Get Rid of Ants In Your Home

Every year we go through the battle of the ants. We get a variety; little brown ants, black ants (otherwise known as carpenter ants), and red ants. One or two of these little creepy varmints wants to gain entry to our pantry or kitchen once or twice a year. Most homeowners who try to get rid of ants in their home try variety kinds of ant poisons and sprays. Some help but none really do the job very well. I consulted with a neighbor that is a lot wiser than I and they offered several solutions of which none involved poisons, and we got rid of ants in our home. To my surprise most of the suggestions worked. The bottom line is that you can get rid of pesky ants without expensive poisons or calling an exterminator.

To get rid of the ants in your home or garage you first must find their entry point. Plug the entry point using a caulking compound and make sure that there is no banquette (garbage) enticing them in.  Windowsills should be clean and clear of any food substances. Any spilt sweet liquids should be cleaned and the area rinsed thoroughly with clear water. Wash pantry shelves that may have spilt sweet or sticky substance.  After you have done all this it is time to add one of two magic potions to distract the ants. Most are already in your kitchen or pantry. The key is to find the ant’s entry point or the trails leading to the entry point.

1. Chili pepper, black pepper, and cinnamon work well. Sprinkle it around the entry point or along the ant trail. In most cases the ants will not cross it and make a hasty retreat.

2. Place bay leaves dipped in mint mouth wash on the kitchen counter or pantry shelves.

3. We found that using Vaseline is poorly effective. It really just creates a mess.

4.  Using white chalk around door thresholds or window frames is somewhat effective. Simply draw a heavy chalk line across the entry point. The ants will not cross the line.

5. Placing cornmeal or cream of wheat in the entry path is very effective. For some reason ants cannot digest cornmeal or cream of wheat. After consuming it they die very quickly.

6. A 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water sprayed on the entry points and on pantry shelving we found very effective. The acidic acid in the vinegar either kills the ants immediately or the odor drives them away.

I recommend trying any one or all of these remedies to resolve your ant problem. You will find one, if not all, work well and they will not endanger the health of other pets that may be in your home. Don’t waste your money on expensive poisonous sprays and pest control services. You can do it yourself by following one or more of these recommendations.