Red ants are kind of an annoying pest that can be commonly seen both indoors and outdoors. Therefore, thinking of a way to get rid of red ants naturally is a valuable thing. Now let’s take a look at some homemade natural remedies to get rid of red ants.
Here are 9 homemade remedies to get rid of red ants naturally.
- Soap water
- Boiling water
- Vinegar spray
- Borax ant bait
- Diatomaceous earth powder
- Sugar and baking soda
- Boric acid trap
- Peppermint oil
- Cornmeal
Since red ants are more likely to get attracted indoors, you also need to be aware of how not to attract red ants and keep them away from your room. I will guide you through all of them. Stick with me to the bottom.
Homemade remedies to get rid of red ants naturally?
Now let’s get into the moment you are waiting for. Searching for homemade remedies to get rid of red ants naturally.
1. Soap water
Out of the all natural methods used to kill ants, using soap water is the most successful way if you want to kill red ants instantly.
You can kill up to 70% of a red ant colony by using soap water on them. But if you keep doing that consistently, the red ant colony will not last or will relocate because of the high alkaline ratio of soap.
2. Boiling water
This is another lazy and easy way to get rid of red ants naturally by killing them instantly. According to the stats of ant-pests.extension you may kill 60% of a red ant colony using boiling water.
But the applicator has to be aware of his safety, and electric wiring and devices especially if you are using this method indoors.
3. Vinegar spray
This particular homemade remedy should be used if the number of ants you dealing with isn’t too high. And you can not kill too many red ants, instead, you may get rid of them in your house.
Here’s how this works.
The strong odor from the vinegar acid will lose the pheromone smell trail of ants. So they won’t forage again because they don’t have any signal for food.
Plus, you may also kill some ants when you spray the vinegar directly.
4. Borax ant bait
Ant baits are really effective when getting rid of ants. Borax ant bait is a perfect way to get rid of red ants.
I know that borax is something toxic for pets and kids, but I’m listing this because it’s still a natural substance. You have to keep in mind that you should keep this borax ant trap away from pets and kids.
All you need to do is mix ¾ teaspoon of borax with ¼ cup of jelly, honey, or any sweet thing that red ants love.
Now keep it somewhere that ants find it.
You may have a chance of killing all the ants in the colony because borax is a slow-acting pesticide. It won’t affect the smell trail so all the ants come to feed on the trap and they also bring this new food to the queen.
Bingo! We will be winning the game.
5. Food-grade Diatomaceous earth powder
Diatomaceous earth powder is a perfect way to get rid of small red ant colonies naturally. It can be also used for larger ones, but it takes some consistent effort to clear all of them.
However, the key is targeting every red ant in the colony.
All you have to do is sprinkle this powder when you find a red ant trail in your house. It’s better to go through the trail and find the colony and sprinkle some powder on it.
This is how this works.
Diatomaceous earth has a natural substance called silica. Silica can absorb the water on any surface.
Once this powder contact with red ants, it will dehydrate their exoskeletons and let them die.
6. Sugar and baking soda
This is another really popular ant trap that can also work on getting rid of red ants. But to be honest, this one has less efficiency compared with the above methods and probably relocates ant colonies rather than killing them.
- First up you have to turn the sugar into a firm form of powder.
- Then mix it up with baking soda.
- Now keep it somewhere that red ants frequently hover over.
Red ants will eat this powder because of the sweetness of sugar. But the baking soda will cause them digestion issues.
7. Boric acid trap
The boric acid trap is very similar to the baking soda trap against the ants. You can kill or relocate a red ant colony inside your house by letting them eat Boric acid.
You can use powdered sugar with boric acid powder and keep this mixture somewhere exposed to ants.
Boric acid can damage both the digestive and nervous systems of red ants.
8. Peppermint oil
You can’t neglect the efficiency of peppermint oil when it comes to repelting ants. Due to the strong odor that emits from peppermint, it will be a good homemade remedy to get rid of red ants in your house.
You can place a few drops of pure peppermint oil mainly targeting the entry points and trails of the red ants.
Also, try making a peppermint spray by diluting the oil and spraying it along the ant trails and entry points.
Basically, peppermint can lose the pheromone signals and smell trails of ants, so they can not get into the food sources of your kitchen.
9. Cornmeal
You might wonder how such a nutritional food source turns out as a pesticide to get rid of red ants.
Not only for red ants but all types of ants can’t digest cornmeal. So once they have eaten, they will eventually die.
Why do red ants attract indoors?
In many cases, people are searching for remedies to get rid of red ants when they become an infestation inside the home.
But first up, we have to search why these red ants attract indoors, so we can prevent them from turning into an infestation.
- Food sources and sweet substances
I have frequently seen re ants taking on unsealed containers with food, no matter which nutrient it takes. Surely, they have more attraction towards sugary food, syrups, and honey. But they also eat bread, fruits, etc.
- Moisture
Red ants have a substantial tendency to be attracted to moisture, especially in warm seasons like summer.
- Indoor plants
Sometimes when indoor plants get affected by some diseases or if they retain too much moisture, ants may attracted to your house.
- Shelter
Red ants would love to get inside your house if you keep your house with lack of sunlight or if they have good places to hide in.
How to prevent red ants from attracting indoors?
“Prevention is better than cure” if you can prevent red ants from attracting indoors, you might not need to worry about how to get rid of red ants.
Here are some actions and habitats to follow to not attract red ants inside your house.
- Cleaning up the food spills and residues promptly in the floor or kitchen. Clean the kitchen appliances after cooking or storing food.
- Store sugary food in well-sealed containers.
- Fix the pipe leakages and ensure proper drainage inside the house.
- Empty the water trays under the potted indoor plants.
- Seal cracks in floors, walls, and in pavement.
- Keep the windows open during the day, so the inside of the house will stay dry with less moisture.
- If the indoor plants are infected, keep them away from your house.
- Don’t let fruits be over-ripen all the time.
Also read: Can carpenter ants chew through concrete?
How do I get rid of red ants outside?
All the methods I told you above were kind of treatments for indoor red ants invasion. But what if you have got red ants outside?
Therefore, here are several ways you can get rid of red ants outside of your residence.
Use Gasoline
You might think I’m convincing too hard here. But burning the red ant hills using gasoline is working pretty well and it can almost destroy at least 60% of the colony.
But there is a little concern.
It can kill the plants near the ant hill. If there are any ant mounds in your lawn, you might think twice before burning the ant hill.
Ant traps
Rather than burning the red ant hills on your lawn, you can place an ant trap that encourages ants to eat something.
So, once ants eat the trap, the whole colony will die within a few days.
Borax, boric acid, and grits can be used as a trap mixing with something sweet.
Call an exterminator
Since you are not dealing with the inside of your home, it’s okay to call an exterminator and find a solution to get rid of red ants outside.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions that might also help you if you are gathering knowledge.
What is the enemy of red ants?
Among the predators of ants, the Phorid fly is the enemy of red ants and fire ants. Instead of attacking, Phorid flies lay their eggs on the head of the red ants, once the larvae latch, it feeds on the red ant’s body.
Other than the Phorid fly, spiders, butterfly moths, and pathogens are the predators of red ants.
What do red ants hate?
Red ants hate salt, peppermint oil, lemon peels and extract, chalk, cinnamon oil, and pepper in common. And, all of these things can be used to repel them.
Related: Do ants like black pepper?