Are you looking for natural ways to get rid of ants? This article will provide you with some useful information.

Ants are one of the biggest pests we can encounter in our homes, and once they’re in, it’s extremely hard to get rid of them, too. But who wants to be spraying tons of chemicals around their home in hopes that the family dog won’t lick it up or small children won’t get into it?

Now, that’s not to dis non-natural solutions of pest control. It’s just not for everyone. With that being said, whether you’re pro-chemicals or not, you would have the same problem as the next person.

Ants in or around your home. So let’s make this a source where anyone can find solutions to their residential ant problem.

Here’re step-by-step instructions on how to keep ants away from your home for good using natural and non-natural methods.

The Natural Way: What You Will Need

So, first, we’ll list the natural remedy, then the non-natural one and you can choose which route to go. With this one, we’re using cinnamon essential oil but here are a number of other things that work the same way; clove, vinegar, etc.

  • Cinnamon essential oil (you can use just plain old cinnamon but it’s messier and can stain certain surfaces)
  • Some Q-Tips
  • Patience (this is something that’s tedious and has to be repeated 2-3 times as the oil dries up)

The Non-Natural Way: What You Will Need

Now comes the alternative route: chemicals or things other than food-based products. Either way is fine, you just have to decide which one will work best for your home.

  • ½ teaspoon of Boric acid
  • 8 teaspoons of sugar
  • 1 cup of water

Ways to Get Rid of Ants: Step-by-Step Instructions

Remember, this method won’t kill the ants, only deter them from coming into your home. Ants travel by using the scent of other ant pheromones. Cinnamon blocks this sense and causes them to turn the other way.

  • Step One: Find the Source – They come from lots of places; cracks under baseboards, underneath exterior doors, windows, etc. But there’s usually the main source, a spot where the majority of them are coming in. Scour your home and try to figure out where that is. It will help speed things along.
  • Step Two: Soak the Q-Tips – In a dish, soak the Q-Tips in the cinnamon oil. Some essential oil bottles come with a dropper cap, which would work as well but can be a bit messy as it can drop too much in one place.
  • Step Three: Spread the Oil – Starting with the sources area, begin to trail the soaked Q-Tips along the edges of any points of entrance. Cracks under doors, around windows, baseboards, etc. Wherever you can think.

As the oil dries after a day or so, you will have to reapply until you have zero ant sightings.

And The Non-Natural Way: Step-by-Step Instructions

Like any method of killing pests, it takes time. But Boric acid is considered one of the best ways to do this. Professional exterminators use it, so it must be effective! The ants take the bait and bring it back to the hive for the Queen and others to eat. Then, eventually, they die.

Step One: Make the Solution

So Boric acid is fatal to us if consumed in large doses. But since ants are about one millionth our size, you only need the teeniest of doses to be effective in this project. Take 1 cup of warm water, dissolve 8 teaspoons of sugar in it, then add ½ of a teaspoon of boric acid.

This will give you the ideal ratio of acid to bait you need.

Step Two: Find the Source



So, just like the natural method, you need to find the source. This will increase the number of ants that will take the bait.

Step Three: Plant the Bait

Starting with the source area, begin to trail the boric acid bait along cracks and crevices until you’ve got everything covered. There’s no way in or out without crossing the line and they’ll have no choice but to take it back with them.

If you don’t feel comfortable mixing your own boric acid bait, you can buy the pre-made ant traps with everything ready to go, all you have to do is open the box and set it in place.

Conclusion

Did you enjoy this two-for-one tutorial? I hope it helped! Whether you’re pro-chemical or you’d rather just send them packing, there are always solutions and natural ways to get rid of ants and keep them away from your home for good.

Just remember, if you go the natural route, oils are the best because they leave less mess. chemical wise, boric acid is the best and one of the safest. Were these natural ways to get rid of ants helpful at all? If you have any other tips to add, feel free to comment and share!

References:

  1. http://www.treehugger.com/

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    Sagar

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