How to Kill Ants without Pesticides
Use dish soap and water., Try white vinegar and water., Make a lemon juice solution., Sprinkle diatomaceous earth inside the house., Use boric acid.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use dish soap and water.
Fill a water bottle with one part dish soap and two parts water, then shake it up to mix the solution thoroughly.
When you see a line of ants (or just one ant, for that matter) spray the mixture over them.
They'll immediately halt and suffocate.
Wipe up the dead ants with a wet cloth, and keep the spray bottle around for next time.Setting out shallow dishes of soapy water is another good way to kill ants.
Lure them in with a trail of something sugary.
This method is good for killing groups of ants, but it won't take out the entire nest.
If ants keep coming back, you might have to address the source of the problem.
Soapy water is a natural insecticide that kills most insects, not just ants.
Try it on roaches, too. -
Step 2: Try white vinegar and water.
Ants really hate vinegar, and you can make a cheap, easy pesticide just using vinegar and water.
Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
Spray it directly onto the ants to kill them, then wipe up the ants using a damp paper towel and discard them.
You can also use vinegar and water as a deterrent; spray it around your windowsills, doorways and other places where you see ants coming inside.
Some people have found that using this vinegar solution to clean the floors, windows and countertops makes ants less likely to crawl over these surfaces.
White vinegar makes an excellent household cleaner, and you can't smell it once it dries. , If you can't stand the smell of vinegar, spray the ants with a lemon juice solution.
They're averse to the citric acid in lemon juice, so you can use this spray as a deterrent as well by spraying it around the perimeter of your house.
Mix up a solution of 1 part lemon juice to 3 parts water and use it as an all-purpose spray., Food-grade diatomaceous earth is a very effective insecticide that doesn't harm humans or pets in the least.
It's composed of fossilized diatoms that have been ground to a powder.
When insects walk over the powder, the tiny fossil shards scratch the waxy outer coating on their exoskeletons, causing their bodies to dry out.
Sprinkle the powder along your baseboards, windowsills, and around the perimeter of your house to kill ants.
Use an applicator or a dusting bulb to do this.It's recommended that you wear a mask or cloth over your face when handling diatomaceous earth.
While the powder isn't harmful when ingested, the tiny particles can be hard on your lungs when you breathe them in.
Diatomaceous earth becomes ineffective when it gets wet, or even when the air is damp and humid.
It will regain its effectiveness when dry, so if your home's humidity is reducing the potency of your DE consider using a dehumidifier in the problem areas., It's completely natural and it really works against ants.
When they ingest boric acid, it poisons their stomachs and they die.
Boric acid also damages ants' exoskeletons the same way diatomaceous earth does.
It comes in the form of a white or blue powder that you distribute with a dusting bulb in areas where you commonly see ants, like near your baseboards or in your windowsills.Boric acid is not a toxic pesticide, but it should not be consumed by humans or pets.
Avoid using it in areas where your children and pets play.
Don't use it near food sources or in your kitchen cabinets.
While it should not cause harm to your pets, it may be toxic to smaller animals like birds, reptiles, and fish.Boric acid is toxic to beneficial insects as well. -
Step 3: Make a lemon juice solution.
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Step 4: Sprinkle diatomaceous earth inside the house.
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Step 5: Use boric acid.
Detailed Guide
Fill a water bottle with one part dish soap and two parts water, then shake it up to mix the solution thoroughly.
When you see a line of ants (or just one ant, for that matter) spray the mixture over them.
They'll immediately halt and suffocate.
Wipe up the dead ants with a wet cloth, and keep the spray bottle around for next time.Setting out shallow dishes of soapy water is another good way to kill ants.
Lure them in with a trail of something sugary.
This method is good for killing groups of ants, but it won't take out the entire nest.
If ants keep coming back, you might have to address the source of the problem.
Soapy water is a natural insecticide that kills most insects, not just ants.
Try it on roaches, too.
Ants really hate vinegar, and you can make a cheap, easy pesticide just using vinegar and water.
Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
Spray it directly onto the ants to kill them, then wipe up the ants using a damp paper towel and discard them.
You can also use vinegar and water as a deterrent; spray it around your windowsills, doorways and other places where you see ants coming inside.
Some people have found that using this vinegar solution to clean the floors, windows and countertops makes ants less likely to crawl over these surfaces.
White vinegar makes an excellent household cleaner, and you can't smell it once it dries. , If you can't stand the smell of vinegar, spray the ants with a lemon juice solution.
They're averse to the citric acid in lemon juice, so you can use this spray as a deterrent as well by spraying it around the perimeter of your house.
Mix up a solution of 1 part lemon juice to 3 parts water and use it as an all-purpose spray., Food-grade diatomaceous earth is a very effective insecticide that doesn't harm humans or pets in the least.
It's composed of fossilized diatoms that have been ground to a powder.
When insects walk over the powder, the tiny fossil shards scratch the waxy outer coating on their exoskeletons, causing their bodies to dry out.
Sprinkle the powder along your baseboards, windowsills, and around the perimeter of your house to kill ants.
Use an applicator or a dusting bulb to do this.It's recommended that you wear a mask or cloth over your face when handling diatomaceous earth.
While the powder isn't harmful when ingested, the tiny particles can be hard on your lungs when you breathe them in.
Diatomaceous earth becomes ineffective when it gets wet, or even when the air is damp and humid.
It will regain its effectiveness when dry, so if your home's humidity is reducing the potency of your DE consider using a dehumidifier in the problem areas., It's completely natural and it really works against ants.
When they ingest boric acid, it poisons their stomachs and they die.
Boric acid also damages ants' exoskeletons the same way diatomaceous earth does.
It comes in the form of a white or blue powder that you distribute with a dusting bulb in areas where you commonly see ants, like near your baseboards or in your windowsills.Boric acid is not a toxic pesticide, but it should not be consumed by humans or pets.
Avoid using it in areas where your children and pets play.
Don't use it near food sources or in your kitchen cabinets.
While it should not cause harm to your pets, it may be toxic to smaller animals like birds, reptiles, and fish.Boric acid is toxic to beneficial insects as well.
About the Author
Charles Adams
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
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