Little pesky ants all over your kitchen and bathroom counters are an unwelcome sight. No one likes to see that ants have found a way into their home and are taking up residence. Ants are not only annoying, but they can also get into your food and be hard to remove.
At the first sight of ants, you’ll want to take action. Once ants have scouted your home as a potential food source, you can bet that more are coming. Here at Environmental Pest Management, we are available to consult, prevent, and eliminate any pest problems. But until we can arrive, there are some effective natural home remedies we recommend.
Like all of our services, these home remedies are non-chemical and environmentally conscious. They are safe to use around your family and pets. Try out one of these methods to deter ants until Environmental Pest Management can remove them for good.
Vinegar – The Multi-Use Product
Vinegar is an excellent multi-use household product. From laundry to floors, kitchen counters, and more, vinegar is the perfect home remedy for a variety of needs. Another fantastic quality of vinegar is its ability to repel ants.
The strong smell of vinegar can deter ants from coming inside the home or bothering your garden. Mix vinegar with water in a spray bottle and spray areas where you find ants. You can spray it directly on ant hills in your garden, or spray your kitchen or bathroom counters, baseboards, and window sills. Just think, you can clean your counters with vinegar and keep the ants away at the same time!
Also Read: Natural Home Remedies to Get Rid of Ants
DIY Ant Bait
You can also make your own ant bait using some everyday items from your household cleaning cabinet and pantry. Many homes have borax on hand, whether as laundry powder, disinfectant, whitener, or kids’ slime activator. Borax, also known as sodium borate, is a mineral salt with a white, powdery appearance.
Among its other uses, borax is a mild pesticide. Once you determine the type of ants you have (ants that prefer sugar or ants that prefer protein), you can mix borax with honey, syrup, or jam (sugar-loving ants), or peanut butter (protein-eating ants) to create your own ant bait.
The ants will take the poisonous treat back to their colony, hopefully destroying them all. While borax is a naturally occurring material and toxic to ants and other insects, it is generally safe to use around the home — as long as you don’t eat it. Ingesting too much borax can cause nausea, vomiting, or a swollen throat. We recommend placing the bait behind appliances and in areas where your family or pets won’t be tempted to taste it. And if you’re not sure which type of ant invaders you have or what the appropriate dosing is, call in the experts at Environmental Pest Management.
Also Read: How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Diatomaceous Earth – A Gardener’s Friend
If you are an avid gardener, you might already be familiar with diatomaceous earth (DE). This fine silicate powder is a natural insecticide and an excellent way to prevent ants in your garden or yard. Simply dust your plants with diatomaceous earth to get rid of ants, mites, and other pests.
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Take care to buy food-grade diatomaceous earth to be sure it is safe to use in your home. You can sprinkle a thin layer wherever pests may hide, such as behind appliances, in cracks and crevices, in attics or basements, or around your garbage cans.
DE is a desiccant, depriving ants and insects of moisture and killing them. You can dust it directly on any ants you see. You can also brush it into your carpet and vacuum it up. You may wish to wear a mask, as diatomaceous earth can be dusty to inhale.
Garlic – A Favorite Flavor and Natural Pest Control
You’ve probably heard about the many health benefits of garlic, in addition to its delicious and distinct flavor. While the scent of garlic is pleasant to most humans, ants, on the other hand, do not like the smell. Try peeling a few cloves of garlic and placing them near the entry points of your home or wherever you’ve seen ants.
Natural pest repellent might be another great reason for growing garlic indoors. If you grow garlic in your kitchen, you’ll have it handy for dinner and as an ant repellent. You only need to plant a single clove in a mixture of dirt and sand to start growing garlic indoors. The green tops of the sprouted garlic in your pot also are edible and deter ants.
The Choices Are Endless
When it comes to home remedies to get rid of ants, there are many possibilities to try while you wait for professional services. From dish soap, lemon, cornmeal, coffee grounds, chalk, cinnamon, and peppermint oil, you have options for eradicating ants in your home or garden.
You can try any of these home remedies to get a jump on getting rid of ants. Keeping them away is a bigger problem, however. As a professional pest control service, Environmental Pest Management is a more permanent and lasting solution.
Also Read: Ant Control
Environmental Pest Management and Natural Pest Control
At Environmental Pest Management, we are ready to develop a plan for naturally ridding your house of ants and other pests. Non-chemical options are our first line of defense to safeguard your home against pests and insects.
If you are dealing with ants in your kitchen, bathroom, or yard, we can help you effectively eliminate them in a safe and environmentally conscientious way. Environmental Pest Management gives you the confidence you need to feel safe from pesticides and harmful ingredients, but also free from pests.
We strive to exceed our customer’s expectations and provide quality service. Contact us today to evaluate your situation and create a plan to get rid of ants and other pests, and keep them out for good.