9 Ways To Get Rid of Ants (Natural & Insecticide)

Do you want to learn natural and chemical strategies to get rid of ants?

It can be stressful when ants invade the sanctity of your home — contaminating food and crawling in unexpected places.

In this TimberSill guide, we’ll go over:

• The top 5 natural methods to repel and kill ants
• The best 4 chemical strategies to take out the entire colony
• Tips and tricks to get the best results
• Types of ants the treatments work best for

Let’s get started!

#1. Borax and Sugar

Borax is likely the most effective natural method of killing ants.

It’s a mineral composed of oxygen, water, sodium, and boron. Borax is commonly used in cleaning products and has a wide variety of household uses.

It is also the main active ingredient in the popular Terro brand ant baits.

The idea is to mix Borax with sugar (or any sweet syrup) and the ants will swarm the bait station, feeding on it.

Borax disrupts ants’ metabolism and digestion, preventing them from absorbing key nutrients, leading to dehydration and organ failure. It also acts slowly so that ants bring the food back to the colony and queen; killing the entire nest.

The classic formula for sugar-loving ants is to mix 1 part Borax with 3 parts sugar and dissolve it in a little water. Besides white sugar, you can mix Borax with maple syrup, fruit jam, Nutella, or other sweet syrups.

For protein-loving ants, you want to use peanut butter, tuna, egg whites, cottage cheese, or finely chopped meats. The best ratio is 1-part Borax, and 2-parts protein, and to mix until you have an even consistency.

To figure out which ants are in your home, leave some sugar in one spot and peanut butter in another. If the ants swarm one type of food, then you know whether you have sugar-loving or protein-loving ants.

Borax is generally safe in small amounts but toxic if ingested in large quantities by kids or pets.

Most Effective For:

• Argentine
• Odorous House
• Pavement
• Little Black Ants

Least Effective For:

• Carpenter
• Fire
• Harvester Ants

6 Steps To Using Borax And Sugar

1. Make the Mixture: Mix 1 part Borax powder with 3 parts sugar or sweets like syrup or jam. You may want to add a little water or heat up the sweet to dissolve it more easily.
   
2. Place It On Dish: Place the Borax mixture on cardboard, paper, aluminum foil, or a shallow dish. Just make sure that ants will be able to access the mixture.
   
3. Place Baits Near Ants: Set the Borax bait near ant trails, entry/exit points, baseboards, window sills, or wherever you see them grouping.
   
4. Keep Away From Pets/Kids: Ingested in larger quantities, Borax can be toxic to children and pets so keep it out of sight. Homeowners can use small containers with holes at bottom to keep the bait inaccessible.
   
5. Let Them Feed & Carry Food: You will notice a few ants feeding on the bait at first, and then they may swarm it. Allow the ants to carry pieces of the bait back to the colony in order to kill the queen and the entire nest.
   
6. Refresh If Needed: Check the baits daily and refresh the dish if needed. It may take a few days to a week to kill the entire colony.

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#2. Fipronil (Combat Max)

Fipronil is likely the most popular and effective synthetic chemical used for ant eradication.

It was discovered in 1987 by a French company, Rhone-Poulenc Agrochemie, which later became part of Bayer and then BASF.

Fipronil works by disrupting the nervous system of ants — specifically GABA receptors. You may have heard of GABA, it’s a neurotransmitter which humans share with the animal world.

When this system is impaired, GABA can’t do its job, leading to overexcitation, muscle spasms, paralysis, and eventually death in ants.

Crucially, Fipronil acts slowly, allowing ants to carry it back to the colony, where it spreads and eliminates the nest.

The most popular Fipronil-based ant products for home use are Combat Max bait stations and gel syringes, made by Henkel, a German company based in Düsseldorf.

Most Effective For:

• Argentine
• Pharaoh
• Odorous House
• Pavement
• Little Black Ants

Least Effective For:

• Harvester
• Some Fire Ant Colonies

5 Steps To Using Fipronil Bait Stations Or Gel Syringe

1. Inspect Ant Trails: I recommend using a flashlight to closely inspect ant trails. Try to determine where they are entering the home, and where they exit.
   
2. Using Gel Syringe: If you bought a Fipronil gel-syringe, simply put pea sized beads in corners and crevices where you have seen ants. Try to avoid direct sunlight and moisture. Also try to keep the beads out of reach from kids or pets.
   
3. Liquid Bait Stations: If you bought a Combat Max bait station or other brand, place the traps in corners and crevices near entry or exit points. I recommend to avoid placing them directly in the path of ants — lay them down just out of the direct ant pathway to keep it natural.
   
4. Let The Ants Feed: Initially you may just notice one or two ants feeding on the gel or bait, but you should soon see many more ants on the bait, possibly even swarming it. Allow the ants to feed and to bring the food back to the nest. It may take a few days before you see a noticeable decrease in ants.
   
5. Check The Bait: Inspect the bait every couple days to see if it needs to be re-applied. If you don’t see any ants eating the bait, I recommend moving it to a different location.

#3: Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth or DE for short is a natural ant eradicator made out of fossilized algae known as diatoms.

Under a microscope, you’d see a variety of shapes like cylinders and stars with sharp edges. These tiny fossils cut up the exoskeletons of ants, leading to dehydration and death.

DE can be quite effective and kill a large number of ants that stumble into the DE dust. The idea is to sprinkle the fine dust along ant trails or directly on top of a mound.

It will take around 1-2 days for the DE powder to kill ants that crawl through it.

Diatomaceous earth won’t work if you use it in a humid/wet environment such as outside in rainy weather. When wet, the DE particles lose their sharp edges and clump together. And even if it re-dries, it still won’t be as effective as the original application.

It’s also essential to use food-grade DE powder instead of commercial or pool-grade (for water filtration) DE, since industrial applications add chemicals and can be toxic.

Most Effective For:

• Odorous House
• Pavement
• Argentine
• Little Black Ants

Least Effective For:

• Carpenter
• Fire
• Harvester Ants

5 Steps To Using Diatomaceous Earth To Kill Ants

1. Use Food Grade: Make sure to use only food-grade DE that is safe for household use instead of pool-grade or industrial diatomaceous earth.
   
2. Determine Ant Paths: I recommend using a flashlight to carefully inspect the ants, where they are coming from, where they are going, etc. It’s also a good idea to walk outside to see if you find any ant mounds.
   
3. Sprinkle The DE Powder: Lightly sprinkle the food-grade DE along ant paths such as along baseboards and window sills. If you know where they are coming from, sprinkle some at entry (and exit) points. Remember that these areas need to be and remain dry. If you have dry weather, homeowners can also sprinkle the DE on top of nests and at exterior entry points.
   
4. Give It Time: You must wait it out since the ants need to actually travel through the DE powder in order for it to work. It should take around a day for the DE to start killing the ants.
   
5. Check The DE Powder: Monitor the effectiveness of the DE paths, clean up dead ants, and re-apply as needed.

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#4: Hydramethylnon (Amdro)

Hydramethylnon, introduced in the early 1980s, was the first modern pesticide widely used in homes.

This chemical is a great slow-acting pesticide that will take out an entire ant colony and has low risk to humans and pets.

The ants carry the Hydramethylnon back to the nest as a food source which slowly kills the colony. When the pesticide is ingested by ants, it targets mitochondrial cells and disrupts energy production or ATP.

It targets high-energy cells in ants, leading to lethargy, paralysis, and eventual death.

In the USA, the main brand is called Amdro, owned by BASF, and it is an insecticide in pellet form that is placed around the perimeter of your home.

Water will greatly reduce the effectiveness so it should be used when rain isn’t expected for 1-2 days. In addition, Amdro is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic animals so avoid placing it anywhere near a stream, pond, or well.

Most Effective For:

• Fire Ants
• Argentine
• Pavement
• Pharaoh Ants

Least Effective For:

• Carpenter
• Harvester Ants

6 Steps To Using Hydramethylnon Or Amdro

1. Look For Ant Trails: Walk outside, and carefully inspect for ant activity. Pay attention to where they congregate and look for any nests.
   
2. Wait For Right Time & Weather: Ants tend to forage and be more active in the later hours so ideally wait until late afternoon. Make sure the ground is dry and that rain isn’t expected in 1-2 days for maximum effectiveness.
   
3. Place Around Foundation: Evenly spread a 1-2 foot wide section of Amdro granules around the foundation of your home.
   
4. Place Around Ant Mounds: If you found an ant mound, spread 5 tablespoons about 1-2 feet away from the mound, and not directly on it. If you unnaturally place the granules on the mound, it can trigger a defensive reaction or even cause the ants to change nest location.
   
5. Wait For The Colony To Die: It can take Amdro anywhere from a few days or 1-2 weeks to kill the colony depending on its size and complexity. If you still see ants in a week or two, reapply the Amdro.
   
6. If It Rains: If it rains, you will need to reapply the Amdro due to its degradation. Wait for the soil to completely dry before re-application.

#5. Boiling Water

If you know where outdoor ant mounds are located, using boiling water can be an effective and natural way to kill a small colony.

The idea is to simply boil around a gallon of water in a large pot. Once it reaches a rolling boil, take the pot outside and pour it directly into the ant mound/nest.

The boiling water instantly kills ants on contact and will hopefully reach deep into the colony.

For large colonies with deeply buried queen chambers, it probably won’t be as effective, and you may need to do it a few times. The boiling water strategy will likely need to be done alongside another such as the Borax and sugar bait.

You can also use this method indoors under certain circumstances such as in an unfinished basement with concrete floors.

If you know where ants are entering indoors, sparingly pour boiling water into the concrete or block crack at their indoor entry point. Just use common sense and try to avoid getting burned.

Most Effective For:

• Fire Ants (small mounds)
• Pavement Ants

Least Effective For:

• Large Fire Ant Colonies
• Carpenter Ants

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#6. Indoxacarb

Indoxacarb is a gel-based ant pesticide that is highly effective in eliminating ant colonies.

Just like Fipronil and Hydramethylnon — Indoxacarb acts slowly and when ants take it back to the colony, it can wipe out the entire nest.

Indoxacarb has a different way of killing ants in that it blocks the sodium ion channels in the body which interferes with nerve signaling. This sodium ion disruption leads to loss of coordination, paralysis, and eventual death in the ants within a 1-3 day period.

Indoxacarb is mostly gel-based so you will need to place these gel beads around ant activity inside your home.

Most Effective For:

• Argentine
• Odorous House
• Pharaoh
• Pavement Ants

Least Effective For:

• Harvester
• Some Fire Ant Colonies

6 Steps To Using Indoxacarb To Kill Ants

1. Study Ant Behavior: Locate ant trails, entry/exit points, and potential nest sites. I like using a flashlight to follow ants into and outside of the home. Peer into corners and hidden areas where ants are showing up.
   
2. Pick An Indoxacarb Bait: Some popular choices for Indoxacarb as the main active ingredient include the brands Advion, Syngenta, and Savitri which includes gel syringes and bait stations. These work excellent for sugar-loving ants.
   
3. Apply the Gel Sparingly: If using a syringe, place a single pea-sized dot every 6-12 inches. For light infestations, one dot every 1-foot should be sufficient. If you place too many dots it can create a defensive reaction in the ants and doesn’t appear natural. If you have a heavy infestation, you can put them closer together at around 1 dot per 6-inches.
   
4. Place Bait Stations: With Indoxacarb bait stations, place them in corners, along baseboards, cabinet bottoms, and other corners and crevices. Try to avoid placing them directly in the ant path but just offset (1-3 inches) so that the ants aren’t unnaturally obstructed. Also avoid direct sunlight and moist areas.
   
5. Monitor The Bait: It will take a few days to wipe out or greatly reduce the ant nest so be patient. Avoid spraying raid or other pesticides anywhere near the bait.
   
6. Re-apply As Needed: If you don’t see any ants feeding on the bait in a few days, move locations. If the bait gets depleted, reapply the gel or station.

#7. White Vinegar

The acetic acid in white vinegar can be a great way to kill ants on contact while being safe and natural.

In addition to killing ants, white vinegar disrupts the pheromone signals that ants use to communicate with each other.

The downside with using vinegar is that it won’t take out the colony so the ants may come back. Some people really dislike the smell of vinegar so you may want to avoid using it in high traffic areas like a kitchen.

Also be careful using vinegar on stone countertops or tile floors especially if the stone is unsealed or poorly sealed. The acidity in the vinegar can be harsh and can eventually etch and damage the stone.

Most Effective For:

• Odorous House
• Argentine
• Little Black Ants

Least Effective For:

• Carpenter
• Fire
• Pharaoh Ants

6 Steps To Using White Vinegar

1. Mix With Spray Bottle: Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle.
   
2. Locate The Ants: Determine the pathway of the ants, particularly their entry and exit points if possible. I recommend using a flashlight to study the ants behavior.
   
3. Spray On Ants: Spray the solution directly on the ants. The acetic acid should kill most or all of the ants instantly or within minutes.
   
4. Spray On Exit/Entry Points: After spraying on the visible ants, spray the solution on the entry or exit points if you found them. Spray along their typical crawl paths if noticeable. Spraying along these areas will disrupt their pheromone signaling.
   
5. Wipe Surfaces: Putting the vinegar solution on a rag or paper towel and wiping down surfaces can also help repel ants and disrupt their chemical signaling to other ants.
   
6. Re-apply As Needed: Since the acetic acid doesn’t lead to colony death, you may need to reapply the vinegar for a few days until the ants stop appearing. It’s best to use this method along with the boiling water or Borax/sugar methods in order to kill the nest.

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#8. Abamectin

Abamectin is an effective compound for ant control and eradication for home use.

Unlike the other chemicals on our list, Abamectin is a by-product of a natural fermentation process of the soil microbe Streptomyces avermitilis.

Chemists use giant bioreactors to ferment Streptomyces, which eventually gets purified into Abamectin. Even though the fermentation is natural, chemicals and stabilizers are later added to Abamectin so it is still classified as a chemical pesticide.

Abamectin was discovered in the late 1970’s and was first used for agricultural use before it became commercialized for home use in the early 90’s. Abamectin is a slow acting poison so that ants feed on it and take it back to the colony.

Some of the most popular Abamectin containing brands include HomePlus, Advance, and Ortho Home Defense. Abamectin is mostly used for homes as bait stations and spreadable granules.

Most Effective For:

• Fire Ants
• Argentine
• Pharaoh
• Pavement
• Little Black Ants

Least Effective For:

• Harvester
• Some Fire Ant Colonies

6 Steps To Use Abamectin

1. Locate Ant Activity: Study ant trails inside your home and try to determine entry/exit points. Walk outside and look for any ant mounds, ant trails, and entry/exit points along the foundation.
   
2. Pick Your Abamectin Bait: In the U.S., the two most common products are pre-filled bait stations with gel/liquid or dry granules for mostly outdoor use.
   
3. Spread Granules: For granular bait, lightly spread it along the foundation of the home or areas with ant activity. If you located ant mounds, spread it at least 1-2 feet away from the mound and not directly on it. Make sure the ground is dry and that it won’t rain for at least 1-2 days which will require re-application.
   
4. Place Bait Stations: Put down the bait stations near visible ant activity and entry/exit points. Don’t put the bait stations directly in the ant pathways but slightly offset. You want to avoid unnatural placements directly in their way to prevent a defensive reaction. Make sure the areas are also dry since water or dampness will degrade the bait.
   
5. Monitor and Wait: Allow the ants to transport the bait back to the colony. It can take 1-3 weeks to kill a nest depending on its size.
   
6. Check Bait: If the bait gets depleted, you will need to place a new one. If you don’t see any ants feeding on the bait, move locations.

#9. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice can be a great ant repellant that won’t kill ants if you prefer a non-deadly and natural strategy.

Like vinegar, lemon juice has a chemical named citric acid which will repel ants and disrupt their pheromone signals. Unlike the acetic acid in vinegar, the lemon juice will not kill or harm ants.

Lemon juice has a pleasant citrus smell (unlike vinegar) which is a nice bonus even if it’s less effective.

One downside of lemon juice is that it can leave behind a sticky residue unlike vinegar which evaporates cleanly. Lemon juice also won’t harm the colony so you will likely have to reapply the lemon juice unless you seal all entry holes into your home.

Most Effective For:

• Odorous House
• Argentine
• Little Black Ants

Least Effective For:

• Carpenter
• Fire
• Pharaoh Ants

6 Steps To Using Lemon Juice

1. Spray Bottle: Mix equal parts lemon juice and water in a spray bottle.
   
2. Locate Ant Trails: Study ant movement where they are visible. I recommend using a flashlight and follow the ants, trying to locate entry and exit points.
   
3. Apply The Lemon Juice: Spray the lemon juice mixture along the ant trails and ideally where they are entering the home. If you noticed any ant mounds in your yard, liberally spray the lemon juice onto the nest.
   
4. Use Cotton Balls: Soak 100% lemon juice into cotton balls and place them in corners and areas where ants are a problem. The stronger concentrate will last longer and have a higher repelling effect.
   
5. Wipe Down Surfaces: If you use the lemon spray on countertops or tables, you may want to lightly wipe it down with a damp cloth afterwards to avoid a sticky residue.
   
6. Reapply As Needed: Since this is a non-deadly repellant strategy, frequent re-application will probably be needed. Try to seal cracks and holes with caulking or sealant to prevent ants from entering the home.

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Final Thoughts

Whether you are focusing on natural or chemical-based ant eradication methods, both have their pros and cons.

Most natural ant controlling methods won’t actually take out the entire colony — with the exception of Borax and sugar. If it’s a small infestation, natural strategies can work but it is highly recommended to use sealant or caulk to seal entry and exit points — otherwise they will likely come back.

Chemical methods are virtually all slow-acting and will take out the entire colony as the bait is taken back to the queen, workers, and larvae. The downside to insecticides is that they are poisons and can be toxic if ingested by kids, pets, and aquatic animals (if it enters the water supply).

I hope you enjoyed this guide by TimberSill. Ask me a question below or share your experience with home ant eradication.

References

1. Using Borax To Kill Ants [OregonMetro.Gov]
2. Repel Ants With Vinegar [LorainCountyOhio.Gov]
3. Diatomaceous Earth For Pest Control [NIH.Gov]