How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally

Ants: they don’t just crash picnics anymore. While you may not have the huge killers that ran amok in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it’s likely that your house will have an ant invasion now and then. Changes in the seasons, rainstorms, or even a bowl of sugar left out overnight in your kitchen can lead to some new six-legged residents in your house.

And so your first temptation is to get out the ant bombs and set them off before you leave for the day. However, you’ll have to cover your dishes, board your dog and cat, and scrub your kitchen before you cook that night. Surely there has to be an easier way.

While you might need chemical treatment to get rid of your ant problem, there are some natural solutions that are less expensive, and less invasive to the environment. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to drive ants out of your home or yard, but these natural tips are a bit greener than whipping out a can of Raid.

Prevention, of course, is the best natural method for keeping ants away, and for discouraging ongoing infestation. After each meal, make sure that you clean up right away, and take all the food garbage out to your trash bin after dinner. Make sure that those bins are down at the end of the driveway – not right outside the back kitchen door.

If you leave leftovers sitting out, ants will sense it and come for a late-night snack. Instead of leaving food out and exposed, make sure that you put plastic wrap around the food that you can’t fit into your Tupperware. If you have produce or other perishables, keep them in the crisper of your refrigerator. Fructose, or the sugar found in fruit, is a powerful attractant for ants. You don’t want it on your counter.

Many ants like to gather near puddles of water. Make sure that the people in your home know to wipe up spills. Also, make sure that the cracks in your home are sealed. If you use 100% silicone caulk, you will not leave any traces in the environment. Then, sprinkle something like paprika, red chili pepper powder, or even borax near these cracks. You want to keep the ants out, and these natural solutions will help you do it without harming the environment.