How do I get rid of little red ants?

Tedward
by Tedward

I have tried all the home remedies I have found on the internet, most use vinegar in the mix. I have tried using the 7 % acetic acid but to no avail. I have not found one that works to slow down the tiny red ants. They crawl out of the chemical and go merrily on their way. I have purchased Tempo which works great on most insects but not red ants. With all our modern technology we still cannot control one of the smallest creatures in the world.

  4 answers
    • Tedward Tedward on Jun 21, 2019

      Thanks Deanna. That works for the big ants but it doesn't seem to fizz on the little red ones.

      Tedward

  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Jun 15, 2019

    I don't have aunt problems so I haven't tried this but, I wonder if (cheap) wine would work. I use it for fruit flies.. They like the sugar in it, drink, fall in and can't get out because they are too drunk, I think. I use a champagne glass.. I'd try a small deep container so they can't crawl up the sides easily. I often use Trader Joes cheapest..



  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Jun 15, 2019

    Yes we humans just feel the need to control everything.....AMDRO ANT BAIT granules work. all these home remedies do nothing but kill the ants you see, if they even do that, most just disrupt the scent/trail/or the top of the mound/colony. FYI most DIY solutions are only repellents/deterents. MYTH: Cinnamon kills ants.

    TRUTH: Ants don’t like cinnamon but unfortunately it doesn’t kill or repel them.

    MYTH: Vinegar kills ants.

    TRUTH: Vinegar just removes the smell/trace of ants. While it may help confuse or throw off the rest of the colony, vinegar alone might not be enough to rid your home of these bothersome insects.

    MYTH: Boiling water repels ants.

    TRUTH: If – and only if – the water is boiling will it kill the ants that it is poured on. However, it will not repel future ants from invading your home.

    MYTH: Ants won’t cross a chalk/powder line.

    TRUTH: A chalk/powder line may temporarily stop the ants (it’s the smell that “ disrupts the scent trail”) but it won’t be long before they figure out a way around the chalk/powder. We probably don’t have to tell you, but ants are very persistent creatures!

    MYTH: Uncooked grains, like oatmeal,cornmeal,jiffy muffin mix or grits, will kill ants by expanding in their stomachs and then exploding.

    TRUTH: Despite popular belief, there is no evidence that ants can be killed off by dumping grains in or around the “hive.” What we do know is that only the oldest members of an ant colony can digest solid food. The adult, worker, and reproductive ants, can only digest liquids.Ants take organic matter listed above & store it in the nest.

    And the biggest ant control myth of all?

    As long as you kill or remove the ants you can see, your problem is solved.Diatomaceous earth does kill them but only ants that crawl thru it not the colony. To be really be rid of them I suggest either Boric Acid mixed with cornmeal or Amdro Ant Bait granules sprinkle a little of the bait besides trail ( not directly on it they will get disrupted and leave or not pick up bait)they carry bait to nest and it kills entire colony. Amdro works fast 2-24 hrs. huge colony gone.it is poison as is Boric Acid but just cover with something til the next day, don't mess with/block their trail tho' so they carry bait back to colony quickly.if you use liquid bait it kills only the working ants you see before they get back to colony, so the trail is gone then they just start a new one to & from colony elsewhere.So you only think you have killed them off. Another method is borax mixed with powdered confectioners sugar,this takes a little longer than boric acid or Amdro(best,fastest). Just use a little of the bait it doesn't take much, then clean up what is left after colony has been killed off. I put a milk crate, flower pot or saucer over the bait (just make sure it is not blocking their trail) to keep anything out of bait except ants. works indoors or outdoors.


  • Tedward Tedward on Jun 20, 2019

    I have hundreds of ant mounds though small, theyvare everywhere. The borax got rid of the larger ants but the little red ones are made of iron. You just cant kill them. I have tried all the home remedies but they seem to thrive on vinegar. Its impossible to avoid their trails because they're everywhere. When I think I may have thinned them out,my neighbours send over fresh strains to prevent cross breeding. It's hard to believe, with the huge ant problem all over Sask. That someone hasn't come up with a chemical that I can spray my whole yard with to eradicate them. I'm hoping my best friend, the woodpecker soon returns with her new family to feast on the little trouble makers.

    • See 1 previous
    • Tedward Tedward on Jun 21, 2019

      I have walkways throughout my yard made with paving stones. The ants have made the stones all uneven from removing the sand under them. Their beneficialness is outweighed by the harm they do.