how to get rid of ants in the house?

Question

the ants only come in summer, they crawl on anything. from bath tub to dirty laundry. i keep my house really clean, but they keep coming, what should I do?

ants come out from places that we cannot find trails of, and there are no sweets or dirty dishes around. they crawl on clothes, sinks, closed canned food,.....

Answer 1

(m)

There are three very frugal things you can do in combination that should rid your home of ants.

The first step is to get rid of anything that's attracting them. Sugar and other sweets, and greases or fats of any kind are usually the major attractants. A lid on the sugar bowl won't stop them (as you probably know), so use air tight containers for that and cookies, cakes and the like. Don't leave greasy pans or platters more than a few minutes. Wipe cabinets and floors with a cup of vinegar in a couple of quarts of water.

The second step is to put a barrier between the ants and you. Anything in crystal or flake form can be used to deter them. Salt, black pepper, red pepper, baking soda, talcum powder...

the list goes on. (Used coffee grounds are said to be especially effective, even against fire ants.) Why does this work? Imagine yourself faced with a shoulder high snow drift that's too soft to hold your weight. Would you go through it if you didn't have to? Neither would I!
Thirdly, attack their hills. Pour boiling water down the main entrance to each hill you can find. Use at least a gallon to each hill. You might have to do this two or three times, but it will work. You can try borax mixed with flour around the base of your house or near their hills, but boiling water is cheaper, safer and more efficient, as ants are selective about what they eat.

Ants don't care for mint or citrus, cloves or bay leaves, so think orange peel, peppermint tea, lemon juice, ground cloves, etc. If you can plant mint around the foundations of your home, you may deter them from entering. Vinegar has the same acid as citrus, so use it to clean with and ants won't feel welcome.

Answer 2

you already have a lot of answers, never the less I will share my experience. First off try to identify the type of ant that has invaded your space. If it is a big black ant, then this is typically a wood boring pest. They probably have set up residence in your house structure. I had the same problem and started remodeling my kitchen, I found the dirty buggers had chewed out the middle of a 2x4, I had some ortho ant killer in the shed that I mixed with water and sprayed into the nest, wiped em right out. Then I took the shop vac and sucked up the remains (eggs and dead ants)

I also use this spray on my foundation every year.

If this doesn't work try the UN sanctions.

Answer 3

Here's something my grandma has been doing since forever (I learned it from my mom): Buy a can of comet, and sprinkle it in a pretty solid line around the foundation of the house. I have never seen an ant dare to touch or walk over comet - they hate it. If they can't get in, they'll soon disappear. Hopefully their hill is not in your house somewhere!

I don't know exactly how long this lasts, but it always seems to last even a while after the comet is gone. This also isn't as tacky and ugly as it sounds...after a day or two you probably won't notice the commet. Also, I don't know how rain will affect this, since I live in California and when the ants are out and about there is never any rain).

Also, I know not leaving around food is a given, but you also don't want to leave around any glasses, bowls, etc., of water - they will come in even for just a drink.

Something I've always wanted to experiment with is placing a bowl or cup (something easy for them to climb), outside near the house full of sugar-water. My theory - of course I could be very very wrong - is that if you make it unappealing for them in your house, and much more appealing to them outside, they'll stay there.

Answer 4

Try spraying with Peppermint Oil and Eucalyptus Oil mixed together. Or use regular ant spray but here's the thing...........

Make sure to find the trail that is growing outside that you didn't know was there. Cause if you knock out the trail outside then that slows down the migration to the inside

Answer 5

Mix a tablespoon of honey with a tbspoon of Borax , cleaning powder,
the ants are attracted to the honey and take the borax back to the nest clears them up in no time just place drops along ant trail

Answer 6

Go to WalMart or your local hardware store and ask for ant motels. They work. I can't remember the brand name, but I used what was called, ant motels...I had the small ants, especially around the kitchen sink...after a few days I saw less and less ants and finally none.

Answer 7

Ants become a nuisance when they enter homes. Instead of spending money on costly pest control, you can get rid of ants by removing the food source and using soap water. I found the information at http://www.pests.in useful.

Answer 8

You have an ant colony near your house. Try to follow them to the source and place something attractive to them outside to lure them away from your home. They are generally looking for water or sugar.

If you don't care about the environment, use RAID.

Answer 9

if you can still find chinese ant chalk that is the best thing that works for me. also at garden centers theres a liguid called TARRO that works well. put it on little tabs of paper & put it on the perimeter of your property and it should kill them all. I have fruit trees and I must pick up the fruit immediately cause that attracts them also . borax, comet, ajax in the corners of closets & cupboards works along will bug proof shelf liners

Answer 10

I had this problem and I set up a UN coucil about the issue. I threatened them with sanctions and then total eradication and they took the hint. All was well and good until they beheaded my cat. That just went too far so I called in the 351st pesticide division. Raided 'em outta there.