How to Get Rid of Ants at Home

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 In Tips & Tricks

As the days lengthen and the temperature warms, unwelcome intruders may appear on your property. When ants take over your home or your yard, they can quickly become a real problem.

Fortunately, there are simple ways to eliminate ants. Natural solutions can help you keep ants away from your home, and more lethal chemical methods can be used to exterminate them entirely.

To help you find out more about these methods, the professional exterminators at E.Exterminateur explain how to get rid of ants at home.

 

What attracts ants?

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Before learning how to get rid of ants, it’s important to understand why they come into your home in the first place. There are several different factors that can incite ants to take up residence on your property.

If ants always return with the fine weather, it’s not for no reason. As temperatures rise, they leave their shelters to seek out heat and food. If you store your garbage cans where ants can access them or leave trash in your yard, that will attract them. Ants are particularly fond of sweet foods.

Therefore, it’s important not to leave food lying around in your home and yard. You should also store your garbage in an enclosed area that doesn’t release odours or provide access for insects.

These good habits should keep ants away from your house. Pest prevention and sealing and caulking services can also help you avoid an ant infestation. But if you already have an infestation, ant extermination may prove to be the only effective solution for getting rid of them.

 

How to naturally keep ants away

 

If you notice ants in your home or yard, there are many simple solutions that you can try to get rid of them naturally—but it’s important to act quickly.

White vinegar

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White vinegar is a simple way to get rid of ants at home. Ants are very sensitive to strong odours, so sprinkling white vinegar in areas where you have found them will keep them away.

The strong smell of white vinegar is an effective natural ant repellent.

 

Essential oils

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Speaking of strong smells, essential oils are another effective method for getting rid of ants. Ants’ sense of smell is very sensitive to certain essential oils.

As with vinegar, place a few drops of oil at entrances the ants might use, such as windows and doors, to keep them away naturally.

Peppermint is one of the essential oils that is most effective against ants. Sweet almond oil also works well.

 

Baking soda

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Baking soda is a key ingredient in many mixtures used to keep insects and other pests away.

To use baking soda against ants, mix it with sugar and water and pour it around the areas where ants have been found.

Did you know? There are several different species of ants found in Quebec. Some species, such as carpenter ants, are harder to get rid of than others.

 

Coffee grounds

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Did you know that your coffee pot contains a miracle cure for getting rid of ants? The strong smell of coffee grounds can also be used to keep ants away from your home.

Mix your coffee grounds with water and sprinkle them around the access points to your yard and your home. The odour will deter ants from entering!

 

Lemon juice

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Lemon juice is another magic ingredient that is useful in a wide variety of situations. The acid in lemon juice repels ants, making it a very effective way to keep them away naturally. Simply spray some around the access points of your home, and they will avoid it!

 

Chalk

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Chalk is an uncommon yet effective way to get rid of ants at home.

It might seem almost supernatural, but tracing a line of chalk around the edges of your home or yard acts like a sort of barrier that ants are afraid to cross.

If you want an unusual way to get ants away from your home, this solution could be exactly what you’re looking for!

 

Cinnamon

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Like peppermint and coffee grounds, the smell of cinnamon scares ants away. You can sprinkle cinnamon at the key access points to your house to make them turn back and stay well away from your home.

 

Diatomaceous earth

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Last but not least, diatomaceous earth is an excellent product for keeping ants away naturally. It is made of tiny algae that are a natural insecticide.

Like the other methods on this list, scatter diatomaceous earth around the corners, entrances, doors and windows of your home to eliminate any ants that try to get in.

Remember that the natural solutions listed above are not necessarily effective against all species of ants. Some species, such as carpenter ants, are more tenacious and may require more aggressive methods.

 

Chemical methods for getting rid of ants

In addition to natural deterrents, which may prove ineffective if used incorrectly, there are also chemical methods for getting rid of ants.

These products tend to be stronger and more lethal than natural options. Here are a few methods you can try if you are facing a significant infestation.

 

White glue

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If you’re looking for a solution that’s readily available in your garage or crafts drawer, white glue is an effective option for getting rid of ants at home. The product can be used against other insects as well!

White glue includes certain sweet components that attract ants. Once they come in contact with the glue, they are trapped and killed.

White glue can also be used to destroy an anthill. Simply pour a few drops directly into the anthill to take it down.

 

Ant gel

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Ant gel is a lethal chemical method that should be used with care. It can be purchased at your local hardware store.

Ant gel works in much the same way as white glue. The sugar in the gel attracts the ants. Then, once they come into contact with the gel, the poison it contains kills them quickly.

Ant gel must be handled with great care. It’s vital to keep children and pets away from the product, which is highly toxic.

 

Pyrethrin

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The final method on this list of ways to get rid of ants is pyrethrin, a very effective insecticide.

Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide that comes from the Dalmatian chrysanthemum, a lovely flower that is found in some gardens. Pyrethrin is available in garden centres and hardware stores as a powder or spray.

This natural insecticide is a great way to eliminate ants at home.

 

Ant extermination: the best solution for an infestation

Getting rid of ants isn’t easy. There are many different ways to kill them or scare them away, but both natural and chemical methods can prove ineffective in some situations.

In the event of a major infestation, the best solution is to solve the problem once and for all by having an ant extermination carried out by a professional exterminator.

Trying to destroy an anthill yourself is a risk. Untrained individuals often do it incorrectly and the ants end up coming back. Sometimes, professional ant extermination is the only solution. Note that decontamination may prove necessary after an ant infestation.

 

Let the professionals at E.Exterminateur get rid of your ant problem!

As you can see, there are many methods for getting rid of ants at home. Whether you opt for a natural method to keep them away or a chemical product to kill them, it may not be enough.

In some situations, ant extermination ends up being the only option. In such cases, it’s best to hire an experienced exterminator to protect you and ensure that the job gets done right. If you have an ant infestation at home that requires extermination, contact E.Exterminateur! Our team will act decisively to get rid of the ants for good. Our Montreal exterminators even offer free quotes, so don’t hesitate!

 

 

Get a free consultation by our exterminators in Montreal!

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