We are attracting ants into the kitchen and need some solutions

Pascoe
by Pascoe
We are looking for solutions for ants in the kitchen.
  73 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Jul 06, 2016
    Try washing the kitchen down with a citrus spray of lemon and water.(Counters ) Do not leave any food out and look for any evidence of holes where they can be getting in. Should you find anything then you will have to kill the nest.
  • B B on Jul 06, 2016
    I just read somewhere on here and I wish I could credit the person. They said to put windex and vinegar in spray bottle and spray around countertops and wherever they are forming. Leave in to dry. Ants do not like smell.
  • Once you've used the windex/vinegar solution, you can use any kind of pepper (black, cayenne, etc) and mark the areas where you see them entering. Ants won't go over pepper - but they will still try to find a way around it.
  • Sophia04 Sophia04 on Jul 07, 2016
    Put a small container of corn meal in the area where you see the most ants. This will kill the ants without poison.
  • Barb Farrugia Barb Farrugia on Jul 07, 2016
    Line of chalk
  • Des6149975 Des6149975 on Jul 07, 2016
    I have found that placing a thin line of boric acid powder (available at drug stores) along the back of the inside of my cabinets eliminates ants, roaches, and any other bugs that get into my house. I put it into a narrow nozzle catsup bottle and take out my kitchen cabinet drawers, then squirt the boric acid powder along the back side of the cabinets. This keeps it out of reach of children, pets, and anyone else, lol.
  • Eloise Eloise on Jul 07, 2016
    Borax mixed with either jam or peanut butter and place it around your kitchen where you see the ants (these solutions are not pet friendly). Ants are attracted to sugar or protein so setting out some of both should get rid of them. Don't use so much borax that the ants aren't attracted. It will take some time (a few days to a week) for the borax to wipe out the colony, so be patient.
  • Lauren Culbert Lauren Culbert on Jul 07, 2016
    Ants don't like cinnamon, so sprinkle some of that where they tend to be. Makes your house smell good too!
  • Jennie Lee Jennie Lee on Jul 07, 2016
    Buy Terro ant baits if you have no small children or window-loving pets. The liquid Terro is good, too. Just set one on each windowsill. You could even put it between panes, or outside on the windowsill, if you taped them down. Raid ant baits aren't bad, and easier to find. A customer service man at Raid told me how to use them properly. Find a trail of ants. WASH OFF about 3-5 feet of the trail. Place the bait in the middle of the washed area. Ants follow a scent trail. Unless you remove it, they will ignore anything else.
  • Johnchip Johnchip on Jul 07, 2016
    Bayer makes a product, Blattanex, active ingredient, sulfuramide, that is a gel you put a dab in a spot they cross, they take the gel back to their nest and all die in 24 hours. Gone and totally effective. I know the 'greenies' don't like chemicals, but it works. Consider the germs, chems and harmful things they are bringing to you, a bit of this is little to close the case.
    • Susan Susan on Jul 07, 2016
      Where do you get this product? Home Depot/Lowes? Thanks
  • Lyn7209790 Lyn7209790 on Jul 07, 2016
    If everything you try doesn't work, consider the possibility that you have a nest in the wall somewhere. We battled ants in the kitchen for over a year, tried every possible solution, including a pest exterminator, and nothing worked. When we renovated a bathroom that was adjacent to the kitchen, we found the nest in a wall.
  • Rusti Rusti on Jul 07, 2016
    Try sprinkling baking soda.
  • Sharon Sharon on Jul 07, 2016
    A combination of windex and vinegar - spray around the areas that they come in and they won't return because they hate the smell.
  • Glenn Munson Glenn Munson on Jul 07, 2016
    Buy a container of TERRO Ant Killer which contains 5.4% of Borax. Cut small pieces of cardboard, say 1-1/4 inch by 3/4 inch. Space drops of Terro on them and place them where the ants come in. Borax kills ants. Your ants will take borax back to their nest and kill them all.
  • Susanne Susanne on Jul 07, 2016
    We had ants in our kitchen also. I used 1 part Borax to 3 parts hot maple syrup and left it in bottle caps near the sink and in the back corner of our countertops. The ants were gone in two days and I haven't seen any since. It is amazing! The only caveat is, you can't kill the ants--you have to let them take the mixture back to the nest and it will kill all the ants (they can't distinguish between borax and sugar, and they can't digest the borax so it kills them.)
  • Smartsally Smartsally on Jul 07, 2016
    We spray Tempo around the outside of our house. Keeps the ants from ever coming in.
  • Fran Fran on Jul 07, 2016
    I live in the country and am surrounded by trees. Therefore, I get the big black ants every year. I have found that the Terra (not sure about the spelling) does an excellent job. I use them inside and outside. I can't always find the nest like some have told me. You can also put cucumber peels around your counter but I found that to be too unsightly. Hope this helps you.
  • DORLIS DORLIS on Jul 07, 2016
    Here, we get them with the spring rains. They come in to get out of the wet. I am also in the middle of the woods and we also get mice for the same reason. For mice, I have 4 cats and I put out traps near the doors for the ants and do a lot of stomping every time I see one. The cats also like to chase them.
  • Cindy Dunn Cindy Dunn on Jul 07, 2016
    Find where the ants are coming in and place cucumber peelings along there trail. They will disappear.
  • Cherie Cherie on Jul 07, 2016
    1 or 2 T Borax, 1/4 c sugar, 1/2 c hot water. Mix together, dip cotton balls in the solution and place wherever you see an ant trail (I save medicine caps just for this purpose! To put the cotton balls in) It will get a lot worse - the trail may get to be 1/2 to 1" wide of ants! You'll think "Cherie is crazy", but I guarantee that if you just are patient you will eventually kill every ant in the colony! You may also have to remoisten the cotton with solution every so often. It took 4 days for the first colony I had to cease to exist, and hubby almost sprayed the trail with bug spray. My kitchen looked like it was being invaded! But it works!​
  • Eli7880503 Eli7880503 on Jul 07, 2016
    My friend told me to set little cups of Grits in the window and I've not had anymore kitchen ants. It really works.
  • Pam Pam on Jul 07, 2016
    Mix Windex and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the areas where you see ants, and in a few days, all gone!
  • Darlenestrenn Darlenestrenn on Jul 07, 2016
    spray equal parts of vinegar & water around doors & windows & where you see ants
  • Sally-Charles Evans Sally-Charles Evans on Jul 07, 2016
    I use AMDRO ANT BLOCK! It is sprinkled around the house in tiny granules. In the next day you see no more ants! It is sold at Walmart and Lowes'.
  • George Knipp George Knipp on Jul 07, 2016
    It also has a pleasant smell.
  • Alesea Casto Smith Alesea Casto Smith on Jul 07, 2016
    Mix 1/2 white vinegar with 1/2 water in spray bottle. Spray on affected area. Let set overnight. Problem solved. Ants do not like vinegar!
  • Pauliegirl1 Pauliegirl1 on Jul 07, 2016
    I am with Pam and Darlenestrenn!!
  • Russ Ford Russ Ford on Jul 07, 2016
    there are issues here that you need to think about. Ants have been around longer than humans, there are more ants that humans on the planet. Some house ants are very adept at figuring out YOUR tactics to get rid of them, even to the point of sending 'scouting' missions out in different directions. They will not send another expedition or a mass march in the direction of a scout that has not returned. You can go nuts chasing ants around in the walls. If you are bothered by a few ants, you might win. If you have an infestation, you should admit defeat and hire the pros to come out and spray an eco-friendly non-toxic to kids and pets spray around your house. REMEMBER! Ants and termites are sort of environmentally related, chances are if you have one, you have the other and may not know it. We had ants and that lead us to the termites and we were able to have the pros fix it before it was a financial disaster. In some neighborhoods, you would not think of listing your home for sale without solving the ant and termite problem well in advance.
  • Nathalie Franc Nathalie Franc on Jul 07, 2016
    Find where the ants enter your house, borrow your kids chalk and put chalk at their entrance, they will go back to where they came from... If you want to amuse kids, trace a line of chalk around a bunch of ants and see them go round-and-round... The chalk makes them lose the pheromone trail they leave behind them that allows ants to proceed in long lines... :-)
  • Grant Grant on Jul 07, 2016
    Back years ago I had the problem too. I sprinkled borax around where they were coming in and they would not cross the line. I don't know if you can do this with pets or children around.
  • Barb Morgan Barb Morgan on Jul 07, 2016
    Mix white vinegar and windex 50/50 in spray bottle. Windex kills instantly, vinegar keeps them away.
  • Tammy Sea Tammy Sea on Jul 07, 2016
    I live in Northern Alabama where battling ants is a constant. The most effective thing that I've found (and I've tried every "natural" method out there) is Terro Ant Bait. They're little containers that I set right on my countertop. It's an agonizing few days because you're not supposed to kill the live ones, but after that few days the ants are *gone*! The reason that you don't kill the live ones is so they'll carry it back to the nest. It's amazing stuff.
  • Tammy Sea Tammy Sea on Jul 07, 2016
    Also, keeping the kitchen *spotless* is a must. If my husband spills literally one drop of sweet tea, they'll go for the tea instead of the bait.
  • Roc7713771 Roc7713771 on Jul 07, 2016
    When it comes to ants, one thing often overlooked is the fact that they leave an invisible trail for more to follow. You must wipe everywhere they have been, even outside, to disrupt their return.
  • Julie Neal Julie Neal on Jul 07, 2016
    All spice. We do this at mom's every year. It also is safe for her dog n the kids.
  • Marla Marla on Jul 07, 2016
    The best ever I use is "TEMPO" it is safe to use inside or out. I mix in sprayer and spray around the outside foundation lip of my house and all around the inside of every wall and corner and behind appliances. I spray twice a year, Spring and Fall. It kills spiders, ants, earwigs and more. I don't have insect problems at all since I have been using Tempo. It is not harmful to food, people or pets. It is GREAT!
  • Carolyn Carolyn on Jul 07, 2016
    I have used "Bay leaf" to ward off Ants. Take the leaf and Break it up and put it where you saw ants. they will disappear.
  • 861650 861650 on Jul 07, 2016
    Use baby powder. Sprinkle a small line where you see them. Will take three to four days but they will go away. Something in the powder interferes with their "direction," and they can't find their way. After reading this, I did not believe it so I tried it. Worked wonders!
  • 7126633 7126633 on Jul 07, 2016
    White vinegar and water. Make a 3 to 1 solution, and wipe down the area ...especially where you see them coming in ie. window sills, water pipes, around doorways, etc. There will be no vinegar odor, in fact, it actually deodorizes.
  • Rina Rina on Jul 07, 2016
    I read it here that if you mix vinegar and windex and spray it in the area should take care of the problem. I haven't done It myself but it won't hurt to try, right.
  • Alison Alison on Jul 07, 2016
    Ants follow a trail by smell, if you break the trail by wiping a strong smelling solution where you see them coming in it should get rid of them. Try peppermint essential oil mixed with water and spray it across and along the trail you see them using. Should solve the problem quite soon :o)
  • Pauline J Pugh Pauline J Pugh on Jul 07, 2016
    If you don't have pets or small children put small amounts of Borax and few grains of sugar on small pieces of foil where you see the ants. In 2 days you should be rid of most of them and a couple days more not see any come.
  • Kwe523 Kwe523 on Jul 07, 2016
    I've use Terro exclusively since I found it over 4 years ago. The first year many of the nests died off, we had successfully diminished nests over the years. I can place them directly in the line of the ants; they take the solution back to the nest, and they die. Good luck!
  • Bonny McDaniel Bonny McDaniel on Jul 07, 2016
    I mix up some sugar and baking soda with a small amt of water to make a paste. The ants eat it and take it back to the colony and they die...takes a day or two but it works. Make sure the mixture stays damp, even a little on the liquid side like thin pancake batter...I put mine in jar lids or the plastic lids on some things like potato chip cans. It is like the Borax mixture but not harmful to pets or children. I put mine on the window sill where the ants come in.
  • Kelli Kelli on Jul 07, 2016
    Place some bay leaves and pieces of spearmint gum in areas that are inconspicuous. It has worked in our pantry for years!
  • Annabr.776 Annabr.776 on Jul 07, 2016
    Spraying a mild dish soap solutions across doorways and windows will interrupt their chemical scent trail so they will stop coming in. To get rid of the ones already inside, sprinkle some borax (can be found in the laundry aisle) just be sure to keep it away from food, pets and children. Also, make sure you haven't planted your peony bushes too close to the house.
  • Susan Nelson Susan Nelson on Jul 07, 2016
    Sprinkle coffee grounds around the foundation of your home every spring, especially outside the kitchen area... a tradition inherited from my great grand mother to every generation. Never have ants. Rarely spiders inside either. Just wish they'd work for wasps nests under my roofline!
  • Melissa J. Melissa J. on Jul 07, 2016
    Borax, white sugar, water, and cotton balls. Mix borax, sugar and water. 1/4 cup sugar, 1 to 2 table spoon borax, 3/4 cup water mix soak cotton balls in, mix place cotton balls where ants are seen leave for over night or evening and they are gone.
  • Teresa Teresa on Jul 07, 2016
    I use this for the inside. http://www.terro.com/ but if you use this for the outside once a year and it works well. http://www.ortho.com/smg/goprod/ortho-hdm-perimeter-indoor-insect-killer/prod70044 hope it helps. Teresa
  • Nancypg Nancypg on Jul 07, 2016
    after years of having ants in the summer we finally caulked the water entrance behing the refrigerator which is what their enterance point was. they are completely gone because we blocked their entry to our house. nothing else worked. Nancy G., Henderson, NV
  • Mouseda7 Mouseda7 on Jul 07, 2016
    Try spraying vinegar where you see ants, wipe up or let air dry. Ants hate vinegar, messes with their scent trails.
  • Karen Karen on Jul 07, 2016
    the borax,sugar and water works but i use cinnamon sprinkled at entry,it works great and smells good to
  • Sandi M Johnson Sandi M Johnson on Jul 07, 2016
    They won't cross a trail of cinnamon. Had them coming in my patio door this year I poured vinegar all around the area, but that only lasts so long. then I heard about cinnamon. I poured a thin like don the door tack and I haven't see an ant since. I just bought one of the large dollar bottles of cinnamon, don't waste the good stuff on ants. It's also good to sprinkle around newly potted plants, it keeps little bugs away from the plants.
  • For7761609 For7761609 on Jul 07, 2016
    I just read somewhere that you can mix vinegar and windex to stop them in their tracks.
  • Phyllis Phyllis on Jul 07, 2016
    I have always sprinkled Boric Acid in the powder form in all of our cabinets and never have any problems. You don't need to mix it with anything because most bugs will not go through it. My second suggestion is to use Terro Baits. That works well for ants.
  • Karen Givens Karen Givens on Jul 08, 2016
    I put whole coffee beans a very strong one all around my outside and inside by doors window anyplace you think they are coming in at. I use to get them all The time and I'm petrified of ants I haven't had an aunt my house in two years since I started using the coffee beans . If anybody tries it I hope it works for you as well as it does me .
  • Cherry Cherry on Jul 08, 2016
    We have ants bad so we have a fly squitter going all year round and no ants
  • Judy Gillette-Pelkey Judy Gillette-Pelkey on Jul 08, 2016
    Fripinol. That may not be the correct spelling. This is a commercial grade ant killer. You will find it where any exterminator buys his supplies. We have a Co-op that shares supplies for nurseries, exterminators, crops and animals. Fripinol works where the trail begins. They are attracted to it like nector. It is toxic to animals, so don't get it near where an animal might ingest it. I got a large syringe pre loaded ($30.00) approx. I used it in 3 apts. my daughters house, a friends house and an apt. managers office. It needs to be used every year or every other year. I still had some when my Granddaughter thought it was garbage and tossed it. Used it for 10 years.
  • Fsk7712501 Fsk7712501 on Jul 08, 2016
    Buy generic brand baby powder from Dollar store and sprinkle along edges of walls, door frames, etc. where ants are. Smells good and safe around kids and works wonders!
  • Donna Bailey Moss Donna Bailey Moss on Jul 08, 2016
    Peppermint oil!
  • Sue Sanders Sue Sanders on Jul 08, 2016
    I use flour. No ants. Put some flour on a very busy ant infestation along my drive way which was lined with railroad timber. Came back in 15 min. and not a ant in sight. Even the eggs were gone. Used flour on a trail of ants in my kitchen and that was several years ago and no ants have returned. In past had to deal with ants every Spring.
  • MadameRã MadameRã on Jul 08, 2016
    •Yes ants from all parts of the world can be a bother,& as much as we need them, we don't need them inside.. This i have expressed in something similar that has been asked before, this though will cost a little bit for starters, but will last a long time thus beating any pre-made products.. With experience in Natural Medicines, my suggestion is to buy quality Aroma oils of Orange, Clove,Black pepper(yes its an oil) & lastly Benzoin..* the Benzion is thick so be careful with it as it can jam droppers: if this is the case then try rinsing under hot water, using tweezers to hold your bottle side ways when rinsing, do not hold bottle upright to let water run over it •proff. reasons for this)... With a good litre spray bottle (not some cheap one, we want the product to last) , use distilled water thats @ room temp. & add oils as such... Orange 8-10 drops, Clove 8-10 drops, Black pepper 5-8 drops,& Benzoin 2-3 dops max. [Start off with the lower drops & see first.. If you feel it needs to be stronger then add]... Now of coarse screw on your spray lid & shake hard for three to five minutes the first time in making this product. Now you can use on every surface that attracts small critters, including weavels,& you will have lots of uses out of a litre bottle; then you will understand why it then isn't really expensive. * before using anywhere, make sure to give your bottle a good quick shake always before use... Mother Earth will be happy,& so will your being as its not harmful, thus it can be used as a counter over wipe cleaner as well. • I would like to say that there are a lot of ideas out there that appear safe, but are not, one being the use of Baby Powder,& for many reasons should not be used even on children, natural powders can be bought &/or made, so out of care towards other beings', including pets, pls don't do cheap Baby powders(or even expencive:))).. Wishing you a ant march out of a time:)) Madame Ra
  • Pcu7583769 Pcu7583769 on Jul 08, 2016
    This is like magic! 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 Windex glass cleaner.
  • Grb5137539 Grb5137539 on Jul 09, 2016
    mix icing sugar with baking soda and sprinkle where they are getting into your home or along base boards. All natural so you do not have to worry about kids and pets
  • MATTIE HYDE MATTIE HYDE on Jul 09, 2016
    I heard making a chalk line across your window sills and doorways works. I just use ant spray and clean up their trail lines whenever they cross over from outdoors to inside.
  • Don6663223 Don6663223 on Jul 10, 2016
    Boric acid works wonders. It's a powder and I put a line across the sills.
  • Amluthi Amluthi on Jul 11, 2016
    If you buy ant stakes and place them all around the outside of your house the ants don't come in. I have done this in February every year for the last 30 and it works.
  • S_S6898923 S_S6898923 on Jul 13, 2016
    A cleanser put into a line where they come in at, they won't cross the line. Works great!
  • Brenda Hand-Amunrud Brenda Hand-Amunrud on Aug 15, 2016
    Mix a few drops of essential oil, lemon and peppermint oil work best mix with alcohol and water and put in a spray bottle and spray the areas where they come in. It smells great.
  • packaged cornbread mix that says it is sweetened and put it where they are coming in if you can find it, or even on your counter in a small lid. They will take it to the mound, everyone will eat it and die, they can't digest the cornmeal, but will take it because it is sweetened. Little goes a long way.

  • Annabr.776 Annabr.776 on May 08, 2018

    One thing you might think about is what kinds of plants you have near your house, peony bushes attract large black ants, without them your peonies would not bloom. Do a little research and see if there are plants that need to be moved away from the house. As far as a home remedy to deter them, spray your counters and around doorways with a mild dish soap/water solution.

  • Use a product called Terro.