How to Get Rid of Ants ASAP and Keep Them Away

Ants are most active from March to October, seeking food, water, and shelter, and may line up to enter your house, kitchen, and pantry. To eliminate ants, find the trails and nests. Killing the worker ants will not solve the problem. Instead, send them back to the nest with poisoned food (ant bait). Fortunately, most common indoor ants do not do much real damage.

Here's how to get rid of ants with several easy-to-use methods.

Want more cleaning and organizing tips? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest hacks, expert advice, and more!

Bait Method for Getting Rid of Ants 

Avoid using ant-killing pesticides to spray visible ants marching along trails inside your home. Pesticide sprays eliminate the few ants you see but do not eliminate the infestation. A pesticide-laced bait will destroy the colony for good. The worker ants carry the pesticide back to the nest, killing all the rest of the ants and the queen. Ant baits are usually sugary (to attract ants) and are mixed with an ant-killing product like boric acid, which is toxic to ants.

1. Use an Ant Bait

   • Purchase a commercial ant bait.
   • Or, try borax. Mix 3/4 teaspoon of borax with 1/4 cup of sugar.
   • Another alternative: Citrus rinds kill ants because they contain an acidic oil called D-limonene, which is toxic to ants. Sprinkle with sugar.

   Tip

   Baking soda is only effective as an ant killer if mixed with powdered sugar and boric acid.

2. Find the Trail and Place Bait

   The baits should be placed close to visible ant trails but outside the reach of pets and children.

Other Methods for Getting Rid of Ants

• Natural deterrents: Vinegar, herbs and spices, and coffee grounds are all effective ant deterrents; although they will not kill ants, they will keep ants away. Vinegar mixed with an equal ratio of water, leftover coffee grounds, powdered cinnamon, cayenne pepper, or cloves disrupts the ant pheromones that create ant trails. Reapply frequently.
  
• Keep things clean: Sanitation is critical for controlling ants inside the house. Keep foods sealed, pet bowls empty, floors swept, and all surfaces clean. Once you notice ants, don't clean away the ant trails until you have eliminated the infestation so the ants find the bait and carry it back to the nest.
• Use outdoor spray pesticides: If you can identify an outdoor nest sending workers inside your home, drench it with an approved insecticide spray (following all label directions).
  

Tips for Preventing Ants in the Home

• Get rid of cracks and crevices. Seal around windows, doors, cables, wires, and pipe entry points. Regularly inspect foundations for cracks where ants can gain entry to your home.
• Update landscaping. Leave three feet between your home and any vegetation. Ants use plants as bridges into your home, so maintain foundation plants.
• Repair leaks. Ants are looking for moisture and food. Take care of small leaks and spills before they become a larger problem.
• Store food correctly. Keep foods in covered containers to eliminate food for the ants.

Do You Have Common Ants, Carpenter Ants, or Termites?

Common Ants

Ants are social creatures that form colonies with a queen and thousands of worker ants. The worker ants form scent trails as they retrieve food, like sugars or grease, for the queen and young ants.
Pavement ants, odorous house ants, and pharaoh ants (also known as sugar ants) are commonly seen inside the home. They can be dark brown, black, or light yellowish-brown in color, and while annoying, they do not bite.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) may burrow through structural wood in the home and cause serious damage. These relatively large ants (up to 5/8 inch) are reddish-orange to black and have wings. A clear sign of infestation is residual wood dust and debris around the foundation and sill plate of the home. Consulting with a professional exterminator is a good step to controlling these ants.

Termites

Termites (Isoptera spp.) are not ants but can look the same in color and size. A termite's body will not have the narrow "waist" and segmented body found on carpenter ants. If you see termites, consider bringing in an exterminator, as they can cause substantial structural damage if not controlled.