How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally with Diatomaceous Earth

Struggling with ants? Learn how to use diatomaceous earth for ants, plus DIY borax baits and natural nest removal to eliminate infestations fast!

A close-up of ants gathering around a homemade bait station with food and poison to take back to the colony.

Ants may be small, but when they invade your kitchen, garden, or home, they quickly become a big problem. I’ve had my fair share of ant battles, including a particularly stubborn pharaoh ant infestation that took me weeks to defeat naturally. If you’re looking for safe, chemical-free ways to eliminate ants—without harming beneficial insects—you’re in the right place.

Getting rid of ants naturally requires understanding their behavior and using the right treatment methods for each species. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to use diatomaceous earth for ants, including pharaoh ants, how to remove an ant nest naturally, and other DIY solutions like Borax baits and scent barriers to keep ants from returning.

Understanding Your Ant Problem

Before choosing a treatment, it’s important to identify what type of ants you’re dealing with. Different species have different nesting habits and food preferences, which means one method may work great on one species but fail on another.

Some common household ant species include:

Pharaoh Ants – These tiny, yellowish ants love sweet and greasy foods and are notoriously difficult to remove.
Odorous House Ants – Smell like rotten coconut when crushed and tend to invade kitchens.
Carpenter Ants – Prefer damp wood and can cause structural damage to your home.
Pavement Ants – Nest under sidewalks and driveways but enter homes in search of food.

Now, let’s get into the best natural ant control methods that actually work.

Using Diatomaceous Earth for Ants

When it comes to natural ant control, diatomaceous earth (DE) is one of the most effective and pet-safe solutions. But before you start sprinkling it around your home and garden, it’s important to understand how DE works and why it’s such a powerful tool against ants.

What is Diatomaceous Earth?

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural, powdery substance made from fossilized algae. It’s completely non-toxic to humans and pets but deadly to insects. The fine, sharp particles pierce through an ant’s exoskeleton, causing dehydration and death.

Important: Always use food-grade DE, not pool-grade DE, which is chemically treated and unsafe for home use.

A hand using a metal sifter to sprinkle diatomaceous earth around plants in a vegetable garden. — Diatomaceous earth is a natural, non-toxic way to kill ants by dehydrating them—just be sure to keep it dry for effectiveness!

How to Use Diatomaceous Earth on Ants

Find the ant trails – Locate where ants are coming in and their primary travel paths.
Apply a thin layer of DE – Lightly sprinkle DE along baseboards, under appliances, and near entry points.
Target the nest – If you can find the ant nest, apply DE directly into the colony for faster results.
Reapply after rain or cleaning – DE loses effectiveness when wet, so reapply as needed.

When I had pharaoh ants, DE was the only thing that stopped them. I dusted it along their trail, and within days, the activity slowed dramatically. However, because pharaoh ants bud (split into multiple colonies when under threat), I combined DE with a baiting strategy for complete elimination.

Baiting Ants with Borax

While diatomaceous earth kills ants on contact, Borax (sodium borate) baits are better for eliminating the entire colony because worker ants carry the poison back to the nest.

How to Make DIY Borax Ant Bait

For Sweet-Loving Ants

Mix ½ teaspoon Borax with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.
Add enough water to make a thick paste.
Place the bait on a piece of cardboard or wax paper near ant trails.

For Protein-Loving Ants

Mix ½ teaspoon Borax with 1 tablespoon peanut butter.
Place small dabs of bait along ant trails.

⚠️ Safety Warning: Borax is toxic if ingested, so keep it away from pets and children.

Ants swarming around scattered sugar crystals on a white surface, demonstrating their attraction to sweet foods. — Sweet-loving ants? Use a Borax and sugar mixture to bait them and eliminate the infestation naturally.

When battling pharaoh ants, I set up both sugar and protein-based baits because they switch preferences depending on colony needs. Within a week, activity had dropped significantly!

Removing an Ant Nest Naturally

If you’ve found an outdoor ant nest, here’s how to get rid of it naturally:

Boiling Water Method

Pour a large pot of boiling water directly into the nest. This method is simple, effective, and pesticide-free.

Diatomaceous Earth Direct Application

Sprinkle a generous amount of DE into the nest entrance and surrounding soil. Ants will track it back inside, drying out the colony.

Baking Soda & Vinegar Trick

Sprinkle baking soda over the nest entrance.
Pour vinegar over it to create a bubbling reaction that destroys tunnels.

A close-up of a large ant nest in the dirt, surrounded by small pebbles and plant debris. — Found an ant nest in your yard? Boiling water, diatomaceous earth, or baking soda and vinegar can help you remove it naturally.

If the ants keep coming back, look for multiple nests—many species have satellite colonies that need to be treated separately.

Natural Ant Prevention Methods

Once you’ve dealt with an infestation, keep ants from coming back by disrupting their scent trails and blocking their entry points.

Best Natural Ant Deterrents

Diatomaceous Earth – Creates a natural barrier around your home.
Baby Powder or Chalk – Disrupts scent trails and deters ants.
Cinnamon or Clove Oil – Strong-smelling deterrents that repel ants.
Peppermint or Vinegar Spray – Wipe down surfaces with a mix of vinegar and water to erase scent trails.

A small bottle of peppermint essential oil with a fresh sprig of mint on a wooden surface. — Peppermint oil is a natural ant repellent! Mix with water and spray along entry points to keep ants out of your home.

I sprinkle DE around doorways and windowsills every spring to keep ants from making themselves at home.

Common Questions About Natural Ant Control

No, DE kills ants on contact, but it won’t wipe out the whole colony. Combining it with a baiting strategy ensures long-term success.

DE can kill ants within hours of contact, but full elimination depends on colony size and reinfestation risks.

Yes! Food-grade DE is safe for use indoors—just apply a thin layer near baseboards and entry points.

Follow ant trails back to their source—nests are often in cracks, under rocks, or near moisture sources like leaky pipes.

Save this pin and say goodbye to ants—without harsh chemicals!

A metal sifter filled with diatomaceous earth being sprinkled in a garden bed to repel ants naturally.

Ants may be persistent, but natural solutions work when applied correctly. Whether you use diatomaceous earth for ants, Borax bait, or natural nest removal methods, consistency is key. I’ve tested all of these methods firsthand, and DE combined with baiting has been my most effective strategy for getting rid of ants for good.

Keeping ants out of your home and garden is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to natural pest control. If you’re looking for ways to keep other insects at bay, there are plenty of natural repellents that work without harsh chemicals. Some pests, like brown tail moths, can cause serious irritation (literally!), so knowing how to manage invasive species is just as important. And while some insects are a nuisance, others—like beneficial bugs—can actually help you control pests naturally. Learning to attract the right insects while deterring the unwanted ones is key to maintaining a balanced, thriving homestead.

Have you battled ants in your home or garden? What’s worked best for you? Share your experiences in the comments!

4 Comments

Mike says:

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Whereas ants can be a real problem. I’m not into killing them 9or other creatures) as they are part of the natural design of the place ( I did have one time when the kitchen table was literally swarming with ants…I’d left an electric cable running from the back of the house into the kitchen…. the ants thought I’d laid an new highway),

Here, at this place, which I moved into in March this year I have a major deal with red ants….Everywhere (except the house, maybe cos it’s a ruin that I am rebuilding – seriously, four weals and a roof, that’s it).

Anyway, I degress. I’ve had two instances where ants have decided that they may try to get closer to the house. And, while being dubious of the natural deterrent I used cinnamon powder. It works amazingly, it even cleared out a nest in less than 15 minutes.

Even sticking bits of broken up cinnamon bark works, and it hangs around longer than the powdered stuff does.

1. Jessica Lane says:
  
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  That’s wonderful to hear!
  
Kaiti says:

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I’ve used DE in the house, on their trails & down their nests. No luck. I’ve used borax with PB & with sugar. The ants had a party & sent a thank you note. I have mint growing 4 ft deep and tall (I DIDN’T plant it!) around parts of my home & there are ant colonies, apartment complexes and townhomes. They seem to enjoy cinnamon, cloves and citrus. I also believe they like my rum and may be paying the cats to act as lookouts. Good luck on getting rid of them, my friends. I have been unsuccessful. I believe I’ll join the ants in a few cookies and a strawberry daiquiri. 🙂

Kristin says:

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Thank you for posting. I have been searching for a more natural solution because we have lots of ants that recently took up in our kitchen and bathrooms, but I don’t want to use something like poison because I have chickens and I worry that the ants may bring the poison to the coop. I will be using DE, like you mentioned, I already use a small amount in the coop so I know it won’t harm my girls but it will hopefully eliminate the pests. Thank you 🙂