How to get rid of ants in your house

Let's face it, ants in your house can be a big nuisance. It's not only frustrating to have ants running around, but a colony of ants can actually cause a lot of damage as well. It is pretty unhygienic to have ants inside your home. Some ant varieties like Fire and Harvester can even bite humans. Carpenter ants, on the other hand, are known to damage building materials. Ants inside the house certainly contaminate the food. They carry bacteria which they can transfer to food or an open wound. Ants have a diverse family; they are around 12,000 different varieties of ants. We all hate how ants enter our houses, especially in summers. They live in our house like they own it; well there are some ways that may help to get rid of the ants; one of them is to keep your house absolutely clean. We suggest some amazing home remedies that you'd need right now to ensure there are no ants in your house. Here's how you can get rid of ants at home.

Table of Contents Show

Here's how to get rid of ants at home:
This is how to get rid of ants permanently-
6. White Vinegar
7. Cinnamon
8. Peppermint
What is the fastest way to get rid of ants in the house?
How do I permanently get rid of ants in my house?
What causes ant in the house?
How do I get rid of ants overnight?

Here's how to get rid of ants at home:

This is how to get rid of ants permanently-

1. Chalk

One of the home remedies to get rid of ants is to use chalk. Chalk contains calcium carbonate, which helps in keeping ants away. Spray some powdered chalk in the areas that are the entry points of ants or draw a line of chalk at the entrance. In order to keep ants of your house, draw chalk lines so that these bugs don't enter. While it not clear as to why this line stops the ants from coming inside, but it is surely effective. Make sure you make the line in a way that is out of reach of any child in the house.

2. Lemons

Squeeze a lemon or place lemon peels in places from where the ants enter. You can also wash your floors with water that has a little lemon juice added to it. Ants apparently don't like the smell of lemon juice so they will keep away. Anything sour and bitter may keep the ants away, but any sugar is ants' best friend. So ensure you do not keep anything sweet that may attract the ants in some way or the other. Keep your kitchen slab absolutely clean and place the peels right there.

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How to get rid of ants: Squeeze a lemon or place lemon peels in places from where the ants enter. Image credits: iStock

3. Oranges

Oranges are same as lemons; they keep the ants away from visiting your house. Make a paste of one cup warm water and a few orange peel, which will help in getting rid of ants. Spread this paste around entry points of ants and wipe it afterwards. You can also place orange peels on the kitchen slab or wherever you think these ants may enter from. It acts as natural deterrent for ants that may not only keep them but also keep them away. So, bring the orange rinds to some use and ensure no ants visit your house anymore.

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How to get rid of ants: Oranges are same as lemons; they keep the ants away from visiting your house. Image credits: iStock

4. Pepper

Ants are pretty fond of sugar but they hate pepper. Sprinkle pepper at the areas from where ants enter your house. This is will help getting rid of ants. Cayenne pepper or black pepper are hated by ants. You can also make a solution of pepper and water and spray it near the entrant areas. The pepper wouldn't kill the ants but definitely deter them from returning to your house. Make sure you clean the area where you want to spray the pepper solution.

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How to get rid of ants: Ants are pretty fond of sugar but they hate pepper. Image credits: iStock

5. Salt

Spreading salt near nooks and corners from where ants enter the house will help keeping ants away. Table salt is one of the best and the cheapest ways to get rid of ants naturally. Use ordinary table salt not health boosting rock salt. All you need to do is to boil water and add a large amount of salt to it, stirring it until dissolves. Pour into a spray bottle and spray where you think ants tend to enter from.

How to get rid of ants: Spread salt near nooks and corners from where ants enter the house.Image credits: iStock

6. White Vinegar

Ants can't bear the smell of white vinegar. Prepare a solution of equal amounts of water and white vinegar. Add a few drops of essential oil to it and shake well. Store this solution and sprinkle it at the points from where the ants enter. Repeat this once daily. Again, this solution may not kill the ants, but definitely keep them away from entering the no-entering zone. Spray it around your windowsills, doorways and other places where you usually see ants coming. (Also Read: 7 Foods That Do Not Spoil For Many Years)

How to get rid of ants: Ants can't bear the smell of white vinegar. Image credits: iStock

7. Cinnamon

Put cinnamon and cloves on the entrance of the house and the areas from where you think the ants can enter. This a good method to also keep your house smelling fresh and earthy. Cinnamon is often regarded as an effective DIY ant control option. It is believed that cinnamon acts as a natural repellent as ants can't stand strong smell. For more effective results, you can add some essential oil to the cinnamon powder, so that is busts with stronger smell, keeping the ants away.

How to get rid of ants: Put cinnamon and cloves on the entrance of the house.Image credits: iStock

8. Peppermint

Peppermint is an insect repellent, which can help you get rid of ants. Ants don't like the smell of peppermint and are likely to avoid areas that contain traces of it. Peppermint has a strong fragrant that cannot be tolerated by the ants, which keep them away from entering the home. Prepare a mixture of 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and a cup of water and sprinkle it wherever you find ants. Repeat this twice a day. You can even sprinkle dried peppermint instead of the liquid mixture.

How to get rid of ants: Peppermint is an insect repellent, which can help you get rid of ants. Image credits: iStock

Try these easily available home remedies and say goodbye to ants.Disclaimer:

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What is the fastest way to get rid of ants in the house?

White vinegar White vinegar, available at all grocery stores, is a cheap and effective way to kill and repel ants. It is also a natural cleaning agent. Try using a 1-to-1 vinegar/water mixture to clean hard surfaces, including floors and countertops, wherever ants are likely to travel.

How do I permanently get rid of ants in my house?

Two of the best ways to eliminate ants are Borax and diatomaceous earth. Essential oils, including peppermint and clove, are a natural way to repel and kill ants. Food and moisture attract ants, so keep your home clean and dry to get rid of ants permanently.

What causes ant in the house?

Ants usually come indoors in search of food or nesting habitat. Even small amounts of food, like pet food crumbs, can attract hordes of industrious ants. Ants are one of Earth's most successful animals, and comprise more than 13,000 species.