How to Get Rid of Ants From Your Home Without Chemicals
I recently took out a mortgage on a brand new home across the country and moved in last week. It’s a lot hotter in these parts than it was where my previous home, and I quickly realized that living somewhere hot suddenly meant that bugs were a thing.
Within a week of moving in, I’d noticed tons of little ants crawling around on my kitchen cabinets and sides. I really hate bugs, so I had to get rid of them, but the ant killer spray I used didn’t seem to be working. Instead, I tried some other non-chemical methods of getting rid of ants and they worked. Here’s how I did it.
Step 1: Remove ALL Food Sources & Put Your Dog Food Outside
If you’ve left something out for the ants to eat, you can’t really blame them for hanging around. I started by putting all food sources in sealed cupboards. Even dry foods that don’t need refrigerating should be securely locked away in a sealed cupboard that ants can’t get to.
Your dog food is a food source too, so start feeding your dog outside. I did that and took the added precaution of putting the dog food bowl inside a larger bowl filled with water so that ants couldn’t reach it.
Step 2: Clean Really Thoroughly
You don’t need to kill the ants to get rid of them. If you take away their food, they’ll leave on their own. Even if you’re a relatively clean person and you don’t leave food out, they could still be finding residue and crumbs to eat in nooks and crannies of your home that you’ve missed.
That’s why the next step is to do a thorough, deep clean of your home. Bleach your kitchen sides and sweep, mop, and do everything else you can to clean your home.
Step 3: Scrub the Floors with Baking Soda
The next step is to scrub your floors with baking soda. The baking soda should remove the scent trail left behind by the ants to stop more from coming. Just remember to clean it up and mop again afterward so that you don’t leave any baking soda too.
Step 4: Find the Ant Nest
The ants are probably coming from a nest somewhere nearby. This will often be in the cracks in your walls or outside your home. You need to find it so that you can destroy it.
Step 5: Pour Boiling Water On It
I left a photo out of this part as it really isn’t that pleasant to see, but the only real way to get rid of ants naturally is to pour boiling water on their nest. This might seem harsh, but it’s probably not as bad as poisoning them or killing them with harsh chemicals.
You should pour boiling water on the nest more than once to be sure. Once a day for a few days should do it.
After that, if you keep your home clean, they shouldn’t come back. Good luck!
Frequently asked questions
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