Did you know that up to 84% of American homeowners reported to have experienced a pest problem in the past 12 months? That’s according to a study conducted by HomeTeam Pest Defense, as reported by QMobius. Ants are actually the number 1 top pest issue of many homeowners, as 49% of homeowners reported to have issues with them, followed by spider, flies, mosquitoes, mice, and wasps. While ants are more common in summer, they may still appear during the cooler months. Ants need warmth and heat to survive, so they may head indoors or into your house to seek shelter from the harsh cold weather outdoors. To address this, we’ve rounded up some tips on how to safely get rid of ants at home.
- Boiling water is one of the most common DIY ant-busting methods you can do to immediately get rid of ants. However, this will only work if you know where the colony or any holes are. It’s best to drown out these colonies or holes to make sure the boiling water reaches into the deeper parts of the colony.
- Coffee grounds are also a common DIY ant buster, especially for those who brew their coffee at home. Just place the coffee grounds on a piece of newspaper and leave them in places where there’s lots of ant activity. Coffee grounds are most potent when they’re fresh, so make sure to remove or replace them when they’ve dried out.
- Tea tree oil. Who knew that your acne solution can also help with ant infestations? According to Healthline, tea tree oil effectively repels and eliminates ants. You can make a solution by taking 5 to 10 drops of tea tree oil and mixing it into 2 cups of water. Spray away to eliminate ants. Just make sure to keep your cats and other pets away as it may make them ill.
- Vinegar is another solution that ants may repel ants. While some people already use it as an all purpose cleaner, vinegar is also actually great for repelling ants.
- Peppermint oil is another essential oil that can repel insects such as ants and mosquitoes. For pet-free homes, this can be a safe alternative to chemical-based sprays. Just make sure not to use this around pets.
More great ant-ridding solutions can be found below.
Pet- and Child-safe Ways on How to Safely Get Rid of Ants at Home
1. HARRIS Plant Oil Based Quick Ant Killer Spray
Did you know that Harris is America’s oldest EPA-registered company? This is indicative of their commitment to delivering products made in the U.S.A. for customers in the U.S.A., just like the Plant Oil Based Quick Ant Killer Spray. It’s a unique spray that uses clove and cottonseed natural plant oils as active ingredients to eliminate ants in your home. It is safe to use around children and pets because of its natural formula. It has a non-staining formula that has a pleasant scent that’s easy on humans and tough on ants such as Pharaoh ants, Argentine ants, red imported fire ants and other household ants. It can also be used as an outdoor perimeter treatment or an indoor all-purpose spray. Effectively eliminates ants in as short as 30 minutes or less. It has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “I am pleased with the quick results that I get from using this product. Most importantly, I appreciate that it is safe to use indoors or outdoors and it’s safe around pets and people.” Linda Daigle
2. MDX Concepts Organic Home Pest Control Spray
Home invading pests such as ants, roaches, and spiders don’t stand a chance with the MDX Concepts Organic Home Pest Control Spray, which is made with natural and non-toxic ingredients. It effectively keeps homes free of pests and insects without the harsh chemicals and pesticides found in common insect sprays. It features a formula that is made of 100% plant derived, naturally sourced essential oils, offering a fragrance that is not harsh. The brand is committed to reducing the damage caused by synthetic pesticides and insecticides to create a safer home for your family and pets. Harnessing the power of peppermint oil, spearmint oil, and rosemary oil, this pest control spray is non-staining and delivers fast action on ants, house roaches, spiders, flease, stink bugs, mites, silverfish, and other common household pests. It has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “This product was recommended to me by a family member. They used it on ants and it worked great. Ants were coming in around my window I got rid of them and sprayed the area liberally, and after the first time the ants never came back! Used in multiple areas no problem and smells good.” Irvin
3. Mighty Mint Non-Toxic Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil Natural Spray
If you’re looking for ways on how to safely get rid of ants at home, try the Mighty Mint Pest Control Spray that’s made with a formula that’s safe to use around children and pets. Made from only natural ingredients, its formula is based on essential peppermint oil naturally derived from the American North West Region, which is known to be highly effective in deterring pests, including ants, cockroaches, and other crawling insects. Worry not about harsh scents or fumes, as this all-natural spray does not contain harmful or damaging chemicals and residue. It has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “Got a bottle a couple weeks ago and started using it for pests – mostly ants that started coming into the garage when we accidentally left food out. Sprayed it along the ground outside the garage from end to end and it’s been working well. I’ve not seen any ants inside the garage since so this is doing a good job. Will give it a shot with some other pests/insects as well to see how much it can do!” Ian Wilson
4. Wondercide Natural Products Indoor Pest Control Spray in Lemongrass
This dual acting pest control spray from Wondercide is both a preventive and a treatment so you can keep your home pest-free. It effectively kills crawling, flying, and biting insects including ants, roaches, spiders, flies, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and more. This pet-friendly spray is made of natural essential oils that is biodegradable and cruelty-free. It does not contain artificial colors, fragrances, or harsh chemicals. It harnesses the power of cedar oil that affects octopamine, which affects pheromone-driven pests such as fleas and ticks. It effectively blocks the octopamine neurotransmitter receptors in pests to repel them from any area where this is sprayed onto. It’s safe to use among humans and pets, as mammals do not have octopamine neurotransmitters. This pest control spray has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “I have a few small ants in various rooms in my house that seem to wander in and out. Spraying this on the ants kills them directly, but spraying them on the baseboards seems to keep them out for a while. I spray this on my baseboards every few weeks or so and it keeps the ants out! Also smells really amazing.” Jason
5. Eco Defense Home Pest Control Spray
Whether it’s inside or outside your home, the Eco Defense Home Pest Control Spray helps you kill and repel pests, including ants, house roaches, spiders, fleas, mites, and more. It’s made with a natural, organic, and non-toxic formula that’s easy to use and safe to use around your furry friends and loved ones. It effectively eliminates insects on contact and helps prevent them from coming back. The Eco Defense Home Pest Control Spray is an effective ant and insect killer that does not leave any residue on household fixtures. This product is USDA Certified Biobased. It has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “Worked great on my growing ant problem in my backyard. I wanted something that would not be harmful to my chiweenie when I let her outside. She likes to sunbathe a lot so I needed to get the ants under control. The spray works fast and the smell is nice. The ants have greatly diminished since I started using it. My chiweenie is very happy!” Heather M.
Read more: 8 Simple Ways to Get of Ants in the House
Ant-busting Alternatives for Your Home and Garden
1. Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray
One of the primary ways on how to safely get rid of ants at home is to spray them with pest killer sprays, such as the Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray. Made with lemongrass extract and geraniol synthesized from pine trees, this killer spray is safe to use around children and pets when used as directed. It quickly and effectively eliminates ants, roaches, and over 20 household pests. It’s also safe to use indoors and in the kitchen. This product has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “I had a problem with tiny ants this year that the original Raid spray and traps that usually help did not. Purchased this product as a last resort before calling an exterminator and it worked!” Diane
2. Combat Indoor and Outdoor Ant Killing Gel
When you want to fight your ant problem at the source, go for the Combat Indoor and Outdoor Ant Killing Gel, an ant-killing bait that helps you kill ants at the source by injecting into hard-to-reach places such as cracks and crevices. The gel bait effectively kills ants and the entire colony. It has high water content that encourages faster feeding, killing ants within an hour. It features a syringe applicator that lets you apply the formula anywhere you need to easily and without any hassle. Just place the gel in areas where there is high ant activity and wait for them to take it. These foraging ants then return to the colony and feed the bait to other ants, thereby eliminating them all. This product has an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “Used about a half dollar amount for a large ant problem. They went after it immediately and ate it for hours. 18 hours later the ants were all dead and no sign of any ants. We could not locate the next indoors and assumed they were hiding in the baseboards. This stuff saved our sanity and protected us from the ant invasion! Have lots left of another invasion occurs but I doubt there are any more ants to kill! Would recommend to everyone! I have also bought the roach killer and used outdoors and it kills amazingly too!” Sreitzmas
3. Safer Diatomaceous Earth-Bed Bug Flea, Ant, Crawling Insect Killer
If you’re looking for an alternative to chemical-based sprays that leave scents in the air for your family to breathe in, check out the Safer Diatomaceous Earth Insect Killer, a Diatomaceous Earth based powder that effectively kills ants and insects through ingestion and dehydration within 48 hours. It also works on bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, silverfish, millipedes, centipedes, and more. It is a stain-free, powder-like product that is lethal to crawling insects because it is made of diatomaceous earth or crushed fossilized fresh-water algae or diatoms. It’s easy to apply in infested areas, completely eliminating pests within 48 hours. This product has an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “Purchased this fully expecting it was another wives tale about how an all natural product can replace a traditional manufactured product. Every Fall we seem to have thousands of the tiny marching ants invade the house. Gave this a try and it really worked! Have not seen an ant since the application!” Bigdee
4. TERRO Liquid Ant Bait Ant Killer
With 12 bait stations, this pack of Terro Liquid Ant Bait Ant Killer kills all common household ants with its patented design that prevents bait from drying out and attracts ants fast. It contains Borax and a sweet, sugary liquid that ants will be attracted to. These ants then leave a pheromone trail leading back to the colony, letting other worker ants know where the bait is. Its Borax provides a slow kill so the ants can go back to the colony and share a dose with other ants, effectively eliminating them all. It’s best placed near ant trails or wherever there are a lot of ants in your home. Customers love it because it is easy to use. It has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “We live in the south, ants do too! We had quite a problem, which is now gone. Buy these, use as directed, and you will be quite pleased.” LW
5. Exom Essentials ES-2 Electronic & Ultrasound Repeller
Those who are looking for an alternative on how to safely get rid of ants at home would be pleased to know about the Exom Essentials ES-2 Electronic & Ultrasound Repeller. If you don’t want to use chemical-based sprays or anything that your pets might get their paws on, consider this pest repellant, which features a dual microchip system that sends ultrasounds to disorient and perturb pests. This is a great tool especially when you’re dealing with more than just ants in your house. This product has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Promising review: “I was worried about my pets but it has no chemicals or anything to worry about. That means it’s safe for pets and kids too. It was easy to install and has a nice night light too. I have not seen any ants since plugged in.” RDC502POA
If you enjoyed this story on how to safely get rid of ants at home, make sure to check out more home improvement stories in the links from our archive below.
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