and also generally deters them from taking up residence.
Flour. Wondering how to get rid of ants without dangerous pesticides? Sprinkle a line of flour along the backs of pantry shelves and wherever you see ants entering the house. Repelled by the flour, ants won't cross over the line. This is the best way to get rid of ants at home.
Sweet fruits such as oranges, mangoes – and other carbohydrates, such as rice and bread, are favourites of ants, especially Pharaoh ants. So avoid leaving these out in the open for ants.
It makes sense that you want to wipe them out the moment you spot them in your house. However, this might be the beginning of your troubles. Killing ants will, definitely, attract more ants because the dead ants release pheromones that attract or rather alert, nearby ants.
Peppermint essential oil is a natural remedy to prevent ants. Ants cannot stand the smell of mint. Set a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball to clean suspected areas such as cabinets where the ants live.
A line of chalk will stop ants in their tracks
Draw a line in chalk along the exterior of any external doors that lead into your home. Chalk is made from calcium carbonate, which ants hate, so they will be deterred to cross.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is not only inexpensive and effective; it's non-toxic to kids, birds, and pets. And yet it destroys ants, earwigs, slugs, beetles, ticks, fleas, cockroaches, and bed bugs. As these pasts move across the powder, it sticks to their feet and legs only to get into their joints and exoskeleton.