How to Get Rid of Ants in the House

Co-authored by Chris Parker and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: November 15, 2024

Having ants in your house can be a pesky, frustrating problem. Fortunately, most ants are easy to get rid of! As long as you're diligent about keeping a clean house and making sure there's no food lying around, your ant problem will disappear as quickly as it came! However, if you find any damaged or wet wood, it could be a sign of a carpenter ant infestation, and you should call an exterminator.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Keeping a Clean House

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1
Sweep up any crumbs and wipe up any spills immediately. Wipe up any extra water or crumbs from your counters, and sweep and vacuum daily. This is especially important for your kitchen and dining area. Ants are looking for food, so make sure there's none for them in your home!^{[1]
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- It is helpful to establish a weekly kitchen cleaning routine and a full pantry cleaning. One day a week, sweep and mop your floors and wipe down all your kitchen surfaces, including those in your pantry.
2
Remove all garbage from your home daily. Make sure you put all of your trash into garbage bags and close the bags. It is also helpful to take out your trash every day so there are no food remnants for the ant scouts to find.^{[2]
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- It may also help to keep your garbage in a can with a tight-fitting lid.
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Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink since they might attract ants. Sinks are popular areas for ants because of the leftover food that may remain on the plate. Washing your dishes cuts down on any potential food for ants to find.^{[3]
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- If you are putting your dishes in the dishwasher, rinse them thoroughly before doing so (or run a cycle immediately after loading the dishwasher).
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Put all food away using bag clips, sealable bags, or air-tight containers. Store perishables in the fridge, and put a cover on top of any non-refrigerated food. Bag clips, plastic bags, and airtight containers help seal away your food so ants can't get inside. Proper food storage will decrease the opportunity for ants to find food in your home.
- Rather than leaving your bag of chips on the counter, make sure you clip the bag and put it in the pantry.

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Using Natural Repellents

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1
Spray a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water to destroy any scent trails. Vinegar is a natural ant deterrent. Ants will not travel where vinegar is sprayed, so each day, spray an even layer of your mix over ant scent trails or any place you've seen ants. This will throw the ants off course.
- This won't kill the ants, but it may deter them from coming into your home.
- You can also use soapy water instead of vinegar.
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Sprinkle ground cinnamon or coffee grounds as an ant deterrent. Ants are not a fan of cinnamon or coffee, so if you're having an ant problem, grab some of these kitchen basics and dust them in any area ants tend to go. Start with a heaping spoonful, but you can add more if the ants are spread out across a large area.
- You can also sprinkle these natural deterrents around any entry points, like your doors and windows.
- You can also use chili powder, peppermint essential oil, or garlic for other natural alternatives.
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Use a mixture of borax and sugar to attract and kill your ants. Borax is a natural mineral known for its cleaning power, but it’s also an effective ant killer. You can either make your own mixture or you can buy it pre-mixed. Either way, pour some of the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper and place it wherever you see the ants traveling frequently. The sugar will attract the ants, but when they eat the sweet mixture, the borax will kill them by breaking down their digestive systems. Every other day, add fresh solution to the parchment paper.^{[4]
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- At first, you may see a large swarm of ants around the sugar and borax mixture, but that’s perfectly normal! Just keep replenishing the mixture every other day.
- This is one of the most effective methods to get rid of ants and it can kill the entire colony.

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Trying More Extreme Solutions

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1
Seal any open cracks that may allow ants to enter your home. Use waterproof silicone caulk or sealant to fill in cracks or holes. Windows or doors are popular entry points for ants. This will make it more difficult for ants to find a way inside.
- Try to seal as many holes or cracks as possible. You may not be able to get every single spot, but this will help with overall ant prevention.
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Set up ant baits through your house to control your ant problem. The ants will be attracted to the bait, then get stuck and die. Baits come in either gels, granules, or stations. Most baits also come in two forms: sugar-based or protein/grease-based.
- You can use any type of bait, though it is recommended to use one that has both sugar and protein bases.
3
Spray insecticide around any entry point to keep ants out. Use insecticide around where the ants are entering your house to deter them from coming back. Keep about 4 inches (10 cm) between your spray and the surface you are spraying. This will prevent more ants from coming inside.^{[5]
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- You want to spray enough to wet the surface, but not soak it.
- Use an insecticide that contains bifenthrin, permethrin, or deltamethrin.
- For more serious ant issues, you can also spray around the perimeter of your house.
4
Call an exterminator for help, especially if you suspect carpenter ants. Exterminators can help assess the problem and catalogue the extent of the damage. For severe carpenter ant infestations, an exterminator is your best bet to help remove the repeat infestations and apply insecticide as needed.^{[6]
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- Call a few exterminators to compare prices and make sure you're getting the best deal possible.
- You might have carpenter ants if you have any damaged or wet wood in the house.
- Check out our "Help! What's the best way to get rid of ants?" forum for more tips from wikiHow readers!

How Do You Get Rid Of Ants In The Kitchen?

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What attracts ants in the house?

Chris Parker
Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control
Chris Parker is the Founder of Parker Eco Pest Control, a sustainable pest control service in Seattle, Washington. Since 2016, Chris has been specializing in Integrated Pest Management and doesn’t use any chemicals for pest removal. He offers removal services for ants, rodents, fleas, spiders, wasps, and more. Chris is a certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator in Washington State and received his bachelor’s from the University of Washington.

Chris Parker

Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control

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Ants are attracted to moisture, so you may see them even if your kitchen and bathroom are spotless.

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How do I get rid of ants in my pet's food?

Chris Parker
Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control
Chris Parker is the Founder of Parker Eco Pest Control, a sustainable pest control service in Seattle, Washington. Since 2016, Chris has been specializing in Integrated Pest Management and doesn’t use any chemicals for pest removal. He offers removal services for ants, rodents, fleas, spiders, wasps, and more. Chris is a certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator in Washington State and received his bachelor’s from the University of Washington.

Chris Parker

Founder, Parker Eco Pest Control

Expert Answer

Make a moat if you're having trouble with ants in your pet food. Place your dog or cat food bowl inside a shallow dish, then fill the dish with water and a little dish soap. The soap will break the surface tension, so the ants won't be able to walk across the water to get to the food bowl.

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There are so many ants in the house because my parents have a dirty home. I almost want to cry. I am 12. I try to clean, but it's not working. What do I do?

Community Answer

Ask your parents to buy gel ant bait and place it strategically about the house. The most important thing to clean up is food, whether on the floor or in the sink, so start there if you want to help with cleaning.

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You can use over the counter ant sprays, but often these sprays only kill the ants and do not fix the problem. If you do not remove ants from your home, the ants will just go around the spray to get to the food source

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

For me, it was really just about not leaving food out. It was super irritating, but for a full month I basically vacuumed every day and never left a single plate or cup in the sink. The ants just sort of gave up eventually and stopped coming into my home.
I know cinnamon is a popular natural hack, but I really didn't have any success with it. I could only deal with the problem using those liquid traps you get at the hardware store.

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