These little harmful insects have a knack for slipping through cracks and baseboards. This is when the infestation begins… and the invasion can then be very complicated to stop without a good natural repellent or insecticide! Indeed, these little invasive creatures love this food source that your house and your garden or vegetable garden represent. They are therefore not ready to give up this food source. Fortunately, there are many natural solutions for ants, including remedies to repel them. No need for chemical-based insecticides! However, there are also more powerful tips to not only scare away unwanted ants, but also get rid of the anthill. Discover the best anti-ant recipes to eradicate them.
1) The recipe with boric acid and powdered sugar
One is one baitthe other one poison for the anthills! The sugar will in fact attract ants while the boric acid will help eliminate them. We use the same type of recipe for cockroaches, replacing the sugar with condensed milk. Concerning the dosages, mix three parts of sugar and one part of boric acid. Then add a little water: the adult ant loves to drink its food. Be careful, however, to keep this very effective mixture away from young children and pets.
2) A mixture of baking soda and powdered sugar
If you have children and pets and are afraid of leaving a boric acid mixture where ants travel, you can substitute this ingredient with baking soda. It will be a little weaker to eliminate them, but will pose no risk to your family! To do this, we keep the same recipe: powdered sugar, baking soda and water!
3) Cornmeal to get rid of ants
Cornmeal is sometimes heard to swell in the ants’ bellies, eventually clogging and killing them. This belief is reinforced by the fact that this ingredient is commonly used in ant traps and baits. In fact, this food is very attractivebut it has no such properties! The ideal is therefore to combine it with boric acid and water to kill ants and get rid of them permanently.
4) You can spray enhanced soapy water to get rid of ants
Mix water, soap (dishwashing liquid or black soap) and a little oil in a spray bottle. Then spray this mixture on them. The oil attracts some ants and soap helps kill them. In addition, the soapy water will help remove the odors they leave behind to attract the rest of the colony. This therefore limits returns: no traces of chemical substances, no ants! To remove chemical markers from Girl Scouts, you can also spray white vinegar diluted in water on walk-through areas, under the sink, in the pantry and at entry points to the house.
Want to try other natural methods and ecological repellents to fight ants in the house? You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth, cinnamon, cayenne pepper or coffee grounds, spray lemon juice, lavender essential oil or peppermint essential oil, make a line chalk, arrange mint leaves, basil or garlic…
And above all, don’t hesitate to combine several of these grandmother’s solutions and repeat and alternate them daily. Getting rid of ants completely can indeed take a few daysbecause only the workers and carpenter ants come out! You must therefore wait until the queen is reached so that the ant invasion is over.
Our advice for getting rid of ants in the longer term
The solutions presented earlier allow you to kill an ant colony. However, they could come back if you don’t resolve the problems that attracted them in the first place! You would then be good to start all over again.
To avoid ant invasions, it is particularly essential to maintain a clean and unattractive environment for these unwanted insects. So start by eliminating any food sources by immediately cleaning up crumbs and food residue from counters, floors and in trash cans. Store foods, especially sugary products, in airtight containers to make them inaccessible to these little creatures. Finally, make sure that the trash cans are tightly closed and regularly emptiedbecause odors can attract ants.
Good humidity management is also crucial. So, fix water leaks in sinks, pipes and roofs because these invasive critters are attracted to water. Also dry sinks, bathtubs and showers after use to avoid points of stagnant water. It is also recommended to seal cracks and holes in walls, windows and doorsas these openings can serve as entry points for ants. For example, use putty or silicone to seal these spaces.
Finally, in addition to using natural repellents at possible entry points to deter ants from venturing inside, monitor your home regularly for detect signs of infestation and be able to act immediately if you spot them.