Pest Control > AntsJuly 12, 2011
Pin It

Getting Rid of Ants in the Kitchen

photo of ants eating a scrap of onionHave ants taken up residence in your home? The kitchen can be a challenging place to get rid of ants since there are so many sources of food. This is a guide about get rid of ants in your kitchen.

Solutions

Rate the best solutions below. Do you have a solution to share for this guide? Sharing a solution enters you in our weekly solution contest.

Safe Way to Get Rid of Ants

I found this online doing a search. I tried it, and it worked fast and easily. I took cornmeal and poured a bit of it near the door where the ants were coming into the house. Within 2 days, they were all gone. I didn't have to worry about my nosy dogs getting into something poisonous.

By KatherineC from Reno, NV

Was this solution helpful?
 

Ant Repellant Spray

Materials

  • one spray bottle
  • 3/4 full of water
  • 4 tsp. of peppermint oil (go to GNC)
  • 3 Tbsp. liquid dish soap

Instructions

Shake and spray where you see ants. It smells nice and can be used outside too. Have sprayed at wasps and they have flown away. You might have to use a few times before no more visible ants. Can be sprayed on wall or floor.

By 1bettybooper from St. Louis, MO

Was this solution helpful?
 

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth For Ants

We have 2 cats and small children around and even if we didn't have the cats or the small children, I wouldn't want to use the chemicals and poisons that are in insect repellants, sprays, traps, etc. that are being sold in today's markets.

We use the Food Grade Only Diatomaceous Earth for everything, and we can sprinkle it all over countertops, floors, furniture, in cabinets and cupboards, closets even if food is right there, and if it gets into the food, that's not a problem as it will not hurt you, your children or your pets. It'll sure make all the bugs disappear including those busy little ants who invade even the tiniest crevice and crack they can find.

Just be sure that it is "food grade" diatomaceous Earth, and nothing else. There is a diatomaceous earth used for swimming pools, and in gardens which kill slugs and snails, and other pesty things that chew all your leaves off everything. That's fine for the garden and pool, you just don't want it in your house at all. If you cannot find the food grade DE at WalMart or your local plant nursery, order it online.

If you want your pets to be free of all parasitic vermin like tape worms, etc, just sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of food grade diatomaceous earth into their food 2-3 times a week. You can put it directly on your pets (being careful not to get it in their eyes, or nose as it's dusty and will choke them if they get too much at one time. Dust it into their fur to help them stay free of fleas and tics.

It's wonderful to use in all farm animal foods as it'll keep them free of the various parasitic little vultures that attack them too.

I will repeat once more: Be sure you buy the food grade variety of diatomaceous earth. It's by far the best and easiest way to take care of all those ants and other things that aggravate us and make us and our animals sick.

Hope this helps.

Source: We've been using this so many years that I have no idea where it came from. If I had to guess, I'd say probably Mother Earth News.

By Julia from Boca Raton, FL

Was this solution helpful?
 

Deter Ants with Bay Leaves

To deter ants from invading your house, find out where they are getting in and lay bay leaves along their track - they will go away fast!

By Gill E.

Was this solution helpful?
 
Share Your Feedback: Once you try any of the above solutions, be sure to come back and give a "thumbs up" to the solution that worked the best for you. Do you have a better solution? Click "Share a Solution" above!

Questions

Here are questions related to this page. Click "Ask a Question" if you have a question to ask about this topic.

Getting Rid of Red Ants Inside

Can anyone please tell me how to get rid of tiny red ants in the house?

By EMG

 

Most Recent Answer

By muttmom 08/09/2011

Karo syrup and about 10% 20 mule team borax in a squeeze bottle warmed just a tad so Borax dissolves. Squeeze into cracks and areas where pets cannot lick or ingest. Ants eat and carry back to nest. The nest including the queen is killed. Queens live up to 20 years and produce many more queens. Important entire colony is killed instead of just repelled with products that only repel the workers. The sticky is gone as the workers ate it. Same principle as Terro only simplified and inexpensive. Terro has only 4% Borax.

Getting Rid of Ants in the Kitchen

I have ants in my kitchen; how can I get rid of them for good?

By Bobbie from Cotter, AR

 

Most Recent Answer

By Lilac 08/15/2011

Put a line of talcom powder across the place where they are coming in. They won't cross it.

How Do I Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen?

I have these little brown ants crawling all over my kitchen counters, my sink, etc. and want to get rid of them. I have tried all kinds of things, but nothing works. I would like to know if anyone has a natural home remedy for getting rid of these pesky ants? It is kind of unappetizing to have these things crawling over the dishes and silverware and everywhere else!

By Linda from Brighton, MI

 

Most Recent Answer

By prematurely gray 09/20/2011

When they first showed up on my counters I sprayed them with kitchen counter cleaner (also any place/crevice they might have snuck in). I now have very clean counters and backsplash and seam under my window. After two days, I used a fine mist spray with straight vinegar after cleaning up after dinner. I will continue to do that.

Please note that I spray enough that where there are seams, some liquid will go down. I haven't seen any in two weeks. Happily I like the smell of vinegar.

Getting Rid of Ants in the Kitchen

How can I keep ants off my kitchen cupboard?

By Joann

 

Most Recent Answer

By enolayepa54 07/18/2011

Ants lay down a scent for other ants to follow. The thing to do is to get rid of their scent. Watch them and find out were they are traveling from and then wash down the path and where they have been with bleach and water.

Getting Rid of Sugar Ants in the Kitchen

I have had this problem with ants being in my room and in my kitchen. About a year ago I woke up to thousands of ants (sugar ants) in my bed and biting me all over! I just now got bit twice by another one of these tiny black ants. I'm just wondering how to get rid of them when they are in my carpet and just all over the house.

Also I'm wondering why it swells up so much when I get bit? Each bite is about the size of a quarter and it burns like I just got stung by poison ivy! I need to get rid of them!

By Annonymus from Manti, UT

 

Most Recent Answer

By louel53 07/31/2011

I think if you have thousands of ants in your bed, it is time to call an exterminator. This has gone way beyond home remedies.

Related

Archives

Here are archived discussions related to this page.

Please help me to get rid of the ants! I do not leave any food out and I keep my kitchen spotless but ants are all around my sink, counters and wall in my kitchen.


How can I deal with ants in the kitchen?


How do you get rid of kitchen ants?


I have had an ongoing problem with sweet ants and can't get rid of them.


With the current heat wave and lack of water, my kitchen has been invaded by ants. They are everywhere.


I had tiny ants around my kitchen counter that were coming from around the receptacle on the back splash.


Just about every year we have an ant invasion in our house. This happens in the kitchen area. What can we do to get rid of these ants in the kitchen?


facebook like arrowLike ThriftyFun on Facebook

Browse Topics

Over 80,000 tips, recipes, questions & crafts.

Ask a Question

Submit a question to the TF community.

Subscribe to ThriftyFun Newsletters!

Email: