How to Ged Rid of Ants: Four Natural Solutions

Ants are a common household and outdoor pest. They are notorious for going after any food in sight. When outdoors, they are generally harmless and actually help improve your grass quality by eating harmful fungus. However, once the temperatures start to cool down, ants will do anything to find a warm environment, which often means your house. For this reason, it is best to take care of outdoor ants before they infest your home. There isn't one foolproof method that gets rid of ants, but a combination of different techniques is sure to get the job done.

First, locate all of the areas where the ants are located. This is a pretty easy thing to do since ants often make long trails leading to or away from their ant hill. Look for these lines and follow them to the hill. Also pay attention to any cracks in the sidewalk, as ants like to congregate there as well. Once you've located the ants you can begin with one (or several) of the following removal options.

Option 1: Vinegar
Fill your spray bottle with white vinegar and then spray the ant hills you have located. In addition to spraying the hole itself, spray the trails leading away from the hole. This will kill the ants on contact and also keep new ones form returning!

Option 2: Mint
Another option (that doesn't involve killing the ants) is to place mint around the ant hill and trail. You can use whatever type of mint that's available (fresh, ground, dried, tea bags, etc.). Because mint acts as a natural repellent, laying it around the area helps deter ants from returning as well.

Option 3: Coffee Grounds
Sprinkling used coffee grounds around the area is also a safe, non-harmful way to get rid of ants. You can find used coffee grounds at coffee shops (some leave them sitting out or you can ask). An added benefit of using used coffee grounds is that it also add nutrients to your soil.

Option 4: Hot Water
Boil a pot of water and bring it outside immediately. You can place it in a watering can or keep it in the pot you boiled it in. Slowly pour the hot water on the ant hill and paths to take care of any ants hiding underground.