How To Naturally Get Rid Of Ants for Good

Ants can be persistent and even infuriating pests. Here are easy steps to get rid of them naturally, and non-toxic ways to keep ants out of your home and yard.

Everyone finds an ant in their home sooner or later. Seeing one now and then doesn’t mean your home is dirty or that you’re bad at cleaning. Sometimes, ants hitch their way inside on packages or even our pets. But when you see several or keep finding them in the same place, it’s time to get serious about getting rid of ants.

Signs of an Ant Infestation

Finding a line of ants on your kitchen counter or a swarm of them in your pet’s food bowl are two obvious signs of a problem. Some people can smell ant infestations, although that’s a rare trait. Other more serious signs include sugar ants in your food and discarded ant wings on your windowsills.

In Walls

Some types of ants eat wood and will establish colonies in your walls. You may see them coming out of electric outlets or light switches, or even hear rustling sounds if you listen. Carpenter ants leave small trails of sawdust near baseboards and window ledges. In the long term, these ants will hollow out beams and destroy your home’s wooden structures. 

Outdoors

To locate ant colonies outdoors, look in your yard and along your home’s foundation. You can recognize black ant colonies by the soft, fresh soil on top. Carpenter ants build nests in damaged or moist wood and under mulch. So, inspect your home’s siding, shrubs, woodpiles, damaged trees, and rotting stumps for signs of infestations. You can eliminate outdoor ant colonies with the methods below, too.

Steps to Get Rid of Ants

If you’re certain you’re dealing with an ant infestation, don’t reach for the can of insecticide or bug poison. Most will only kill the worker ants or scouts without harming the queen. If you want to get rid of ants for good, you need these steps to destroy the colony.

Step 1. Seal Entry Points

You need to find the entry points that ants are using to enter your home. Fill gaps near utility lines and pipes with flexible caulk. Do the same with gaps near windows and doors, and check their weatherstripping seals, too. Use epoxy sealer on hairline cracks in your foundation and call professionals if you find larger cracks.

Step 2. Attack the Ant Trail

As the scout ant searches for food, it leaves a path of pheromones to create a scent trail. If the scout finds food, it follows the scent trail back to the nest. Then other ants know the path is safe and use it to enter your home. You can destroy the ants’ scent trail with soapy water, glass cleaner, or a mixture of vinegar and water. Spray wherever you’ve seen ants.

Step 3. Use Homemade Ant Powder

In a container with a tight-fitting lid, combine 1/4 cup each of diatomaceous earth, borax, and powdered (confectioner’s) sugar or whey protein powder. Shake and then wait a few minutes for the contents to settle. When ants in your home eat this homemade ant killer, it dehydrates them within 24 hours. Meanwhile, they carry some of the powder to their colony where it kills ants you don’t see. 

To use the homemade ant powder, put a spoonful on a small plate and set it where kids and pets can’t reach it, like on the top of your cabinets and under sinks. Or, use a dusting applicator to get the bait into tight spots where you’ve seen ants. (For example, gaps near baseboards and beneath appliances.) Reapply every other day for 2 weeks.

Step 4. Homemade Liquid Ant Killer

To make a liquid ant killer, dissolve 1 tablespoon of borax and 1/4 cup of honey in 2 cups of hot water. Pour this into a spray bottle and mist it on a cotton pad or folded paper towel. Put the cotton on a small plate in a spot where you’ve seen ants. They’ll nibble at the bait for the honey and the borax will do its damage when they reach the colony. Reapply daily, shaking the bottle well before use.

Keep Ants Out of Your Kitchen

First, follow the steps for natural ant control. Then transfer dry goods like cereal, grains, flours, and pet food to air-tight containers so ants can’t get into them. During peak ant season, sweep or vacuum your kitchen floor nightly to keep it free of crumbs and spills. Also, pick up pet bowls at night or apply a thin layer of Vaseline to their base to keep ants from crawling inside. These efforts deprive ants of food, so they consume the ant powder and liquid, which destroys their nest.

Keep Ants Out of Your Bathroom

In hot weather, ants enter your bathroom looking for moisture and a place to cool off. To stop ants from invading your bathroom, combine the steps for natural ant control with frequent floor and surface cleaning to remove dead hair and skin, which are also food sources for ants. Also, inspect beneath your bathroom sinks monthly to ensure there are no leaks or moisture attracting them.

Other Natural Ways to Eliminate Ants

Along with the above steps to get rid of ants, these home remedies can speed up the process and help keep them away for good.

1. White Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar destroys the scout ant’s scent trail. On its own, vinegar is very acidic, so mix it in a spray bottle with an equal amount of water and add a drop or two of dish soap to help it cling to surfaces longer. Apply indoors or out to non-metal surfaces, avoiding plants. Do not use vinegar on natural stone surfaces like granite or marble. Also, don’t substitute apple cider vinegar (ACV) — it’s made from fermented apple peels, so it contains sugars and proteins that will actually attract ants.

2. Essential Oils

Adding essential oils to vinegar water can make an effective ant repellent that also eliminates ant trails. Some essential oils double as natural pesticides. Citrus oils like orange and lemon, clove, cinnamon, peppermint oil, and lavender are all toxic to ants. It’s important to know that all of these, except for lavender, are dangerous essential oils to use around pets. 

3. Citrus Peels

Using citrus peels is a cost-effective way to repel ants in your home and garden. Scatter torn or shredded bits of orange, lemon, or lime peels around the base of plants, or leave whole peels drying on the counter. You can also make a citrus-scented vinegar to use as a spray by soaking citrus peels in white vinegar for two weeks. Do not apply it to your pet’s bedding or food areas.

4. Borax

Borax is a natural mineral salt that destroys ants’ digestive systems. You can find it in the laundry section of most grocery stores since it’s also a useful cleaning booster. (Or get it online.) Use it in the powdered homemade ant killer above, or make the liquid version that follows.

5. Pepper

Cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and dried chile peppers are all effective ant repellents. Pour pepper on the soil of houseplants or near entryways to help repel ants. On their own, however, peppers do not kill ants. 

6. Coffee Grounds

Damp coffee grounds are another effective non-toxic ant repellent. Leave a shallow bowl of them on your kitchen counter or add them to your plant’s soil. You can also sprinkle damp coffee grounds in your garden or around your home’s foundation. Do not use coffee grounds where your pets might eat them.

7. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is made from soft sedimentary rocks that contain silica. It tears up insects’ digestive tracts and exoskeletons. Before long, they die of dehydration. You can find DE at garden centers or online. If you plan to use it indoors, look for a food grade one. (I use this brand which comes with a dust applicator.) Food-grade DE is nontoxic for humans and pets.

8. Neem Oil

Neem oil is toxic to ants and will kill them if you spray it on them. When eaten, neem disrupts ants’ reproductive and hormonal systems, so they don’t breed or grow. Neem is nontoxic for humans and pets, but you should know that it has a strong and lingering scent. It is best used outdoors.

9. Boiling Water

The fastest way to eliminate an ant nest is by pouring boiling water on it. This method kills ants near the surface. It also drives out ants below the surface, including the queen, which can be killed with more boiling water. Do not use it with fire ants. (For pest control of fire ants, call professional exterminators.) Exercise caution when using this method and keep children and pets away.

10. Other Powders

Cornstarch, talc, baking soda, and chalk have microscopic edges that can damage ant exoskeletons. They are not as effective at killing ants as diatomaceous earth, but you can use them to create a barrier. Draw or sprinkle a line of chalk or talcum powder on windowsills and near doors. Reapply as needed.