Help! My kitchen is invaded by tiny ants!
Ants usually come indoors in search of food or nesting habitat. Even small amounts of food, like pet food crumbs, can attract hordes of industrious ants. Despite their tiny brains, they are highly coordinated and help each other out. Only one ant needs to find the food and lay a trail of pheremones. Once that happens, hundreds of others can follow the trail to the food source.
How to get rid of ants in the kitchen?
The best defense is a good offense. Don’t leave food (even crumbs!) out on the counter, seal all food containers and clean behind appliances or anything on the counters. If you see a trail of ants, wipe the surface with vinegar or bleach to disrupt the trail of chemicals they leave for each other.
You should also seal cracks to prevent ants entering your home in the first place. However, if these little critters can be very persistent so you may need to resort to insecticides to control the invasion.
Here are some of the best ways to kill and repel ants naturally using ingredients found in the home or at a local store:
- Soak cotton balls with Borax, sugar and water and leave where ants are spotted
- Clean surface with glass cleaner to remove the scented trail they leave behind
- Sprinkle the area with red or black pepper
- Clean hard surfaces with vinegar and water mixture (1:1)
- Pour boiling water in ant holes or anthills that you spot in the yard
- Brewed coffee grounds have been found to repel ants
- Spray or wipe lemon juice or place lemon rinds in your cupboard
Call in the Pros!
DIY methods rarely work for any length of time. You may kill a few worker ants, but it is rare than home methods will affect the larger ant colony or the queen. You also need to be careful if using insecticides outside because they can harm insects that are beneficial in your home and garden.
If you have an ant problem, give us a call or get in touch here!