Rid Your Home of Ants Using Natural Methods

When ants invade your home, it is not picnic. Getting rid of them can be a tiresome task. Here are some tips to help you rid your home of ants using natural methods.

A good way to keep ants from invading your kitchen is to wipe all the cabinets, shelves, countertops and baseboards with a solution of vinegar. Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water and use a cloth or sponge to wipe down the surfaces. To keep the ants from coming in the windows, squirt lemon juice on the windowsills. This can also be used along the bottoms of doors.

To keep the small sugar ants from getting into your home, spread some red pepper. Apply the ground or dried pepper around the baseboards and at the back of your counters. You can also spread it under your sink and around the entrances of the water pipes. If you do not have red pepper handy, it is also possible to use ground cloves or even black pepper. However, red pepper will be the most successful in keeping the ants out.

If you have borax handy, it can also be used to rid your home of pesky ants. Mix equal parts borax and confectioners sugar with just enough water to make a paste. Put this mixture in flat pans or old jar lids. Place the pans or lids under counters and behind your kitchen appliances. Be sure it is not within the reach of any pets or children. Ants are cannibals. One, or more, ants will eat the mixture and die. More ants will eat the dead ants and, also, die. This chain reaction will eventually spread to the entire nest.

If you have an infestation of ants in your lawn, mix about a pound of coffee grounds with one quart of hot water. Pour this into any anthills you see. If the hill is large, such as that of red ants, it might require more than one dousing. If you get rid of them in your lawn, they will not be coming into your home.

If you have the large black carpenter ants in your home, check for a leak in the roof or plumbing. They are attracted by a water source. If you get rid of the moisture, you will go a long way in getting rid of this type of ant. It may be all that is needed to be shed of them.

It is always annoying to have pests, such as ants, in your home. And, using harsh and poisonous chemicals makes the situation even worse. Hopefully these tips will help you get rid of the ants without using chemicals in your home that could harm you, your family, or your pets.