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Wait! Don't step on that ant! Stomping on every ant you see in your kitchen won't solve your insect problem. And that ant scurrying across your floor might be the key to wiping out an entire ant colony. Check out these 10 expert tips for ridding your house of ants and other insects.
Disrupt the ant trail so more ants won't follow it inside. Mix vinegar and water, then spray it where you've seen ants to cover the ant scent.
Test the ants to find out what type of foods they like. Set out sugar or honey, fried food and peanut butter, then see which food attracts ants. Use whichever food they prefer for bait.
Place liquid ant bait stations in areas where you've seen ants, like under the sink and along walls, to make it as easy as possible for the ants to take the toxic bait back to the nest.
Look for water-damaged areas in the house and places where water has recently leaked to find the ant nest. Spray the nest with an indoor insecticide.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota
Spray an indoor insect killer in places where ants can enter, including windows and doors, holes in exterior walls and cracks in the foundation.
Spray outdoor insecticide on the foundation walls, and on and under the first course of lap siding to keep ants from entering the house.
Look for ant nests or tunnels in the foundation or siding. Spray the area with an insecticide to kill the ants.
Photo courtesy of Mike Merchant, Texas A&M
Spray a lawn and garden insect killer on the grass within one day of mowing. Also spray on trees and shrubs. Spray on a calm day to prevent drift.
Apply fire ant bait using a broadcast spreader. Fill the spreader over the driveway or a tarp to catch the granules that fall through the spreader.
Trim back trees, shrubs and plants so they're at least 6 in. from the house, roof and deck. This eliminates bridges for ants to reach your home.
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.
Share what's on your mind and see what other DIYers are thinking about.
June 20, 12:44 PM [GMT -5]
A quick and effective way to eliminate ants is to mix one part Borax, nineteen parts icing sugar and enough water (just a little) to make a slurry paste. Put some on ant trails and nest entrances. I find putting it on flat rocks etc. keeps it from soaking into the soil. You could also put some inside the home where they congregate and is safe around pets and children. The ants quickly have a feeding frenzy and the next day 90 some % are gone.
June 15, 8:15 AM [GMT -5]
A good article, except for one thing. Why the the posting on "spraying the lawn after mowing"? I want my lawn to be alive, not dead. There should be bugs in/on the ground. Having a sterile lawn does no good. Spraying pesticide kills bugs,, worms and anything that feeds on them. Do yourself a favor and pass on the spraying pesticides on your lawn. If you are having a bad ant problem, check on why they are coming into the house. Most of the time there is a food source available for them. Get rid of the food source, in our case it was spilled dry dog food, clean up the food source and then treat with a pesticide. But be CAREFUL spaying ANYTHING inside the house, especially with kids and dogs, the stuff may sound OK, but it is still POISON!
June 13, 7:18 PM [GMT -5]
Another way to get rid of ants in your home is to mix sugar and Borax soap powder in a 50-50 mixture. sprinkle this mixture under the stove, in the back of floor level cabinets, behind the fridge. If you have pets make sure that you put it in places that they cannot come in contact with it. I used this and the ants were gone in about 2-3 days and that was over a year ago. update mixtured spots every 6 months to keep it fresh
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