How to Get Rid of Ants in Your House Naturally!

After experiencing an infestation of ants into our kitchen several week ago, I knew I had to find a solution to eliminate these pesky creatures. Due to the danger of pesticides and insecticides, the ant control treatment I used needed to be as natural as possible. If ants are destroying the peace in YOUR home, here are some guidelines to help bring your home back to its former state of tranquility:

1. Identify where the ants are entering your home.

Ants usually enter your home through cracks in the foundation or through window cracks. The simple solution to this is to seal the opening with silicone caulk which you should be able to find at your home improvement store.

2. Become meticulous about cleaning up crumbs and food debri from your counters.

Ants are naturally attracted to whatever food sources they can find. They particularly gravitate towards sweets. Be sure to keep your counters scrupulously clean. After placing any food on your counter, clean up with a natural cleaning product that removes all remaining debri.

3. Empty your trash on a frequent basis.

Don’t allow your trash can to go unemptied for any extended period of time. It’s best to empty your trash can on a nightly basis to prevent ants from seeking it out as a source of food.

4. Don’t allow moisture to accumulate on counters and surfaces in your home.

Ants need water just like we do and will seek it out wherever they can find it. Ant control begins with clean, dry counters.

Now that you’ve taken measures to put up a barrier to more ants entering your home and have removed their source of food and drink, you may want to try one of these additional interventions that have been shown to work for ant control:

1. Sprinkle a line of cayenne pepper adjacent to the opening where the ants are entering your home. Ants are naturally repelled by this hot spice.

2. A natural ant repellant can be made at home by blending citrus peelings with water in your blender or food processor.

3. A natural remedy that works for some ants is to spray a mixture of white vinegar and water along the path the ants are following into your home.

4. A clever trick suggested by the Environmental Health Clearinghouse is to place instant grits along the path of the ants. The ants will eagerly consume the grits which absorb water from the ant’s body, effectively killing it.

5. Other natural treatments for ants that have been shown to work in some cases is the use of talcum powder around openings, cinnamon, tea tree oil, cream of tartar, black pepper, dried peppermint, dried saged and strong perfumes.

Not every remedy will work for all ant colonies. It may take some experimentation to see what natural ant control treatment best repels your particular colony of ants. The time spent pursuing a natural remedy is definitely worthwhile when you consider the devastating effects of pesticides and insecticides can have on your pets and children. Give these natural ant repellants a try! You’ll be glad you went the natural route!