When ants arrive, they come in numbers. It’s vital for every homeowner to have pest control skills and to feel confident when tackling unwelcome insects. Discover how to use diatomaceous earth for ants in your home and garden with safe, practical advice.
Scientists estimate there are 10,000 individual species of ants worldwide, and they’re all unique. Some ants prefer to live in wood, some dig tunnels underground, and about 200 rare species of ants live as parasites. However, generally, ants adhere to a social structure and live in organized colonies divided into workers, males, and queens.
The most common ants you’ll likely see are the carpenter ant, fire ant, and black garden ant. The National Pesticide Information Center recommends using integrated pest management strategies when dealing with most kinds of ants. Diatomaceous earth is a Borax substitute for ant traps, and is a great option that works against crawling insects without creating an overwhelming smell in your space with essential oil or toxic pesticide residue.
How to Spread Diatomaceous Earth for Ants
Diatomaceous earth is a fine mineral powder made from a fossilized creature called a diatom. Diatomaceous earth is harmless to us, but ants and other crawling insects walk over its sharp edges and dehydrating silica. Learn how to use diatomaceous earth to get carpenter ants out of the house quickly, along with fire ants and black ants to avoid infestation.
How to Use Diatomaceous Earth for Ants
How long does it take for diatomaceous earth to kill ants? You have to find the ant colony first. Locate the source of your ant problem by searching for an ant trail or ant nest. Get your dust mask and gloves out, and use DE to control pests in the house for a natural solution.
Do a thorough search for gaps in the doors, windows, and foundations. Fill the cracks with caulk or steel wool to prevent entry into your home. Look for hot spots of increased activity and spread diatomaceous earth for ticks and ants along those routes. Target your ant control approach accordingly, and the results will speak for themselves.
Line Your Cupboards With Diatomaceous Earth
A steady food supply attracts pests of all kinds. Fortunately, food-grade diatomaceous earth provides a safe, non-toxic way to address pantry pests. Use food-grade diatomaceous earth on baseboards, under appliances, and in the back of the pantry for long-lasting protection against any crawling insect looking to snack on unsealed food.
Always check the label to ensure it’s food grade diatomaceous earth and not pool grade DE when using it indoors. Put on your gloves and dust mask, and spread a thin line along the inside perimeter of the cabinets.
Line high-traffic ant trails and wait a few days. Diatomaceous earth starts killing ants in 24 hours and should reduce your ant infestation with regular reapplication.
Protect Your Potted Plants From Ants
Potted plants need protection from ants, too. Ants act as beneficial insects for some plant pests like mealybugs, protecting them by feeding on their honeydew excretions. Spread diatomaceous earth for ants in a ring surrounding your potted plant, and sprinkle a thin layer around the edge of the potting soil for extra protection.
To ensure its effectiveness, refresh a diatomaceous earth application weekly during peak pest season or after rainfall. Note that diatomaceous earth powder works best when dry.
Diatomaceous Earth for Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are a particularly destructive ant species. As the name implies, they are carpenters by nature. Contrary to popular belief, carpenter ants don’t eat wood; they hollow out wood structures for nesting.
Carpenter ants construct extended networks of tunnels that weaken structural integrity over time. Address your carpenter ant problem as soon as you notice the infestation.
Use diatomaceous earth for carpenter ants by spreading a healthy layer in and on the ant colony or sprinkling a coating of DE directly onto ants. Expect results within a day, and continue to apply as required.
Tips for Using Diatomaceous Earth on Fire Ants
The fire ant is a formidable foe. There are several individual species of fire ants, and they’re all part of the Solenopsis genus. These stinging ants are aggressive; they team up and attack small lizards and bugs and steal from beneficial insects like the nonsocial orchid bee.
Fire ants bite with their mandible and then use their abdomen to sting, injecting venomous alkaloids. These alkaloids can potentially cause a severe allergic response in certain people, which can be fatal if not treated promptly. Discover how to fight fire ants with diatomaceous earth treatment.
Put on your gloves and a dust mask. Locate the ant hill or dirt mound where the fire ants live and place a healthy sprinkling of diatomaceous earth around the mound’s perimeter and over top.
The diatomaceous earth will make a dent in the population. Allow 24 hours for the worker ants to pass through the DE. Follow up with a bucket of steaming hot water. Pour it directly into the mound to damage the colony beyond repair.
Create a Diatomaceous Earth Perimeter
During peak pest season or extreme temperature changes, bugs tend to flock toward the warmth and safety of your home. Make things challenging for them by applying a layer of diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of the house.
Use a flour sifter or a turkey baster to apply DE for ants quickly and with little hassle. Spread the diatomaceous earth about 20 inches from the foundation and reapply after rainy weather for long-lasting security.
Thankfully, as a natural substance, DE is a pet safe way to get rid of ants in the house and the yard. So don’t worry about your pets getting into this white powder when placing it outside.
How to Make an Ant Bait Station
In the 1920s, an entomologist named PF Harris had the idea to lure pests with bait while simultaneously dosing them with boric acid. Many manufacturers have borrowed and refined this idea to give us modern bait stations. Discover how to use diatomaceous earth for ants as part of a baiting strategy with this hands-on guide.
Get a bowl and mix your boric acid, powdered sugar, and enough lard to give everything a crumbly consistency. Spoon the bait into a few bottle caps or cotton balls, or cut some squares of wax paper and leave the bait stations along busy ant trails and near doorways. Surround each bait station with a ring of diatomaceous earth for extra assurance.
Does diatomaceous earth kill ants? It certainly does when used alone or as part of a diverse pest management strategy. Diatomaceous earth won’t get the queen ant, but it’s excellent as an integrated system with boric acid bait traps, repellent sprays, and regular home maintenance. Diatomaceous earth is quite effective.
We hope you liked discovering how to use diatomaceous earth for ants and that you put these tips to good use in your house. Prevention is a key aspect of pest control, whether ants, bed bugs, or the common flea. Start with a tidy yard, hose down the garbage cans, seal all crevices, and scan for ant hills in the grass.
Use our best diatomaceous earth ideas to treat popular infestation areas like a damp garage, under kitchen appliances, in the back of the pantry, or near your potted plants. A well-thought-out plan improves your chances of success against any pest.
If you loved learning how to use diatomaceous earth for ants of all kinds, share our tips and tricks with friends on Facebook and Pinterest who love natural, easy ant-fighting solutions.