You may not have been bothered by that single ant you saw in your kitchen earlier, but here’s bad news for you: one ant means hundreds more.
Aside from food contamination, ant species like the fire and harvester ants can bite you, while carpenter ants can damage your property.
Read on to find out how to get rid of ants in the kitchen and in other parts of your home effectively.
7 Ways to Get Rid of Ants Permanently
1. Pepper
Ants hate the irritating smell of pepper. You can get rid of them in a natural way by mixing it with water and spray it near their entry points.
The spray wouldn’t kill them but rather discourage them from entering your house again. Sprinkling the solution around baseboards and behind appliances can also keep ants at bay.
2. White Vinegar
Wipe the areas where you usually see ants coming with a 50-50 vinegar and water solution.
Ants hate the smell of white vinegar, so spraying it on their entry points can deter them from coming back.
3. Peppermint Oil
Peppermint is a natural insect repellent against ants, mosquitoes, and other bugs. To use this, mix 10 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil with 2 cups of water and spray around the areas infested by ants.
Make sure to keep the repellent out of reach of your pets as it can be dangerous for them.
4. Glass Cleaner And Liquid Detergent
Mix a glass cleaner with dish soap or liquid detergent and spray it on infested areas. The mixture removes the scented pheromone trail that ants leave behind, so they wouldn’t think about re-entering your home.
5. Boiling Water
If you see any ant holes near your home, pouring boiling water into them can kill all of them effectively and immediately.
This method alone may not be enough to kill their entire colony, so make sure to inspect and treat every ant hole in your household.
6. Boric Acid
This acid is an effective pest control bait that can kill worker ants and their queen in just 3 weeks. Follow this mixture instruction to treat the ant infestation:
- Mix ½ teaspoon boric acid, 8 teaspoons sugar, 1 cup of warm water together, then stir until dissolved.
- Saturate cotton balls and place them around the infested areas in your home.
You can also mix the acid with sweet ingredients like corn or maple syrup to attract ants.
Remember to keep ant baits like boric acid away from your pets and wear gloves while you’re using the solution.
7. Eliminate their food sources
One of the best ways in getting rid of ants inside your kitchen and other areas of your house is by simply cutting off their food source.
- Seal your food in airtight containers or plastic bags properly
- Don’t leave any trace of sweet and starchy ingredients, especially sugar, honey, and cornmeal
- Clean all the crumbs around your house
- Remove pet food bowls as soon as your pet has finished eating. Clean the containers thoroughly to remove the scent.
Get Rid of Your Ant Problems Now!
Just like other pests, proper sanitation plays an essential role in keeping ants from visiting you unwelcomed.
Clean and sanitize your household regularly. Check and seal any cracks and holes in the walls, floorboards, radiators, and other possible open points of entry.
Use the above pest control techniques to deter and kill them immediately. Don’t wait until their whole colony enters your home and nest there permanently.
Hire a licensed professional pest control company to regularly check on ants and other pests in your home.
How do you deter ants and other pests away from your home? Share your techniques in the comments section below!