Even if you have harmless ants around your home, you might need to get rid of those that get into your house.
If your house has been ant-infested, don’t rush to the hardware store yet.
At home, you have household items that kill ants.
Maybe you don’t know which ones they are.
In this guide, we will share with you the best household products that you can use to repel and kill ants.
Before we begin, it is worth noting that the best and most satisfying household item to kill ants is probably on the end of your leg! Don’t forget to put a shoe on it!
What you will learn in this post:
- The 7 best household items that kill ants
7 Household Items That Kill Ants
1. Vinegar and Water
With water mixed with vinegar, you 2 household items that kill ants!
Unless you have an allergy, this product does not have any adverse effects on human health.
The smell that it will leave behind might be the only drawback you will have to deal with.
For the best results, in a spray bottle, mix equal amounts of vinegar and water.
Spot the entry points that might be used by ants and spray the mixture right there. These include doors and windows.
It is a solution that works for all types of ants. The combination kills insects if directly sprayed on them, but this is not the best way to target a queen or entire colony.
However, the mixture is non-toxic, so that you can use it indoors.
2. Mint
For several years, peppermint has been used as an effective ant repellent and can also kill ants.
There are two ways to use mint to repel ants in your home.
You can either plant it around the house or consider the essential oil of the mint as a natural solution to control ants.
Ants dislike the smell, but your home will always be smelling minty fresh.
If possible, have mint planted in the entryways and the perimeter of your house.
If you prefer the oil way, place some drops of the oil on a small cotton ball and use it to wipe the suspected surfaces or areas.
The other trick is to place the mint oil cotton ball in areas like cabinets and wardrobes that ants like to frequent.
Since peppermint has a strong smell, you only need to use small amounts each time.
3. Pepper
Like peppermint, black pepper, and cayenne pepper will work in the same way too.
What you have to do is find the location of the ant problem. These could be the areas they are using to enter your house.
You should also know the areas they frequent once they have gained access to your home.
Make sure to sprinkle enough pepper in those areas, and if possible, use it to create a wall that will prevent ants from coming back to your home.
The other way to do it is by mixing pepper with water to create a solution. Spray the solution in areas frequented by ants to repel them.
Though the pepper might not kill the ants, it will prevent them from coming back unless you spray it directly on each one of them.
4. Boiling Water and Dish Soap
To use this method, make sure that your food is entirely sealed up. If you have a honey jar in the kitchen, which is a considerable ant magnet, make sure it is thoroughly cleaned and kept in the cupboard.
PS – you can use honey mixed with borax to tackle ants too!
You will need a spray bottle filled with water and a small amount of liquid dish soap to kill and repel any visible ants on your surfaces.
Go outside and look carefully to find their hill. Once you have found it, pour a kettle of boiling water, and the problem is solved.
Follow this procedure, and you will not have an ant problem in your house for a long time.
Make sure that soapy water does not land on your food while spraying the ants.
5. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is one of the best household items that kill ants. Though it might not be a standard household product, it can still be useful in many ways.
It is mainly found in toothpaste and deodorant, and some individuals use it to make facial scrubs.
Diatomaceous earth can be ingested with a glass of water and is primarily used as a detoxifying solution.
To use diatomaceous earth to repel and kill ants, sprinkle it in areas that the insects frequent. These might be around the kitchen cabinets, door, and window sills.
This technique is highly effective as it kills as kinds of insects.
It works by drying out and destroying the exoskeleton of insects, thereby killing them. With that, it can also serve as the right solution for roaches.
6. Boric Acid
If you have dealt with roaches before, you have a good chance you have boric acid at home. Boric acid is a great way of tackling a cockroach problem!
It is one of the primary ingredients found in sprays and roach traps that people regularly use to control pests around their properties.
To some, boric acid is used for items such as homemade laundry soap.
Therefore, if you have boric acid at home, you can use it to create a good ant trap.
Mix the acid on a soup or soda with sugar or a much similar ingredient. The ants will then come for the tainted sugar and take it to their colony.
It will repel and kill any ant that you are dealing with.
Also, you can mix the acid with cornmeal and leave it on a plate. Ants will come for it and use it to feed their larvae, thereby killing them.
Use boric acid with caution, as it is a poison!
7. Lemon Juice and Water
Lemon juice can still suffice if you don’t have vinegar.
It works in the same way as vinegar, with the bonus that lemon juice and water are not toxic to humans if accidentally ingested.
Also, with lemon juice, you will leave behind a much better smell than when vinegar is used.
To use the method, mix three parts of water with one part lemon juice. You can use the solution to kill ants by spraying it directly on them.
Also, find the entry points used by ants, such as doors and windows, and spray the solution to repel them effectively.
This method works for all types of ants that you might be dealing with.
Conclusion
When you first notice that you have a large army of ants in your home, you might not have the insecticides needed to kills them.
The good news is that this page has given you 7 of the best household items that kill ants!
Although ants cannot give you diseases directly, they can tread bacteria all over your countertops, which you may use for food preparation.
Good luck!
