Get Rid of Pesky Ants in Your Home with These Proven Tips and Tricks (2024)

Ants are a common household pest that are drawn to food. While each is typically half the size of a paper clip, a large infestation of ants, called an army or colony, can be an unsightly nuisance. Worse, a study showed that Monomorium ants can carry pathogenic bacteria harmful to people, and another study indicates that the pharaoh ant is related to asthma and respiratory allergies. That's even more reason to get rid of ants around your home. Use these ant-deterring tactics, both store-bought and natural, to keep your home pest-free.

How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Home: Store-Bought Remedies

1. Ant Traps

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to get rid of ants is by purchasing small plastic ant traps. Place the traps by door thresholds, window sills, and baseboards to lure the ants as soon as they enter your home. Because ants are attracted to the scent of food, place traps by trash cans or on countertops to catch the pests before they sneak into any leftovers.

2. Borax Solution

To create DIY ant bait, mix 2 Tbsp. of Borax with 1/4 cup honey or corn syrup (ants often have a sweet tooth). Place 1 tsp. of the mixture on an index card or piece of cardboard and place it wherever you see ants in your home. The sweetness of the honey and corn syrup will attract the ants, and the Borax will kill them over time. Plus, because the Borax doesn't kill the ants immediately, it allows them time to bring the solution back to their colony, resulting in fewer ants entering your home. Make sure to replace the index cards every few days.

3. Gel Ant Traps

Because of its sticky texture, gel bait traps are ant magnets. Gel ant traps can be purchased at your local hardware store, and they come in many shapes and sizes. You can use sealed gel traps that have small openings for the ants to enter or purchase a syringe-shaped applicator to place the gel on baseboards or in cracks where the ants are entering.

Natural Methods for Repelling Ants

Start by identifying what attracts ants indoors. Observe the trail they walk and consider if there are food or water sources along their route. Whether it is a sticky drop of honey or a spoon under the sink, find what they're looking for and remove it. Never leave food out on open surfaces. Put leftovers in sealed glassware or in the refrigerator. If you are lucky, the ants will move out on their own once you remove the source of attraction. If they don't, try these remedies.

1. Distilled White Vinegar

A white vinegar and water solution is a common method to wipe out ants for good. Ants don't like the smell of vinegar. It not only repels them; it can also kill them. Depending on how strong you want your solution to be, mix at least one part vinegar and three parts water. Some people use 100% vinegar in a spray bottle or a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar.

Ants search for food using pheromones, leaving a trail for other ants to follow. To get rid of the trail, spray this mixture anywhere you spot ants. Don't forget any entry points, like window sills, backdoors, or baseboards. Use the solution to wipe down and sanitize surfaces. If used once a week or so, you should see a marked improvement.

2. Citrus Fruits

Ants hate the smell of citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and oranges, so they're an excellent natural repellant. Save your lemon or grapefruit peels and scatter them around entryways. They act as natural deterrents without causing ants any harm. Or, scatter citrus essential oils (especially lemon eucalyptus oil) around your home for a more concentrated and less visible way to deter ants.

3. Peppermint Oil

"Peppermint oil is one of the best household remedies for creeping critters in your home or garden. The odor of peppermint is strong enough to ward off insects—ants, flies, and mosquitoes—without being pungent enough to cause headaches or nausea," suggests Harry Peters of the UK-based cleaning site Tidy Choice. "It can be used in the house or garden to prevent unwanted pests from entering your home. You can add peppermint essential oil to your homemade household products or spray it on doorways, window sills, and baseboards to keep pests out of your home."

Another option is to use an oil incense burner near the ant infestation source to keep them from coming back.

4. Cinnamon

Studies show that cinnamon has a compound known as trans-cinnamaldehyde that effectively repels and kills ants. Place ground cinnamon around common entryways and its strong smell will act as a natural repellent. You can also coat cotton balls with cinnamon powder or cinnamon oil and place them near ant-prone areas.

5. Salt

Spread table salt near nooks and corners to keep ants away. A line of salt creates a barrier that repels ants, and while it may not kill them, a thicker line of salt will temporarily repel them. A spray of salt water solution can also help deter ants by dehydrating their exoskeletons.

6. Cayenne or Black Pepper

Like many people, ants find the smell of raw pepper to be irritating. Sprinkle pepper around the areas where ants access the house. Or, according to a Texas A&M study, for a more permanent fix, create a water and pepper solution and spray it directly onto the ants. A Texas A&M study found that a water and pepper solution was effective at killing ants.

7. Coffee Grounds

Pest experts indicate that ground coffee keeps ants away. Researchers tested three varieties of coffee on three species of ants. They found that Arabian coffee has the highest mortality rate among three types of ants: ghost ant, big-headed ant, and pharaoh ant. For the best results, brew a fresh pot of coffee and pour a wide line of the used grounds near corners and windows where you find ants in your home. Plus, the coffee grounds also help to repel worms, snails, and slugs. Make sure to repeat multiple times or pair with another technique because the strength of the grounds will lessen as they dry throughout the day.

8. Baking Soda and Powdered Sugar

Mix of equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar in a shallow container and place in areas with heavy ant traffic. Or, similar to other tactics, sprinkle the mixture in a thick line by baseboards and window sills. The powdered sugar attracts the ants, and the sodium in the baking soda works to dehydrate the ants' exoskeletons.

How to Keep Ants Out of Your House

• Seal all entry points. Caulk and seal any cracks or exposed crevices where ants can access the house.
• Keep sweets in airtight containers, tightly wrapped with foil or plastic, or in the fridge.
• Regularly clean countertops, floors, cabinets, and pantries. Also, keep pet food properly stored between meals and regularly clean pet bowls.
• Take out the trash and make sure that the trash cans are covered. Inspect the cans for residue that might linger after taking the garbage out and clean them regularly.

Brittany Hampton, COO of Massachusetts-based disinfecting and cleaning company Purifly, explains while it's logical to think that cleaning products would kill bugs too, "people may be surprised to learn that disinfectants, sanitizers, and most under-the-sink cleaning agents are not rated to terminate ants or household pests. If someone's best efforts to use environmentally sound solutions aren't working, a local pest control company should offer the safest option for the customer's specific needs and location." Pest control companies can quickly identify the type of species you are dealing with, survey the extent of the damage, and suggest effective long-term remedies.