Many species of ants live around houses and venture inside to find food and water. Some varieties, such as carpenter ants, are destructive whereas other species of ants are more irritating than harmful. Keeping your home scrupulously clean can help somewhat to alleviate the problem, but a faster solution is to spread ant bait in the areas where you have seen ants. You can use toxic commercial solutions, but a better remedy is to use household ingredients. These ingredients are not toxic to humans or pets, but will kill the ants when they ingest them.

  • Many species of ants live around houses and venture inside to find food and water.
  • You can use toxic commercial solutions, but a better remedy is to use household ingredients.

Mix equal parts of icing sugar and baking soda together in a container you can seal. Icing sugar also is sold as icing sugar, and you can find it in your grocery store's baking aisle. Baking soda kills the ants by interacting with their digestive system, creating excess carbon dioxide.

Sprinkle the icing sugar and baking soda mixture in areas that you have seen ants. Sprinkle the bait around doors and windows or near sinks or bathtubs, since ants frequently venture inside to look for water.

Check the areas you have treated with the icing sugar and baking soda regularly and replace it with additional ant bait if you still are seeing ants. Although the original sprinkles of ant bait may have done the job, you may continue to see ants if you are fighting off a large colony. Continue to use the icing sugar and baking soda until you no longer see ants.

TIP

Avoid attracting ants by putting food away. Also clean your counters, floor and sinks several times a day if you are seeing ants in your home. If the ants cannot find food or water, your home will look less attractive to them. Combined with the ant bait, you should see them leave quickly.

WARNING

Keep pets and children away from baited areas.