<\/p>\n
Ants, ants, everywhere! Those pesky insects have a way of finding every little crack and opening right into your home. When spring comes around<\/a> I\u2019ll see an ant scout here and there and I want to nip it in the bud before they take over my life (and my kitchen counter).<\/p>\n Every spring I start getting questions about how to get rid of ants in the house, especially when they show up quickly and seem to multiply overnight. Sometimes they\u2019re tiny and barely noticeable. Sometimes they\u2019re small black ants marching in a perfect line. Occasionally they even have wings. <\/p>\n With little kids and pets spending plenty of time on the floor, I\u2019m not about to sprinkle a pesticide around my home that will put them in danger.<\/p>\n But the ants\u2026<\/p>\n Thankfully there are plenty of ways to get rid of ants without putting your family at risk. I\u2019ve talked before about natural pest control,<\/a> but today I am going to focus specifically on ants. How to get rid of ants in the kitchen, how to get rid of ants permanently, and even how to get rid of carpenter ants (if you suspect a larger infestation).<\/p>\n Ant colonies send out scouts to locate food sources. Those little bugs will zig and zag and probe their way until they find food to bring back to their colony, leaving a trail of pheromones behind them. Other ants will follow the trail leaving their own pheromones, making the trail stronger. Eventually all the little foragers are marching along, back and forth, taking all your goodies back to their home.<\/p>\n Fascinating and annoying all at once.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever wondered why you see one ant and then suddenly dozens, this is why. That single scout found something appealing on your counter, under the stove, or even tucked behind a plant on the windowsill. Soon, the whole crew is trekking inside your house like they\u2019ve decided to move in.\u00a0<\/p>\n And it isn\u2019t always obvious what they\u2019re after. Sugar ants are often blamed for invading our honey jars or maple syrup, but ants are opportunistic. They\u2019ll go after crumbs in the carpet, sticky spots on the floor, pet food bowls, and even residue left in the bathroom. I\u2019ve found them near toothpaste drips and damp areas more than once.<\/p>\n Understanding how they operate is the first step in learning how to get rid of ants in the house for good.<\/p>\n There are several approaches to naturally get rid of ants. First, repel them from coming into your home in the first place, then control and eradicate them once they are in. Finally, kill them at their source.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re dealing with a larger species like carpenter ants (which can damage wood in bedroom walls or other structural areas), your strategy may need to be more aggressive. I\u2019ll touch more on how to get rid of carpenter ants specifically below. For most common household ants, though, prevention is the best place to start.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first step is to make sure any sweet ingredients in your home are sealed tight. Clean up the dribbles down the side of the honey jar<\/a> and make sure your maple syrup lid is on tight. It\u2019s also recommended to keep floors swept and all counters free of any food or drips, but that\u2019s not usually practical or possible in a busy home like mine. Just do the best you can with this one.<\/p>\n When I\u2019m focused on how to get rid of ants in kitchen, I pay special attention to:<\/p>\n Even a small smear can attract a line of tiny visitors. Some ants are attracted to oils or proteins, so pay attention to all food, not just sugary ones. Here are some more ideas to prevent ants from coming into your home:<\/p>\n Many people have luck creating a barrier of something ants generally don\u2019t like or won\u2019t cross. Some examples would be drawing a chalk line or sprinkling cinnamon, cayenne pepper<\/a>, or coffee grounds along common entry points.<\/p>\n This works especially well along door thresholds, window sills, and baseboards. If you\u2019ve noticed ants coming in from the yard or from cracks that lead outside, treat those spots first.<\/p>\n The ants are already in. Now what?<\/p>\n First, find out where they\u2019re coming in from and where they\u2019re going so you can figure out the best way to tackle their removal. Something attracted them and that will need to be cleaned up. Then find their entry point so that you can use one of the tips from above.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re trying to figure out how to get rid of ants in the house, this detective work is essential. Are they in the kitchen? The bathroom? Crawling along a baseboard in the bedroom? I once found a trail disappearing behind a bookshelf in the living room, and sure enough, there was a tiny gap in the trim that led to the outside.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve found point A and point B, move on to clean up. You\u2019ll obviously need to remove the ants from your counter, floor, cabinet or wherever they are. You can wipe them up with a cloth (or paper towel if you don\u2019t want to try to remove them from your cloth).<\/p>\n It\u2019s also really important to remove the pheromone trail. You can use soapy water, a 50\/50 water and vinegar mix, or the essential oil spray. If you don\u2019t clean up the trail, other ants will be able to find the same food source.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know about you, but my first instinct is to kill any bugs I see in my house (or call for my adventurous daughter to do it for me). However, this may not always be the most effective way to rid your home of ants in the long term.<\/p>\n If you truly want to know how to get rid of ants permanently, you have to think bigger than the few crawling across your floor. The real goal is eliminating the colony. Although, there are some reports that if an ant smells another ant that\u2019s been squished, they\u2019ll alert the colony of the danger and stay away.\u00a0<\/p>\n The most effective way is to make an ant poison they will take back to their colony and feed to all of their friends. It requires a little bit of patience but pays off in the end.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t immediately remove the ants from your kitchen, but it works well in the long term. It may seem like it attracts more at first, which is actually a good thing here Borax helps eliminate the entire colony<\/a> and not just the ants entering your home.<\/p>\n Mix equal parts Borax<\/a> and corn syrup and spread it on an index card. The ants are attracted to the corn syrup and carry it back to their nest. All the ants that feed on the corn syrup mixture will be killed by the Borax. I\u2019ll put this in a location away from curious pets and kids. (I cover the safety of using Borax <\/a>here.)<\/p>\n If you\u2019re searching for how to get rid of carpenter ants, this method can also be helpful, though carpenter ants sometimes require locating and directly treating their nest in wood structures as well.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re uncomfortable with Borax, you can try baking soda. Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar and place it in a lid near where you think the ants are coming in. The powdered sugar will attract them, but since they\u2019re unable to differentiate between the sugar and the baking soda<\/a>, they will carry both back to their nest.<\/p>\n When ants eat baking soda it reacts with the acidic substance in their bodies and is fatal to them. Again, not an immediate fix, but very beneficial in the long term.<\/p>\n Castile soap <\/a>will also compromise the waxy coating that protects the ants. Make a spray with 1 quart water and 1\/4 cup liquid castile soap. Spray along doorways and window sills and anywhere else you see ants coming in. Repeat several times a day until the problem is resolved.<\/p>\n Food grade diatomaceous earth<\/a> is highly effective at getting rid of ants and other pests that crawl, rather than fly. This includes most black ants and other small household varieties, though not typically flying ant scouts until they land.<\/p>\n DE is a fine powder made from the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of algae. Because it\u2019s so fine, it\u2019s perfectly safe for humans and animals and is actually beneficial<\/a> to consume. Ants, however, become dehydrated when they come into contact with DE because it damages their waxy coating which will kill them. They won\u2019t take it back to their colony but it will stop them from making any progress into your home.<\/p>\n Sprinkle DE along doorways and window sills, and any other points of entry, in trash cans, and along cabinets and baseboards. I have also sprinkled it liberally on my carpet during a particularly bad ant invasion. After a few days the ants were gone and I just vacuumed up the DE.<\/p>\n Use extreme care if you will be using this outside and avoid any areas that may have honey bees. The DE will stick to their legs and they will consume it when they\u2019re grooming. DE is sharp to small insects and will kill them. We want to kill the ants and fleas, but NOT the honey bees<\/a>!<\/p>\n If you notice ants with wings gathering near windows or light fixtures, you may be seeing reproductive ants. These can sometimes be confused with termites. If you\u2019re unsure, it may be worth having a professional identify them, especially if you suspect structural damage.<\/p>\n In many cases, though, it means the colony is reproducing and taking out the whole colony will resolve the issue (see methods above).<\/p>\n If you have other pests plaguing you there are other natural pest control <\/a>options for your home and some organic ideas for your garden<\/a> and yard. <\/p>\n Ants are persistent, but they\u2019re not invincible. With a bit of patience, you can learn how to get rid of ants in the house and kitchen, and even how to get rid of ants permanently without compromising your family\u2019s health. If you\u2019ve ever dealt with ants popping up in the house, these tried and true methods can really make a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n How do you deal with ants? Did I miss any effective tips that have worked for you? Leave a comment and let us know!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ants, ants, everywhere! Those pesky insects have a way of finding every little crack and opening right into your home. When spring comes around I\u2019ll see an ant scout here and there and I want to nip it in the bud before they take over my life (and my kitchen counter). Every spring I start […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[327],"tags":[2413,715,1036],"class_list":{"0":"post-6444","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-ants","9":"tag-naturally","10":"tag-rid"},"yoast_head":"\nHow Do Ants Come Into the House?<\/h2>\n
How to Get Rid of Ants (Naturally, of Course!)<\/h2>\n
How to Repel Ants<\/h2>\n
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Create a Barrier<\/h3>\n
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What if Ants Are Already In Your Home?<\/h2>\n
How to Get Rid of Ants Permanently (By Targeting the Colony)<\/h2>\n
Option 1: Borax Ant Trap<\/h3>\n
Option 2: Baking Soda<\/h3>\n
Other Ant Killing Tips to Try<\/h2>\n
Diatomaceous Earth<\/h3>\n
A Quick Note on Flying Ants and Wings<\/h2>\n
Dealing With More Than Ants?<\/h2>\n