How to Get Rid of Ants and Keep Them Away For Good

Ants are intelligent, strong, social creatures, but that doesn’t mean you want them in your home. Before you rush to call an exterminator for ants, there are several things you can do to address the problem and make a plan for preventing bigger infestations later. 

We’ve compiled these helpful tips, including how to get rid of ants in your kitchen, one of the most likely places they appear, but these methods can work anywhere in your house. 

What Is The Easiest Way to Get Rid of Ants?

The easiest way to get rid of ants is a combined approach of bait and thorough cleaning. When you notice the first signs of ants, you should put out an ant trap and avoid killing any ants, so they can take the bait back to the colony. From there, you should thoroughly clean any of the areas you’ve seen them. 

You should dispose of any open food packages or secure them in an air-tight container ants can’t infiltrate. If you suspect you have a moisture problem, consider adding a dehumidifier to make the area less hospitable to ant populations. Tracie Crite, an experienced property manager and Chief Marketing Officer for HEAVY Equipment Appraisal, added, “The main mistake homeowners make in pest control is refusing to address scout ants. The initial ants discover food and continue attracting hundreds of ants from their group. The swiftness of actions determines the difference in results.”

Identify the Type of Ants You’re Dealing With

Identifying indoor pests is a vital first step in eliminating them. Knowing the type of ant you’re dealing with can save you time and energy because it allows you to take a targeted approach. However, it can be difficult to identify different ant types due to their small size, especially if you’re not experienced with entomology. 

Magnification is an excellent tool for ant identification, as it allows you to examine the ant’s features in greater detail. These are the most common types of ants and their characteristics:

• Carpenter ants: Typically a ¼ to ½ inch long, have one node, no stinger, black, brown or red in color, and most likely to nest in damp wood or walls
• Fire ants: 1/16 to 1/4 inch long, have two nodes and a stinger, red with a darker brown abdomen, most common in the Southeastern and Southwestern US
• Little black ants: 1/16 inch long, have two nodes and a stinger, black color, found most in the Southwestern US
• Pavement ants: ⅛ long, have two nodes and a stinger, light brown or black with paler legs and antennae, most common in the West Coast, Midwest, and Northwestern regions of the country

Some ants, like odorous house ants, may emit a strong odor when squished, so using all your senses can further help with the identification process. 

Is It Ants or Termites?

Ants and termites bear a striking similarity, so it’s important to confirm you’re actually dealing with ants before taking any action. Here are a few of the defining characteristics that separate termites and ants. 

Ants

Ants typically have the following characteristics:

• Defined waists
• Bent antennae
• Long legs
• Front wings will be longer than back wings 

Termites

Termites, on the other hand, exhibit the following characteristics:

• Thick, undefined waist
• Straight antennae
• Shorter legs
• All wings will be the same length

Chemical Solutions for Ant Control

Once you’re sure you have an ant infestation, you can start considering chemical solutions to control and eliminate the population. The best chemical solutions will combine indoor and outdoor applications to target all your local colonies.

How to Get Rid of Indoor Ants

You can set up borax ant bait and other liquid bait stations near food sources and entry points. Because ants are social creatures, they tend to congregate in the same area and return food to the colony. We recommend placing bait stations near drains, inside kitchen cabinets, behind appliances, and around wall openings but exercise caution and keep them out of reach of pets and children.

Bait stations are relatively affordable and long-lasting, allowing you to maintain them year-round and prevent further infestation once you control it. 

Indoor bait stations can be combined with non-repellent sprays, which can be undetectable and slow-acting. This allows the ant to return more poison to the larger colony.

How to Rid of Outside Ants

Granules and on-contact ant sprays can target outdoor ant colonies, reducing the number of ants looking for shelter and food inside your home. On-contact ant sprays kill all visible ants, and granules attract the remaining ants, taking the poisoned food source back to the colony. 

Effective Ways to Get Rid of Ants Naturally

“The best natural method for getting rid of ants is keeping a clean and tidy space clear of food waste. Removing clutter will limit the places they can hide,” says Tyler Moore, Marketing Director of All U Need Pest Control. 

While natural ant remedies aren’t known to be the most effective, they can provide more broad-spectrum protection and deterrents. They can also provide peace of mind if you’re worried about local wildlife, pets, or children. Here are a few natural methods to get rid of or control ants in your home and yard. 

1. DIY Borax Bait: Combine 1/2 teaspoon borax, 8 teaspoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water and stir until dissolved. Soak cotton balls in the liquid and place them near areas you see a lot of ant activity.
2. Diatomaceous Earth: Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth in areas you’ve seen ants. The glass-like shards of silica dehydrate ants by drawing moisture from them, killing them slowly and securing the perimeter of your home. 
3. Glass Cleaner and Detergent: You can disrupt ant’s scent trails by using glass cleaner and liquid detergent to clean the areas they enter or congregate.
4. Pepper: Black and cayenne pepper naturally irritate ants as they don’t like the smell. Sprinkle it behind appliances and allow baseboards to discourage ant paths.
5. Mint: Similar to pepper, ants don’t like the smell of mint. You can mix mint extract (or add make your own by soaking mint leaves in vodka) with water and spray it anywhere you’ve seen ants. 
6. Tea Tree Oil and Other Essential Oils: Tea tree oil, cinnamon, lemon eucalyptus, and oil of lemon eucalyptus, have also shown promise deterring ants. Add a few drops to a spray bottle of water and apply as needed to the areas you tend to see ants.
7. Vinegar: Use a combination of white vinegar and water to thoroughly clean any areas you’ve seen ants or noticed stubborn grease, sugar, or food build-up.
8. Boiling Water: Boiling water can help get rid of ant nests in your yard. It will kill on contact and may require repeated applications. That said, it’s non-toxic to other animals and children.
9. Neem Oil: This natural insecticide reduces reproduction and feeding habits. It can also repel ants.
10.  Coffee Grounds: Freshly brewed coffee grounds placed on window sills and other areas where ants gather have shown some promise in deterring ants, but you’ll have to change them daily.  
11.  Boric Acid: Boric acid is another form of boron, the chemical found in borax. If boric acid is easier to find, you can substitute it in the mixture described in the DIY borax bait.
12.  Citrus: Lemon juice, like vinegar, can be used to deep-clean areas where you’ve seen ants. You can also place lemon or orange peels in cabinets to deter ants.
13.  Cornstarch: If you notice many ants in one area, you can kill them immediately by sprinkling them liberally with cornstarch and then applying water to encase them in goo. If that’s too messy, you can coat them in corn starch and immediately vacuum them to reduce the population.

Why Do Ants Come Inside The House?

Ants don’t come inside for any reason, but they typically seek food, water, or shelter. If you have rotting wood in your home or along the perimeter, ants may colonize it, shortening the trip into your home for food and water. Ants are most active––and adventurous––when the weather is warm, so it’s a good idea to take proactive prevention methods, like refreshing bait stations, clearing your yard, and securing potential food sources before you have an infestation.

When to Call a Professional Exterminator

If you’ve tried DIY and natural remedies and noticed little to no reduction in your ant problem, it’s likely time to call in a professional exterminator for ants. Professional exterminators will locate entry points and make a plan to close them, protecting your home from further infiltration and trapping the existing population indoors. Pest companies also have access to proprietary chemicals directly targeting the ant type they’ve identified. 

Many professional exterminators offer plans with pre-planned and as-needed applications, reducing the cost of finding a method that works and staying on top of the most effective treatments for population control.

Liberty Home Guard Offers Pest Control As An Optional Add-On

Looking for an easy way to get rid of ants? You’ve found it. Liberty Home Guard’s home warranty plans are designed to reduce the financial and executive functioning demands of running your household. The beauty of our pest control add-on is that it can be elected to any plan, so you can get as little or as much coverage as you need. When you elect the pest control add-on, you’re eligible for up to $500 toward pest treatments and service calls after you pay the service call fee outlined in your contract.

Our pest control treatments apply to the following, but it’s important to ask questions and read your terms thoroughly to understand the full extent of your coverage:

1. Termites
2. Rodents
3. Ants
4. Cockroaches
5. Bed bugs
6. Wasps and bees
7. Spiders
8. Fleas and ticks

With a Liberty Home Guard home warranty, you can fret less about the cost of home repair services, allowing you to act quickly and eliminate secondary issues. Request a custom quote to learn more about your coverage options and pricing.