Easy Home Remedies For Ants

Thank goodness for night lights! The other night I reached for a cough drop on my night stand. Even though I had placed it there just a few hours before, it was full of tiny ants! I’m shocked I even noticed since, #1: I didn’t have my glasses on and #2: with 3 young kids, I’ve learned to function in the wee hours without completely waking up. remedies for ants

So, despite my father and my brother each owning pest control companies, I decided to find some easy home remedies for ants, you know the small ant infestations. I read many message boards and pest control sites and quizzed my relatives that are “in the know”. Then I tried a few options myself. Here’s what I learned:

The easiest, most effective way to rid your home of little ants is liquid dish soap! This is one of several remedies for ants that I love because you usually have it on hand and it’s easy and safe. Mix about 2 tablespoons in a spray bottle and spray near windows, doors, cracks and especially along trails you know the ants are using. Just leave it be. The soap destroys the scent trail so more ants won’t follow. Spray the solution on any live ants you see as well…how should I say this?… kill them. This soap method works surprisingly fast and one of the best remedies for ants.

Note: My nightstand is wood. I didn’t want to spray it with water so I sprayed around the base, baseboards and a little on the wall behind the nightstand.

The second most effective remedy is chemical bait. It comes in a gel form. Squirt the ant bait gel on small pieces of paper and place wherever ants are active. You can order it online. I didn’t use this at home because of my very curious, one-year-old boy and because the dish soap worked for me. I have used it at work before and it is very effective.

If you are not a DIY-er or if you are of the “an ounce of prevention…” mindset, creating a pest barrier around the exterior of your home is the best way to keep pests out! If you’re interested in protecting your home (and cough drops) from bugs, give us a call or click here for more information and our free estimate. I’ll be sympathetic and happy to help.