In this article we are going to answer the question how to get rid of ants in the house. There are thousands of ant species in the world. Depending on where you live, you could be dealing with any number of these ant species.
Table of Contents
Signs of an Ant Problem
Ants are everywhere; an ant problem arises only when the ant population becomes noticeable. If you see a trail of ants traveling from one end of a room to the other, you have an ant problem. Also be on the lookout for larger-than-average ants, which may indicate that a colony of ants in the home has grown large enough to produce a queen that’s embarking on her journey to establish a new nest in your home.
Exclusion, Sanitation, and Habitat Modification
- Sealing: Because ants are ground-dwelling insects, making sure that your doors and doorsills are sealed properly is the best way to stop an infestation. Do-it-yourself weatherstripping, which you can buy at hardware stores, will help.
- Cleaning: Clean your kitchen countertops and appliances before and after every meal, preferably with a cleaning solution that includes bleach. Also clean the kitchen floor regularly.
- Food storage: Store all food (especially sweets) in clean, sealable containers.
- Brush cleanup: If you notice ants coming in through windows, clear any brush resting against the side of your home.
Chemical Control
Ant baits are the catchall solution to an ant problem. Most ants enjoy sweets, so ant baits tend to be made of sweet syrups and boric acid. Place the baits where ant traffic is highest, and within days you should have an ant-free household.
How to Make Your Own Ant Bait Solution
Here’s a recipe for a homemade ant bait solution.
- Mix one tablespoon of borax with one cup of Karo® syrup, heating the solution until the borax dissolves.
- You can then either soak up this sticky solution with cotton balls and leave them in ant-trafficked areas, or you can put some of the solution in a small dish with a rim low enough to be accessible to ants.
Keeping Ants Away
- Sanitation: Sanitation is the best way to keep ant populations out of your home. You may notice a few ants during the warmer seasons—this is almost unavoidable—but as long as there’s no food source, you shouldn’t have many ants coming into your home.
- Lawn care: Pavement ants (also known as sugar ants) prefer to build their nests in loose sand and soil. Keeping a healthy lawn with dense soil will help keep pavement ants from building nests near your home.