What are natural remedies for how to get rid of ants in your home? They are such pests in the summertime.
Victoria Vega, Liberty, Missouri
No matter how clean your house is or where it is located, sometimes bugs find their way in. You are wondering, “Why are ants in my house?” There are several reasons but these tiny insects are easy to eliminate.
I have a few tips about natural remedies for getting rid of ants at home. While we expect to see ants outside in the yard and garden, no one wants them inside, particularly in the kitchen. You can read about them in this article: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/natural-ant-remedies-how-to-get-rid-of-ants/In the meantime, here are some pointers.
Obviously, it helps to clean up or remove anything that attracts ants in the first place. You may find that doing something as simple as making sure your trash can has a tight-fitting lid will be enough to discourage ants.
If you have pets, don’t leave any leftovers in their food dishes after they eat. Also, make sure all crumbs and spills are quickly cleaned. Sweep and vacuum floors often to discourage ants from finding stray crumbs.
Next, you can kill regular house ants with a mixture of Borax and powdered sugar. They will carry that back to their colony and it will kill them there. Or if you have a carpenter ant infestation, placing diatomaceous earth around their colony will get rid of them.
To deter sugar ants, make a barrier of black pepper to block them from entering your home. Besides pepper, you can also use cinnamon or mint. Cayenne pepper works,especially to keep ants away from cat food. However, it may irritate house pets.
The idea is to destroy the ant’s ability to follow a scent trail that other ants have left. To this end, you can also try a mixture of one part white vinegar to one part water for getting rid of small black ants. Spraying this along the areas where ants appear will repel them. This formula will also kill ants without harming pets or humans.
I hope these remedies help you in getting rid of sugar ants naturally. Check out that article for detailed instructions and even more ideas.
Joan