Ants everywhere in your kitchen? That’s surely something you don’t want to see and have in your kitchen. Ants usually come from cracks in the windows, doorways, and floor, and once they get into the house or kitchen, they will probably go behind all the edible stuff. So you surely don’t want them to ruin your food and edibles. So, it is important to keep them out of the house. But how to get rid of ants in the kitchen?
You can get rid of ants by using just household things like glass cleaner or liquid detergent, ground pepper, peppermint, tea tree oil, vinegar, baking soda, neem oil, coffee grounds, borax, lemons and cloves etc. But you need to follow a proper process to get rid of ants. Basically, you will need to find their colony and eliminate them so they don’t have a chance to come back again.
Let’s get to know in detail about how to get rid of ants in the kitchen!
What causes ants in kitchen?
The obvious response is food supplies. There is a good chance that the ants in your kitchen are on their way somewhere. You can typically find the food source that attracts them if you follow their path in both directions. These ants are drawn to sweet things like honey and syrup because they are sucrose-loving. The kitchen sink is a good place to look for water for them.
Pharaoh ants, pavement ants, thief ants, odorous house ants, and Argentine ants are the most common sorts of ants you’ll discover in your kitchen out of the thousands of species that exist.
How to Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen?
Now, as you have seen the ants roaming in your kitchen & lurking on your sugar & other foodstuffs, then you need to act quickly and get rid of them. Here are the necessary steps you need to follow and also the things that will help to eliminate ants:
1)Look for their Entry Point
Look for the ants’ entry points already in your home and follow them for a few minutes. Then, inside and outside the house, look for cracks in the floor, windows, doors, siding, and accent lighting.
Since your ant elimination efforts will focus on the entry point, don’t close it just yet.
2) Find their Nest
If you can wait, you may be able to see where the ants travel when they leave the kitchen. The nest where the rest of the colony lives can often be found by following their movements.
Typically, the nest will look like a mound of rubbish or a pile of rotting leaves, and it can be found both outdoors and indoors (e.g., on the ground or in a tree).
You can then either apply a poisonous spray to the ant hill or entice the ants in your home with poison so they will carry it back to the nest and exterminate the colony.
3) Destroying the Nest
If you can find the nest and administer insecticide directly to it, you can eliminate the infestation at its source. However, you must use a non-repellent pesticide because if you try to repel the ants, the colony will just re-establish somewhere else.
Hidden ant nests are prevalent. It is possible to employ bait stations if you are unable to get to the nest’s source. With the scent of food, bait traps entice ants to return to the nest with a slow-acting poison.
Pour a half-gallon of boiling water over the nest to kill the ants and make the nest fall apart.
4) Repelling the Ants
Now, if you can’t find the nest & see the ants in different places, then you should repel the ants from entering your kitchen. You can then use various easily available home products to repel the ants and use them either on their way or at their entry points. Here are the things you can use:
1) Glass Cleaner or Liquid Detergent
When they walk, ants leave a fragrant pheromone trail that serves as a map. If you use this strategy, the ants will be deterred from returning to your home. Use the glass cleaner & liquid detergent this way:
- In a clean spray bottle, combine glass cleaning spray and liquid detergent.
- Spray where ants enter or gather.
- Leave a thin residue after spraying.
- Repeat as necessary.
2) Red Pepper or Ground Pepper
Cayenne or black pepper is a natural ant deterrent since the fragrance is annoying. Sprinkle pepper behind appliances and around baseboards. Anecdotal evidence says this is safe and repellent.
3) Diatomaceous earth
Diatomaceous earth is a form of silica composed of the fossilized remains of diatoms, which are aquatic creatures (a type of plankton). Diatomaceous earth is non-toxic. It eliminates ants and other insects by absorbing the oils in their exoskeletons and drying them out.
You may get diatomaceous earth of food-grade quality online. Follow the instructions on the packaging or sprinkle the powder anywhere you notice ants to kill them.
4) Peppermint Oil
Pests like ants and mosquitoes may be deterred by peppermint, which is a natural insect repellent. You can use it like this:
- In a clean spray container, combine 10 to 20 drops of peppermint oil and 2 cups of water.
- Spray the mixture on baseboards and windows.
- Repeat as necessary.
5) Lemons
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup lemon juice and 4 cups warm water. Then, dip a cleaning cloth into the mixture and wipe down your counters, the insides of your cabinets and cupboards, around kitchen windows, the top of your refrigerator, and any other surfaces in your kitchen where ants might congregate.
6) How to get rid of ants in the kitchen naturally?
Ants have been found to be repelled by a variety of ingredients, including coffee grounds, cornmeal, rice, cucumber peels, chalk, and baby powder.
If you have ants in your home, try spraying these substances about the places where they congregate.
7) How to get rid of ants in the kitchen with vinegar?
Ants can be killed and repelled with white vinegar, which is both inexpensive and effective. It can also be used as a natural cleaner. Use a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water to clean hard surfaces, such as floors and countertops, where ants are likely to travel. I
If you find ants, spray the mixture directly on them and use a paper towel to remove them. After the vinegar dries, ants can detect the smell, but the odor doesn’t last long enough for most humans.
8) How to get rid of ants in the kitchen with borax?
The chemical compounds borax and boric acid, despite their similar-sounding names, are not the same. However, if you have ants in your house, both of these methods may be equally effective at eliminating them. To utilize borax, perform the following steps:
- Put on protective gloves.
- Combine 1/2 teaspoon of borax, 8 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 cup of warm water to create a solution.
- Stir the sugar and borax until they are dissolved.
- Place ant-infested cotton balls throughout your home to keep them at bay.
- After each usage, carefully clean the containers or throw them away.
9) Neem Oil
Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide that is extracted from the Indian neem tree. Neem oil is commonly recommended by gardeners for use on plants, especially in areas plagued by aphids or ants. Because ants breed aphids (tiny sap-sucking insects), neem oil can be used to kill both ants and aphids.
10) Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
The oil of lemon eucalyptus differs from the essential oil of lemon eucalyptus despite their similar names. The gum eucalyptus tree, native to Australia, is the source of OLE. It contains the chemical p- Menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) as an efficient insecticide.
5) Cut off Food Sources
Sweet and starchy foods, such as sugar, honey, and cornmeal, attract ants. Therefore, one of the most effective strategies to repel ants is to remove all easily available food sources.
Keep your food in containers or plastic bags that are tightly sealed at all times. After each meal, thoroughly clean your plates and cooking utensils.
Ants may also be drawn to pet food. Remove your pet’s food dishes as soon as they are no longer in use. To eliminate the food’s smell, wash the bowls immediately.
6) Eliminate & Seal their Entrances
Understanding how ants get into your home can help you get rid of an infestation and prevent a repeat of the problem.
Look for wall and floorboard cracks and radiator holes in your house. Sealing cracks or applying ant repellant to them is an option. Also, make sure to inspect your window screens for holes that need to be repaired.
Bottom Line
This was all about how to get rid of ants in the kitchen. So if you see ants anywhere in your kitchen or home, just follow the steps we mentioned & use the readily available home ingredients to deter the ants. Moreover, take care to keep food in safe places so ants don’t get attracted.
We hope this article was helpful & informative. Please leave your valuable thoughts & suggestions in the comments below!
Thank you for reading!