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Get Rid of Ants Naturally With These Tips

ByJessica Knowles Reading Time: 4 minutes

I really, really, really don’t like ants. I saw Legion of Fire: Killer Ants! when I was fourteen and I’ve been terrified of the swarmy little creatures ever since. This aversion has led me to become unusually militant when they attempt to take up residence in my kitchen every summer. I tend to get a little…rampage-y.

I really, really don’t like ants. That being said, as a lover of bees and other beneficial insects, I am always incredibly reluctant to use pesticides.

That being said, as a lover of bees and other beneficial insects, I am always incredibly reluctant to use pesticides. I would sooner take a flamethrower to my kitchen than coat my baseboards with Raid. A couple of summers ago I was subject to a pharaoh ant infestation — which was crazy hard to get rid of — and ended up testing just about every natural ant control method out there.

Here’s what I found…

Know Your Ant Enemy

Finding the right treatment depends on the specific ants that are giving you the business. Each species has distinct behaviors and food preferences — meaning you have to cater to their habits in order to successfully eliminate the problem.

Getting Them With Borax

If you have sweet loving ants, mix a 50/50 solution of Borax and powdered sugar. If you have protein loving ants, mix a 50/50 solution of Borax and peanut butter. Place the Borax mixture onto a thin piece of cardboard or plastic and situate them where you suspect the ants are entering your house.

Ants will carry the bait back to the nest and share it with the entire colony. The Borax interferes with their digestion and they essentially starve to death. The more ants that carry the bait to the nest, the faster the colony will die off.

I really, really don’t like ants. That being said, as a lover of bees and other beneficial insects, I am always incredibly reluctant to use pesticides.

Warning: Borax is poisonous if ingested — take care to keep it out of reach of children and pets.

More Info >>> Getting to the Bottom of Borax: Is it Safe or Not?

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

When Borax doesn’t do the trick, you can be sure that diatomaceous earth will. DE is made from the tiny skeletal remains of algae-like plants and kills insects by absorbing lipids from their exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate.

There are different types of DE; you’ll need to use food grade DE for pest control. Food grade DE is completely safe to be used around kids and pets — in fact, it’s used in agriculture for grain storage as an anticaking agent!

You can sprinkle DE around the perimeter of your house or inject it directly into the nest. Unfortunately, DE is rendered completely ineffective if it gets wet, so you’ll have to reapply after it rains.

I really, really don’t like ants. That being said, as a lover of bees and other beneficial insects, I am always incredibly reluctant to use pesticides.

Ant Infestation Prevention

If you’re not down with killing ants, there are ways to prevent them from invading your house without causing permanent harm. The trick in this situation is to interfere with their scent trails and send them packing. The most common substances used to do this are:

  • Baby Powder
  • Cinnamon
  • Mint (either fresh or essential oil)

Line baseboards, door jambs, window frames, and anywhere else you see ants marching with the substance of your choice and watch the little buggers turn tail and run.

I’ve battled ants every summer, and both Borax & DE have kept me from having to nuke my house from space. You can find some fantastic information on a number of different methods I didn’t cover here and a guide to identifying ants here.

And if all else fails, just break out the flame thrower.

I really, really don’t like ants. That being said, as a lover of bees and other beneficial insects, I am always incredibly reluctant to use pesticides.

Owner, Writer at The 104 Homesteader

A gifted writer and long-time Maine homesteader, Jessica is here to share her knowledge and expertise. Jessica can help you homestead successfully on your piece of land. You can rely on her advice and tips since she has been engaged in small-scale farming and self-sufficiency for over a decade. In her downtime, Jessica loves to take her boys on hikes or spend time with her Coturnix quail coveys. She also loves caring for her goats and garden. Jessica will show you how it's done so you can thrive on your homestead.

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4 Comments

  1. 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.

    Reply
    1. Jessica Lane says:

      That’s wonderful to hear!

      Reply

  2. 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. 🙂

    Reply

  3. 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 🙂

    Reply