If you notice an ant somewhere in your apartment, do not doubt you'll find a colony in no time. Among other insect infestations, ants are not harmful to people and pets but can destroy electrical wiring or chew their way across the walls. Also, ants may carry bacteria which could be the reason for contamination and potential food poisoning. If there are ants in your home, there must be a source of the attraction. Think about possible hot spots and attractions, but remember it doesn’t take much to lure in ants for a possible infestation.

Getting rid of ants isn’t hard, but preventing them from returning is the real challenge. There are many effective methods for removing ants and their nests from your property. While professional exterminators may be required in some circumstances, there are several natural remedies for the problem that could prevent the cause of introducing chemicals or poisons into your home.

Here are some of the most effective natural methods to get rid of ants in your house and keep them at bay.

How to Get Rid of Ants Indoors?

Remember, ants are primarily seeking food and water inside our homes. They are much more abundant in the summer when the heat and dry weather reduce their availability of them to source their food naturally.

It only takes one ant to enter a house to set the stage for an invasion, by cunningly leaving a scented pheromone trail that leads the rest of them in. Fortunately, there are a variety of natural repellents that can assist in breaking these tracks and avoiding recurring invasions.

First of all, clean the entire house including hard-to-reach places like refrigerator coils, garbage disposal, back of the toilet, and dishwasher filter.

Secondly, you need to get rid of the pheromone path. Pheromones are used by scout ants to discover food for the group. Since these pheromones create a path for other ants to follow, simply removing the ants away will not work. You should obliterate their little tracks, which you may do using a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. Spray the mixture where ants have been sighted to wash away the pheromones.

If you discover ants in your houseplants, you should discard any plants that look to be affected. Use citrus rinds on the soil to repel them from making homes in your plants.

Related: How to Clean Inside of Oven: Easy Ways You Should Know About

How to Get Rid of Outdoor Ants?

Outdoors is an ant's natural habitat but it can be an unpleasant experience to step into their nest and get bitten right in your backyard. Mix some food and a slow-acting insecticide (natural or artificial) to make an effective bait. Food masks the pesticide, so ants eat and transport it back to their nest, where the bait will be eaten by the queen and young ants. When utilizing ant baits, you will notice more ants initially as they find them. During this period, avoid the impulse to apply ant repellents or pesticides. The goal is for the ants to bring the bait back to the nest, thus destroying the colony.

If you locate the nest and do not want to bother yourself with waiting while the bait will work, boiled water will do just fine to pour right into the ant's nest.

Related:  How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Home: Natural Methods That Work!

How to Keep Ants Out of the House?

Here are some effective tips for how to get rid of ants fast using only natural ingredients:

  • Peppermint is a natural ant repellent that also prevents other insects from appearing. To use peppermint oil as a repellent, follow these steps: 
  1. Mix 10 to 20 drops of peppermint oil with 2 glasses of water in a clean plastic bottle. 
  2. Spray the mixture around your home's baseboards and windows.
  3. Allow it to dry and repeat spaying if needed.

Like most essential oils, keep peppermint oil away from pets because they are sensitive to the aroma.

  • Vinegar is one of the most effective low-cost ingredients out of almost all DIY repellents. Another advantage of vinegar is that it is widely accessible in supermarkets. Clean hard surfaces, such as floors and worktops, using a 1-to-1 vinegar/water combination anywhere ants are prone to show up. Spray the mixture on ants or wipe them away with a paper towel if you notice them.

After the vinegar dries, ants can smell it, but most people wouldn’t smell it for long.

  • Ant sprays and liquids. Apply an ant-killer pesticide (granules, dust/powder, or liquid form) on the top of the ant mound, following package instructions. Be cautious while using it and keep away from children and pets.

Related: How to Clean Your Microwave:The Easiest Ways You Can Use

We hope that this information will be helpful for you and you will successfully get rid of annoying ants wherever you find them in your house.

What methods do you prefer to use to repel ants from your property?

 

Though some DIY projects are easy to complete, for others, there are repairs that require professional skills and specific equipment. If you’re unsure whether or not you can handle a maintenance request in your rental property, find a service professional in your area by posting a bid request. 

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