A natural ant killer spray is handy to have for when you spot a trail of ants and want to stop them dead in their tracks. However, even the most strenuous cleaning routine can sometimes leave room for an ant infestation. Weve got an easy-peasy homemade ant killer recipe using baking soda and its non-toxic! Combine cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of borax, and cup of warm water in a container you dont use for food. To put it into perspective, baking soda is 4x stronger than baking powder. Since its a common food item, using cream of wheat as a natural ant killer outdoors or indoors is completely safe which makes it a great option if youve got kids and animals around. Another trick is to place some of the baking soda mix in a soda can and leave it outside. But its just as easy to get rid of them and you dont even need to use any harsh chemicals or pesticides to do it. To use baking soda as an insecticide, you need baking soda and confectioners sugar. Simply because ants arent attracted to it. Trying the baking soda and sugar bait but I will keep the Windex trick in mind! If you dont have baking soda, you can still take care of an ant problem or insect-proof your house with an all-natural recipe using common home products. Draw a line of chalk wherever you see ants outdoors. Powdered sugar (sometimes known as icing sugar) is essential. First of all, its completely safe. Holly Riddle is a travel, food and lifestyle writer, and a full-time freelance content creator after several years on editorial staffs for a multitude of publications ranging in topic and audience demographic. It is one of the most efficient homemade treatment for killing ants. The drawback is thatboric acid is toxic. Jean: "Cinnamon and cloves. Just because ants are not attracted to it. If youre looking for all-natural, DIY home remedies for how to get rid of ants, its probably because you want to keep your family safe, including your pets. Like we said earlier, baking soda alone isnt going to do much to attract these pests. Then, spread the mixture around the areas where you've seen ants. How To Get Rid Of Pavement Ants: The Complete Guide, Bed Bug Nests: What They Look Like & How To Find Them, What Scents Keep Bed Bugs Away? Dont throw away those coffee grounds if youve got an ant problem. But one cup is more than plenty to spread around for your average ant incomers. Thankfully, its also quite effective at killing ants if used properly. If you have any leftover mixture, put it into a jar and save it for next time. Its almost as if they know what youre up to, and theyll run right around it, leaving you more frustrated. You can get rid of your ant problem once and for all with a simple household ingredient that you probably already have in your pantry: baking soda. When you use lemon juice and vinegar to mask the scent trails left by ants, it makes it more difficult to follow them. Instead, you need to worry about what the ants might be carrying. Baking soda takes time to work, but using it to kill ants is actually one of the more consistent extermination methods around. You want it to be as fresh, tasty, and aromatic as possible. 1. You can place them anywhere inside and outside your home. It expands inside them after they eat it which results in their deaths. While its not nearly as effective as some might believe, its still useful in its way. Going right to the source is ideal. I have tried many homemade ant killers but none ever worked nearly as well as Windex. To prepare this safe and natural mixture, use about two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of peanut butter. Here at Pest Push, we publish detailed guides on dealing with various household and yard pests. Wipe that ant trail away with a mixture of glass cleaner and soap. If some curious ants found their way into your home, then theyve left behind a clear trail for their colleagues to follow, letting them know where to go for some tasty food. For example, if ants are using a crack in the wall to access your kitchen, put some baking soda mix at the mouth of the opening. Baking soda is a great choice for this purpose because it can kill ants and is only harmful to pets if consumed in large quantities. To make your own natural insecticidal ant spray you need a spray bottle, water, some dish-washing liquid and essential oils. If youre looking for a more long-term natural ant deterrent, you might want to consider adding plants to your landscaping that will attract ant predators, who can help you keep the problem at bay. However, it might not work for everyone in all situations. Baking Soda and Sugar. Its a common ingredient in baking recipes, and its also used in toothpaste. Hopefully, the queen ant will tuck in too. Who wants to pay big bucks for an expensive chemical? While they look similar, baking soda is about four times stronger than powder and doesnt contain any acids. The fewer food sources you provide, the less desirable your home will be to future ants! This affordable substance has many applications. Leaving one untouched will mean youve left some ants behind, too. They offer products for both outdoor and indoor use. Diatomaceous earth is natural and non-toxic, so you wont need to worry if humans or pets touch or eat the concoction. I always spray into the ants entry points too: cracks in the floor, windowsills, etc. But, leaving a trail of baking soda on its own is unlikely to be effective. If you know youve been keeping things neat and tidy, look for ant attractants in or around your home and see if you can remove them. Frogs, lizards, caterpillars and beetles all eat ants, so look for plants that attract these. DIY Alternatives to Baking Soda Baits and Traps. And, even better, it keeps dead ants out of sight and out of mind. Thats why you should, if you can, locate the nest and sprinkle the solution around that too. Once ingested, the Vitamin C will increase the acidity of the digestive system to make the baking soda even more fatal than it already is. But when theyre in your kitchen, theyre nothing but a nuisance. Thats because ants can only ingest tiny quantities of baking soda, and even those are likely to be diluted. The ants will be attracted to the sugar and will carry it back to their nest, killing the ants that eat it. Place the strips at any areas where you've spotted ant activity. Vinegar: Vinegar is another natural ant repellent. You can also take advantage of baking soda to deter ants from your domain. Though cream of wheat is enjoyed by many people at breakfast, uncooked farina is deadly to ants. You can find it in the deodorant that keeps you fresh, the toothpaste that polished your pearly whites, and so much more. Its also important to understand that most ants will instinctively avoid baking soda. The only negative angle you could raise about it is the process of mining it, as well as transporting it in trucks to grocery stores near you. You can use a container to keep things clean, but its not necessary. Quick Tip: If all else fails, you can always turn to chemical products. Borax is generally considered non-toxic for humans and animals but isnt without some risk. Be sure the ground is dry when you do this and that there is no rain forecast as the farina has to be dry to kill the ants. Baking soda has a few other uses too. How to Get Rid of Fleas: Advice, Tips & More, Where Do Roaches Come From in Apartments? Closing Thoughts To use. You can use baking soda to keep ants out of your home or to kill the ones that have set up on your property. You can use just water to kill ants. Combine vinegar, dish liquid, and baking soda in a large bowl and carefully mix to avoid foaming up over the bowl. Mix a few drops of the oil with water and spray it around your home, or soak cotton balls in the mixture and then place those cotton balls around windows and doors. I also found that it is essential, of course, to keep the problem areas clean and void of any food; I used vinegar to clean kitchen surfaces and to scrub any ant trails. Step 3: Add about 6 0z warm water to the baking soda and black pepper mixture. Traps are also among typical options. However, there are a few types of ants that prove a danger, whether to your actual health or to your home, such as fire ants and carpenter ants. Just be sure not to leave the cup out, or pile mounds of the mixture onto the nest, because it can cause an upset tummy if several large spoonfuls are consumed. These are the ways you can use baking soda to kill ants and how this chemical compound actually works for this purpose. Try combining three parts powdered sugar with one part boric acid. But in the event of a serious infestation that just wont go away, the harsher route might be worth the added efficiency. Bonus Recipe: Baking Soda and Diatomaceous Earth. Make large quantities of bait and put them into empty soda cans. So, the theory is that baking soda will trigger a violent chemical reaction in ants when they ingest it and that it will eventually cause the pests to explode. Use this spray directly on ants when you see trails of them to kill them on contact. So Where Does Baking Soda Rank Among Ant Killers? And of those solutions there are plenty of natural ant killers to choose from that are free from toxins that could be risky for your family. How long are you willing to wait until youre sure all the ants in your home are dead? Does baking soda kill ants, or is it just a myth? We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. In reality, it doesn't happen that violently. Design by Monique B Designs. Privacy Policy. A Full Guide, Plaster Bagworm 101: How To Get Rid Of Them Quickly. As mentioned above, the real danger comes from the bacteria that the ants can bring into your home. No spam ever. Attach the lid and sprayer and shake vigorously to combine. When it comes to sugar, its essential that you use powdered sugar (confectioners sugar). You can wipe up any dead ants with a damp paper towel. If you have ants in your cupboards and youre not sure where theyre coming from, place the mixture into a shallow container (a jar lid will do) and leave one in each cupboard. To use it for infestation prevention, you just need some baking soda. Smaller nests may take between two to four days to spread the baking soda around. You can keep one on hand and immediately spray it on the ants that you can see. "Baking soda is a heavy powder that get's easily blown and pushed around. Your email address will not be published. Since most homeowners dont want to bother with targeting nests, aerosolized spray treatments make the most sense. They wont suffer any harm in touching baking soda. In fact, using baking soda is actually not an effective form of treatment and can even attract more bed bugs with its sweet smell. Safest method you dont have to purchase any harsh chemicals or pesticides and store them around the home or shed. Some species of ants can cause damage to our homes but most are just obnoxious to have around. Boric acid and sugar can also be used as bait to attract and kill ants. Place the mixture in small lids or bowls. I pack it into the cracks and it does tend to kill on contactI had some old Johnson and Johnson baby powder that had talc as the only ingredient, and it works like a charm. This makes it a good option for dealing with all common ant types that invade homes in the United States. A pound of baking soda goes for less than $1. These are derived from essential oils that are just as safe to use as baking soda. While its okay for humans, in ants, its deadly. Baking soda and sugar are very effective. Youll also find it in some toothpaste recipes. No matter the species, signs of an ant infestation mean its time to take action. Baking soda and sugar are able to effectively help kill roaches, and you'll be able to notice a quick decline in the population as a result. While we dont know that for sure, we do know that it dries out their bodies to kill them. There is some scientific evidence to back this theory up. If you havent yet noticed a lot of ants indoors, but you have noticed colonies of ants or ant mounds outside around your paved areas, boil some water and then pour the boiling water onto the ant mounds. Thats not very quick. She also manages blogs for tour providers, hotels and tourism boards. The container needs to be easy enough for the ants to scale and enter. 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