How to Get Rid of Ants in Your House
Seeing a few ants in the kitchen can quickly turn into a steady trail. When a scout ant finds food, even a crumb or a spill, it leaves a pheromone trail back to the nest for the rest of the colony to follow. Before you know it, you have an ant infestation. The good news is that effective ant control starts with a simple plan. Clean up what attracts them, block their ways in and use the right treatment for the job. Once you know how to get rid of ants in your house, it should be easier to keep them out.
Always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions and safety guidelines when using pesticides and insecticides, including recommendations for application, protective equipment, storage and disposal.
Keep baits, sprays and granules out of reach of children and pets. Always follow the product label for use, storage and safety precautions.
Pest Control for Ants
The best pest control for ants depends on the ant species and where the colony is located. Indoor sprays, granules, baits and perimeter treatments each serve different purposes, so check the product labels carefully to ensure it’s designed to address your specific ant control needs.
Commercial Ant Baits
Killing the ants you see may provide relief in the moment won’t eliminate the colony. Ant baits are designed to attract foraging ants and help target the colony, not just the ants traveling through your home. Worker ants eat the bait and carry it back to the colony. Keep the area around the bait clean and remove other food sources that could compete with the bait.
Sprays
Contact sprays generally target visible ants and kill on contact. Some leave a residual treatment that continues to kill ants that cross the treated area. Because sprays may not reach the nest or queen, consider them a part of an overall ant-control plan.
Dusts, Powders and Granules
When placed in direct pathways, dusts and powders work differently than baits and sprays. For example, diatomaceous earth only kills ants through direct contact. The powder contains tiny, sharp particles that cut the waxy outer layer of an ant's body, causing the ant to dehydrate and die.
How to Get Rid of Ants Outdoors
Ants around foundations, patios, driveways and lawns may eventually find their way into your home. Check for trails, mounds and nests around your foundation, landscaping, mulch, pavement cracks and outdoor living areas. To eliminate an ant colony, you need to destroy the queen and the entire underground colony.
Outdoor Ant Baits
Outdoor ant baits work the same as indoor ant baits. Forager ants carry the bait back to the nest and share it with the colony. It’s a gradual process which means the bait may reach the queen and help eliminate the colony at its source. Some ant species have multiple queens or multiple interconnected nests.
Granular Ant Killers
Granular ant killers may work as baits or contact insecticides, depending on the product. Granular baits are collected by foraging ants and carried back to the colony, while contact granules kill ants exposed to the insecticide.
Direct Mound or Nest Treatment
When the mound or nest is visible, use a product labeled for direct mound or nest treatment. Depending on the product, you may apply a liquid mound drench, granules, ant bait or insecticidal dust. If there are multiple colonies throughout your lawn, a broadcast lawn treatment may help control them.
Perimeter Treatment
Treating the perimeter of your home helps create a line of defense against ants. Apply an outdoor ant-control spray or granules around your home’s foundation and other areas listed on the product label. Outdoor ant baits can also target and stop foraging ants before they enter your home.
Ant Control Starts with Finding What Attracts Ants
Effective ant infestation control starts with figuring out where the ants are coming from and what’s attracting them. Ants typically come into and around your home in search of food, water and shelter. Addressing those attractants goes a long way towards making other ant control methods more effective. These include:
Food
Remove food sources including sticky liquids, crumbs, greasy residue, sugar, pet food, fruit left on the counter and sweets. Empty trash regularly and store pantry foods in tightly sealed containers.
Water
Address moisture issues by fixing leaking faucets and pipes, wiping up wet floors and eliminating condensation and standing water.
Shelter
Ants may enter your home in search of food and water or to escape unfavorable weather and nest disturbances. Make sure you seal cracks around windows, doors, utility lines and the foundation to help keep them out. Choose a treatment based on the type of ant and where you find activity. Baits target the colony, while contact sprays control the ants you see. Outdoor baits, mound treatments and perimeter treatments can help manage ants outside. For long-term ant infestation control, target the colony and use preventive measures to help reduce recurring ant activity.
Common Ants and Identifying Characteristics
Carpenter Ants
Large, usually black, reddish or a combination of colors. Excavate wood to build nests but don’t eat it. They can be found in damp or damaged wood, wall voids, decks, porches and around trees.
Odorous House Ants
Small and brown to black, these ants give off a rotten coconut-like odor when crushed. They often form trails to food and water. Colonies may have multiple queens and can be difficult to control if disturbed. You’ll find them in kitchens, bathrooms, wall voids and near moisture.
Pavement Ants
Small, brown to black ants with grooves on the head and thorax. They often enter homes through cracks while searching for food. Small piles of displaced soil may indicate a nest. You’ll often find them nesting under sidewalks, driveways, patios, stones and concrete slabs or near building foundations.
Fire Ants
Fire ants are reddish-brown, with workers of varying sizes. They build noticeable soil mounds and can aggressively defend their nests. Their stings can cause painful, burning reactions. You’ll find them on lawns, sunny open areas and landscaped spaces.
Pharaoh Ants
Pharaoh ants are very small and pale yellow to reddish, with a darker abdomen. They’re primarily indoor pests. Colonies can split or “bud” when disturbed, making proper baiting particularly important. Find them in warm indoor areas, kitchens, bathrooms and wall voids.
Different ant species can look similar, and the best treatment may vary by species. If you’re unsure which type of ant you have, identify it before choosing an ant control product. Always read the product label carefully for instructions on how to use the specific product.
When to Seek Professional Help
Ant infestation control becomes more important when ants repeatedly return after treatment or appear in multiple areas of your home. If ants continue to return despite treatment, you suspect a large or hard-to-reach nest or you have a severe infestation, contact a licensed pest control professional or your local Cooperative Extension Office for help.
For more information on ants and other insects, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Ant Prevention Tips
Here are some things you can do to reduce your chances of an ant infestation.
- Keep trees and shrubs from touching your house. These provide a ready avenue for ants to access the home.
- Remove logs and stumps near the home. Decaying wood can provide nesting sites for some ants.
- Fix moisture sources in and around the house.
- Seal openings (wiring, plumbing) that allow access from the outside. Applying a bead of caulk or foam sealant is an efficient method of protection.
- Keep gutters and downspouts free of leaves.
- Clean the kitchen after cooking and eating. Cleaning also removes the pheromone trail left by foraging worker ants.
- Don’t leave food out. What ants consider a food source can be different from what people expect. A mere crumb can be a feast, so look closely.