What is the best way to get rid of ants in the house?
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Make sure you have no crumbs or food particles around, especially sugar. Also make sure there are no leaks. They are looking for food and water. Set ant traps. You want them to bring the poison back to the nest and kill the colony.
Ant traps are usually effective just be sure to put them where pets can't get to them. You might want to try some of the suggestions at
www.top10homeremedies.com/
We get them every spring like clockwork in our kitchen. Since we mostly just see a few strays every March...we do our February ward off dance and put foil packets with cinnamon in all of the window wells (just the cheapest store bought powder works great) and move all of the food from the counters to the refrigerator or freezer (tomatoes, potatoes, and onions get put on the dining table where we have never seen ants since they can't go in the fridge). This usually keeps them at bay.
Several years ago, after an unusually warm winter, they were horrible and we had parades of them from BOTH kitchen windows and the door. We had to break down and get Raid ant spikes and put them all along the perimeter of the house (along with step 1 above). That worked well, but it took a few days for the parade to move on.
A family member did all of this over the summer and her issue got worse (something about the wood in her deck was drawing them in--they may have been carpenter ants--ours were just the little sugar ones) and sadly she needed to have the exterminator come in and it took 2 treatments. It was very challenging because she and the dog had to be out of the house for long periods of time. These chemicals are scary and should be avoided where ever possible.
One last hint, my friend hates the smell of cinnamon, so she substituted bay leaves (from the jar in the spice aisle at the grocery store) and put them on top of foil where she saw the critters and that worked for her. I am not a fan, so the cinnamon is my go to!
There are so many recommended solutions that hopefully you will have at least one of the products presently in your house.
Some suggestions include equal amounts of white vinegar and water and wipe down any area where you see ant trails as well as counter tops and windowsills (if this is where they have been seen).
Many suggest sprinkling baby powder all around the area.
Some use sugar mixed with "something" but I have not found that necessary.
Salt
Boric Acid - when there are no children or pets around
Cinnamon - by itself or mixed with your choice of products.
Cayenne Pepper - sprinkled in ant infested areas - but children around.
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