How to Get Rid of Ants Indoors
An infestation of ants in the house can be distressing. And there is always that remote possibility that they may pass along disease if they infest your food supply. The hard truth is that commercial insecticides are the most effective at eliminating an infestation. There are a few methods to get rid of ants in the house naturally as far as research literature is concerned. If you are adamant about avoiding commercial methods, these are likely your best bet.
Boric Acid Baits
Boric acid is considered to be an effective ant killer in many cooperate extension publications. The trick to getting the ants to ingest the boric acid, which will poison them, is to mix it with a food that they desire such as peanut butter, corn syrup, granulated sugar, jelly, etc. If you know what kind of ants you are dealing with, choose the foods that they are most attracted to for example some species are more attracted to sugary substances like corn syrup while others are attracted to greasy foods like peanut butter.
To make your traps use 1-2 tsp. boric acid to 1 cup of food. Divide the mixture between bottle caps and place them where you noticed the ants congregating. Make sure to only use the suggested amount of boric acid as the ants will be repelled if you use too much. Keep the baits fresh and moist and you should be rid of your ants in 3-4 weeks.
The EPA considers borax to be of low toxicity and is not a risk concern. Though boron and borax are considered organic in the sense that they occur in nature rather than chemically synthesized, borax can cause lung irritation when inhaled especially for children and can cause gastrointestinal distress when ingested so should not be used around children or pets.
How to Get Rid of Ants Outdoors
If you have found yourself faced with an infestation of ants in your yard there are several organic methods that do not involve chemical solutions. Here we list the expert-backed solutions as well as a few anecdotal ideas.
Boiling Water Method
You can get rid of ants by pouring boiling water into the mounds. According to Texas A&M University’s extension service, an organic method for getting rid of red fire ants is to pour two to three gallons of boiling water over the ant mound. Perform this task on a cool, sunny morning when the ants are more likely to be close to the mound surface. This method is successful in killing the ants 60% of the time with the rest likely moving to a different location.
The caveat to this method is that this will also likely kill surrounding vegetation and grass.
Boric Acid Sugar Solution
A sugar, water, and boric acid solution were found to be effective in tests by John Klotz Ph.D., and urban entomologist at the University of California and David Williams Ph.D. entomologist with the USDA.
To make the solution add 1 tsp. boric acid with 3 Tbsp. sugar to 2 cups of water. Place the solution in a container with an open lid and lay it next to the anthill. The sugar will attract the ants, the borax will slowly poison them.
(See Boric Acid Powder Baits for precautions above)
As far as the anecdotal remedies that you find on the internet or get from your neighbor such as club soda, cornmeal, mint, etc. there is no actual scientific evidence to support any of these claims. And in fact, in the case of laying out cornmeal with the hopes that the ant will eat it and explode, this suggestion isn’t effective as most ants don’t eat solid food.
Resources
- Drees, Bastiaan, Texas A&M University – Department of Entomology
“A Review of “Organic” and Other Alternative Methods for Fire Ant Control.” - Reigart, J. Routt (2009). Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings (5th Ed. ). DIANE Publishing. p. 76.
- Texas A&M University – Extension
“Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project” - Klotz, John, Williams, David, The IPM Practitioner- Vol- XVIII (1996)
“New Approach to Boric Acid Ant Baits” - Wheeler, William Morton (1936). “Ecological Relations of Ponerine and Other Ants to Termites”. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 71 (3): 159–243
