How To Get Rid Of Ants

The summer season brings along a set of challenges for every one of us. Tiny ants invading our home are one of them. Ants are persistent and controlling them is quite difficult. As annoying as they are to even look at, they pose danger to our health & our home. So, how to get rid of ants?  Fret not, here are some simple yet effective ways to get rid of ants and keep them away from your home.

The long trail of these black & red ants attacks our kitchen tops and gardens and doesn’t go away no matter what we do. Apart from the food which is unattended in the kitchen, ants pose a danger to our plants by getting attached to the roots causing the roots to dry out. The red ants are quite aggressive and their sting is painful when they bite humans. 

Thankfully, there are some solutions to get rid of these ants and their colonies and we would like to present it. 

Dish Soap With Hot Water – How to Get Rid of Ants

A quite effective & natural way of treating ants is to mix some dish soap in hot boiling water. You can pour this mixture in a spray bottle and spray it on the areas where you see the trail of ants. 

Ground Cinnamon

Ground Cinnamon is another solution to the problem of ants. The cinnamon powder or cinnamon essential oil prevents the ants from coming inside the house. 

Ant Killer Spray

There are several ant sprays available in the market and we present you our top picks based on their effectiveness & reviews:

Black and Red Pepper

Pepper is a natural repellant for ants as they find it annoying. You can spray black or red pepper around the corners of your cupboards or behind your kitchen appliances to keep the ants away.

Borax Solution – How to Get Rid of Ants

Borax is also an effective solution. You can make a paste of borax, a small amount of sugar powder with water and spread it on all the places where the ants roam. Ants eat this paste and take it home which means you will have to use it only 2-3 times and you will get rid of ants permanently.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is effective in killing ants. Add 5-10 drops of this oil in 1 cup of water and put it in a spray bottle or you can dab a cotton ball in this solution and apply it on the places where you see the trail of ants. 

Vinegar to Sway Ants Away

You can use white vinegar to get rid of ants. Make a solution of 50% water & 50% vinegar and apply it to the hard surfaces, kitchen tops as well as floor. The smell of dried vinegar acts as a repellent to ants.

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Boric Acid

Boric acid kills ants effectively however if you have pets or children at home, you need to be very careful. Make a solution of ½ teaspoon boric acid and add 6 teaspoons of sugar in a cup of warm water. Stir this solution until sugar dissolves and dab few cotton balls in this solution and keep it in different places at your house. 

Insect Repellant Compounds – How to Get Rid of Ants

It is said that citrus fruit peels and cucumber contain the chemical compounds which are similar to the ones used in insect’s repellants. Therefore, you can place their skin peels in the places where there is more ant’s activity.

Common Chalk

Simple common chalk is also effective in keeping the ants away. For some weird reason, ants do not cross the chalk line, therefore you can draw the lines in the places or use powdered chalk and sprinkle it in a line and see the effect.

Apart from these quick remedies, there are some preventive measures which can be taken as part of our daily routine to keep ants away. It is very important to keep the indoor areas clean and de-clutter your house. 

If you have a garden area, good maintenance is necessary to keep out the insects & pests. Trimming the low-hanging branches of the tree, removing leaf & woodpiles from the grass floor, recycling the trash bins & washing them every week is necessary as they can become a safe haven for ants.

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Clean the kitchen slabs where you keep the appliances like microwave, toasters etc. the garbage cans inside the kitchen needs to be washed every 3rd day. Your cereals, grains and sugar need to be kept in airtight containers. Make sure that the kitchen floor & slabs including the sink area are dried up as the still water attracts ants. 

You would require to make some extra efforts as part of your cleaning routine however this is the best way to prevent an ant invasion.