Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Ants Fast – I’d rather have flies than ants in my home. Not that flies are preferable but they’re the lesser of two evils for me. When you have little ones or the invalid around, ants can be a pain in the butt. Sometimes, literally. When it comes to hard work, ants are the perfect example. The build, procreate and go in search of food orderly.
Sometimes, when I see their trail, I honestly admire them.
Ant infestation is a nightmare no one wants to encounter, that’s why it is important you discover how to get rid of ants.
To achieve this, you will need to make use of any of the 9 best home remedies for ants.
About 12,000 different SPECIES of ants abound in the world.
Mind boggling right?
This goes to show that ants don’t plan on relocating to another planet anytime soon.
And since they’ve decided to not leave anytime soon, we must devise a way to get rid of them as fast and with limited expenses as much as you can.
There are certain homemade ants’ deterrents, that give off a beautiful fragrance that can make you forget you need to get rid of ants fast and naturally.
Different Species of Ants
Before diving into how you can get rid of ants fast and naturally.
We have to take a look at different species of ants, so you can better administer the drugs or leaves used.
Northeast
Carpenter ants chew through wood to make tunnels for their colony.
Another species found in the Northeast are the odorous plans.
As the name implies, they give off this very pungent odor when crushed.
So, when getting rid of the ants, watch to make sure there are no hidden colonies.
Ants Southeast
Owing to the climatic condition of Southeast which is warmer and more humid is home to so many species of ants, as they find it ideal and comfortable.
However, the most common species here is the fire ants. You don’t want to get stung by a fire ant. The pain is out of this world.
The fire ants are dark red or brown in color.
Midwest Ants
The ants in the Midwest are very small. They are usually brown or yellow in color.
This particular species of ant do not build their nests like other species, rather, they build their mounds underground.
They are called the Turfgrass.
This is because they destroy landscapes and golf course. They do not infest houses.
Southwest
The species found here is called the Leafcutter. The name was coined from their activities.
They cut the leaves of trees and bring in fungus to grow on the trees.
They are so good at cutting leaves, that they can strip a tree of its leaves in hours.
Ant infestation in a home is very annoying and sometimes painful if stung.
The last infestation I experienced prompted this article.
I not only discovered how to get rid of ants fast and naturally, but I also discovered how to keep ants away permanently.
Just before I give you the very secrets that have helped me get rid of ants fast and naturally, I will tell you the causes of the ant infestation in the first place.
Once the causes are tackled or removed, the problem is already half solved.
So let’s look at the causes of ants in the house.
Causes of Ants in the House
Pets and Kids
Kids and pets can be quite messy. They leave crumbs and spill beverages that sometimes go unnoticed which is like putting out a beacon for ants.
Once you have kids and pets in the house, you must be more vigilant, as it becomes almost impossible to keep ants away from your home.
Leftovers
Ants work together as a group with jib definition.
In fact, I remember learning about specialization in high school using ants as an example.
That lesson stayed with me. There are ants who do the job of looking for food for the colony. They’re called the worker ants.
So when there’s leftover food and/or drinks, the worker ants come to do their jobs.
The ant infestation becomes worse if the food is rotten or rotting.
Unsealed Windows
Sometimes due to wear and tear, windows begin to lose at the edges.
Once windows do not seal properly, they leave cracks and ants need just very little cracks to pass through.
Colonies Forming Around The House
Ants can’t help it that they form colonies.
Once there’s something to bring them around or into your home, they form colonies.
Once they form colonies, the turn into your next door neighbors, albeit annoying ones.
They get attracted by food, dampness or even wood.
It’s Spring
While you’re out and about enjoying the spring weather, ants are out and about scouting and foraging for food.
These searches often lead them to kitchens.
When they somehow find their way into kitchens, they leave a trail of scents that lead other ants right into homes.
Once it’s Spring, do your Spring cleaning and pay attention to the nooks and crannies of your kitchen.
Open or Unsealed Doors
Doors like windows are gateways that allow ants into homes.
Doors without tight seals are an open invitation to ants and leaving underneath the doors open is an express entry ticket to ants.
Change In Weather Condition and Feeding
Ants are fickle. They often change their habits with changes in weather.
When it gets too wet outside, they move into and around homes that have not made any arrangements to keep them out.
What attracts ants primarily is food.
Even at that, you can’t get rid of them by changing your grocery preferences, because their feeding habits and pattern often change.
How to Get Rid of Ants Fast and Naturally
Ants are neither dangerous nor lethal. They do not pass any disease, unlike mosquitoes.
But, they’re a constant nuisance once they enter into your home.
I’ve come up with how best to get rid of ants fast and naturally.
Getting rid of ants does not require any special training or qualification. All that’s required is the ability and willingness to learn.
How to get rid of ants fast and naturally is easy and the ingredients needed can be found either in your kitchen or in the bathroom.
It’s so easy to do that it requires less than 30 minutes to prepare and use.
1. Peppermint for Ants
Ants are very averse to the scent of peppermint.
It’s top on the list for me on how to get rid of ants’ fast and naturally.
It can be placed around the home or use the peppermint essential oil to wipe surfaces.
You can also soak cotton balls with peppermint oil and place around areas or corners in your home.
2. Vinegar to Get Rid of Ants
Another thing on the list of how to get rid of ants fast and naturally is the vinegar.
Ants are blind, so they rely on pheromones which they release.
They use the scent from the pheromones to guide their movements.
Do This:
- To get the best of this homemade remedy, mix equal amounts of vinegar and ants and spray on the ants directly.
- You can also spread it around door frames, windowsills and wall edges.
3. Dish Soap and Water for Ants
This is one super easy way to get rid of ants fast and natural.
You do not even need an equal mixture of the two ingredients to get the result needed.
Just pour water if the dish soap is almost finished, then shake vigorously.
After which you can spritz on the location of the Ant.
4. Essential Oils for Ants
It’s a good thing that when choosing homemade recipes on how to get rid of ants fast and naturally, essential oils pop up.
You can make your choice of the list of essential oil. Tea tree oil, clove essential oil.
To make the mixture, mix a 50/50 of water and white sugar with about 40 drops of essential oil.
Read More –11 Best Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Termites in The House
5. Get Rid of Ants With Borax, Water, And Sugar
On the list of how to get rid of ants fast and natural, this one is the terminator.
And it serves well even for rats.
There are two ways of using these ingredients.
Ingredients
- ¾ tablespoon of Borax
- ½ of powder sugar
- 1 cup of water
Directions
- You mix ¼ of Borax with ¾ of powdered sugar.
- Fill small containers with the mixture and place around the place ants have been visiting.
- Place directly in their paths so they can find it easily.
- Another method is for people with kids and pets.
- You will make a mixture using 1 cup of water, ¾ tablespoon of Borax and ½ of powder sugar.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Sometimes you can soak cotton balls and place them on the floor or shallow plates.
5. Diatomaceous Earth (De) for Ants
Carpenter ants are not killed with other recipes except this on the list of how to get rid of ants fast and naturally.
Diatomaceous is natural and organic, even though it’s of two types.
Be sure to pick the one with food grade DE for pest control.
Do This:
- You can inject DE into the nests of Carpenter ants immediately after it has rained.
- Another method of using the DE powder is to mix it with water.
- Use 2 tablespoons of DE Powder, add ¼ of bottled water.
- Mix thoroughly and put into a spray bottle.
- You can start using on carpenter ants.
7. Natural Ants Killer Baking Soda
Baking soda is lethal to ants, while sugar is what they crave.
Making this mixture on the list of how to get rid of ants fast and naturally is easy and cheap.
Ingredients
- 70% baking soda, and
- 30% powdered sugar
Directions
- The mixture should contain 70% baking soda and 30% powdered sugar.
- Mix the two powders thoroughly then spray at strategic points around the house or even in the nests of the ants.
8. Borax and Syrup Sticky Cards
Corn syrups are an attraction to ants while Borax is their doom.
The use of this on the list of how to get rid of ants fast and naturally is to use the attraction of the ants to get rid of them.
Ingredients
- Borax acid.
- Corn syrups
- Cardboard papers
Directions
- To make this, you will need an equal amount of syrup and borax acid.
- Mix the two together, ensuring that it’s not running.
- It should have the right consistency to be more paste-like.
- Once you’ve gotten the mixture, use a spoon or spatula and spread the mixture on cards or cardboard papers.
- Then place at strategic points and keep changing as soon as the mixture dries up or the ants are totally eliminated.
9. Vaseline to Get Rid of Ants
The last on the list of how to get rid of ants fast and naturally is Vaseline.
The use of the Vaseline is to affect the movement of the ants because of how sticky it is.
All you need do is to rub Vaseline generously on doors and windows.
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Conclusion
Now you have it, different ways of how to get rid of ants quickly and naturally.
We also intimated you with the causes of ants’ infestation and how to prevent it.
If you put all you have read to use, you won’t be having those pesky tenants anymore.
