I get it. It is not exactly ideal when you spot a line of ants scurrying through your home or wandering around your kitchen counters. After all, you live there and, last you checked, you didn’t sign up for pests as roommates.
To eradicate your household of ants, especially when children or pets are present, it is very understandable that you might be wary of whipping out more conventional ant-killing methods, like pesticide-ladened sprays and bait traps.
So, what other methods can help kill them off? Is there a tried and proven DIY ant trap that can help with the problem? Below are the reasons why these tiny critters can be tough to eradicate and a few DIY ant traps that will actually get rid of them.
Why Is It so Hard to Get Rid of Ants?
Ants typically build large colonies, sometimes in hard to reach places. It becomes a numbers game where even if you find the settlement and destroy it, there will always be ants that were not there at the time that are not killed. Ants also tend to move those colonies around, so it can be hard to find them.
Those colonies can be sizable. Ants are difficult to control because, while it is easy to kill the workers, you usually need to kill the queen to get rid of the entire colony. These queens can be hidden underground or in void areas in a structure and are difficult to reach with most pesticides.
On top of that, these pests can also be picky, which can mess with your ability to lure them into traps. Ants are incredibly particular in what they will or will not eat and change their behavior based on the seasonal availability of food sources and other environmental factors. What they want to feed on today can differ from what they will feed on tomorrow, making the elimination of these pests much more scientific.
Finally, ants also leave a trail of pheromones, i.e., chemicals that trigger a response in fellow ants, prompting other ants to follow along the same path. So, where one ant goes, more will likely follow.
Best DIY Ant Traps That Work
So what characteristics are needed for a reliable DIY ant trap? Well, traps generally need two main components: something that attracts the ants and an element that keeps them from escaping or component to eliminate them. Toxins can be a part of this, including very simple ones like boric acid (a toxic compound to many pests).
So, with that in mind, you might be able to trap ants with these 5 simple methods at home.
DIY Ant Trap Number One – Boric Acid and Powdered Sugar
Boric acid has been mentioned numerous times prior. It has been know to eliminate many household pests, including cockroaches, silverfish, water bugs and fleas. For our ant problem here, simply combine three parts powdered sugar with one-part boric acid. The sugar will lure the ants in, and the boric acid will kill them. Because ants prefer to drink their food, water the mixture down a bit.
One thing to note, however, boric acid can be dangerous for kids and pets if ingested, so make sure you put it out of reach of little hands and paws.
For more on the topic of boric acid, please read our article entitled Boric Acid for Pest Control.
DIY Ant Trap Number Two – Baking Soda and Powdered Sugar
This is similar to the boric acid DIY ant trap mentioned above. For this one, simply combine the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), water, and powdered sugar. Then leave it out for the ants to consume. While this solution may not work as well as the boric acid alternative, it is a safer option if you are worried about pets and children.
DIY Ant Trap Number Three – Cornmeal Paste
Many ant species are into cornmeal paste, so if you have cornmeal handy, you can try making a paste with it and adding boric acid to eliminate the ants.
DIY Ant Trap Number Four – Mixture of Water, Oil and Dish Soap
For another DIY ant trap mixture, simply combine water, dish soap, and oil. Then leave the mixture out in a dish or spray it directly on ants. The ants will be attracted to the oil, but the soap will kill them. Oil does attract some ants, but not necessarily all ants. Another perk is that soap helps destroy the scent trail left by ants.
DIY Ant Trap Number Five – Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has been known to both eliminate and repel ants in your home. Simply add a dozen or so drops of tea tree oil with a couple cups of water. You can either use the solution as a spray or soak cotton balls in the mixture and leave them where you have noticed ants prior.
In Conclusion
Truth is, with any of the above traps, persistence is the key. You will need to keep your solution out regularly. It is recommended to replenish your DIY ant trap often and even switch out your trap with another from time to time.
Keeping ants out of homes is an ongoing process, not a one-time treatment. Persistence is key.
