Ants, ants, ants! Everybody knows about these little bugs. And the hard truth (or maybe the obvious truth) is that well, most people despise these little things. Ants can be pesky little things that may wreak havoc in your daily lives. Luckily, we have plenty of ant removal home remedies for you. For most people, ants give them the heebie-jeebies. You know, the feeling of creepy crawlies just slowly climbing up your skin – all while you can feel all of it happening – then the terror begins to set in and you shudder? Yeah. That feeling. Don’t worry, there are plenty of different things that you can do in order to keep the ants at bay.
Today there are a lot of different things that we want to share with you. First, we’d like to discuss the types of ants that might invade your home (the common invaders of course). After that, we want to share all the knowledge we have that would likely help you to keep the ant invaders away. So stick around for the very informative guide we have for you today!
And now without further ado, let’s get right to it.
Types of Ants That Can Invade Homes
If we’re going to be honest, there are so many different types and species of ants around today that it’s almost impossible to name them all on this article. As a matter of fact, over 12000 species of ants exist out there in the world today. Countless ants exist and to be frank, there are probably more of these little creatures out there than there are humans in the world today.
We’re sure that the thought of millions of ants has set your skin crawling. But don’t worry – out of all 12000 types of ants out there in the world, only 12 out of those are actually likely to invade your home. Here’s a quick primer on most of them, before we get to the ant removal home remedies.
Crematogaster – Acrobat Ants
Acrobat ants were given this name because when they feel threatened they pull their abdomen above into the air, making them appear as though they are doing a quick tumble. You don’t want these ants in your home because they are aggressive and they WILL sting you. Fortunately, they aren’t frequently the type of ants to infest homes. However, they still do, and that’s reason enough to not want them around. This species is usually found in the East United States. Acrobat ants are usually around 2.5-3mm long. They have 2 nodes, and their color can vary from brown or yellow-brown to black or red-black. Their nests are often found outside in damaged or moist wood. To keep the acrobat ants away, make sure you don’t allow any decaying wood to stay on your property.
Pachycondyla Chinesis – Asian Needle Ant
For this type of ant, the worker ants usually have one node and are around 5mm long. These little bugs look brown-black and have mandibles that are dark orange in color. They like to nest outside in areas with a lot of shade and moisture. This particular species is not as aggressive to other ant colonies, compared to other species out there. They’re not as aggressive as other ants and won’t usually sting, but if they’re trapped in clothes or pressed against your skin, they will. And when you get stung by them, it does hurt and can cause a welt. If you’re unlucky, it may also cause anaphylactic shock (but this only happens in extremely rare circumstances). Swarm season for this species is around July-August. This species is most common in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.
Camponotus – Carpenter Ants
There are many different variations of this species of ants althroughout the United States. Ant removal home remedies for these exist, and we’ve listed them below. This ant species is usually considered a structural pest. There are many different variations of them and therefore many different physical descriptions, but they are usually around 6-13mm long. They are called carpenter ants not because they EAT wood, but because they excavate it to make their nests. They normally have a primary nest outdoors (in trees or wooden structures), but will also nest indoors around woodwork and moisture. If your home is in woodlands, you will need to watch out for these. Some varieties of this species will sting if you disturb your nest so yes, they are considered aggressive.
Paratrechina Longicornis – Crazy Ant
These one-noded ants are usually around 2.2-3 mm long. They have black-brown bodies and usually have antennae and legs that are unusually long. They will nest anywhere – and we do mean everywhere! Outdoors you will usually find them in soil, plants, vegetation, garbage and mulch. Indoors, you’ll find them under carpets, in voids in y our walls, and also in houseplants. Thankfully, for how invasive this species is, you won’t get stung by them. They’ll just move around in a sporadic pattern when they are disturbed.
Brachymyrmex Patagonicus – Dark Rover Ants
These ants are small, usually around 1.6 mm long. They only have one node, and are usually medium-dark brown. You’ll find that these ants are usually in populated areas, and they like to nest outside in edges of grass, and underneath objects that are on the ground. Indoors, they’re usually in bathrooms or kitchens. These ants love sweet liquids. And although these don’t sting, you’ll find that the mere size of their colony is enough to annoy you.
Myrmica Rubra – European Fire Ant
Uh oh, we’ve made it to the fire ants. If there’s any species that you really want ant removal home remedies for…this is one of ‘em. These 4-5mm long 2-noded ants are usually light red-brown. When it’s warm, you’ll find them nesting outdoors in your garden or in your shrubbery or lawn. In the colder months, it’s not uncommon to see them nesting indoors like under water heaters or bath tubs. Basically, they like warm moist areas. These ants are aggressive and WILL sting if disturbed.
Formica – Field Ant
Field ants are usually 4-8mm long, making them one of the larger ants on this list. These ants have one node and they also come in a bunch of different colors like yellow-brown, brown, black and even some red mixed. These ants like to nest in open areas with plenty of soil, greenery, or dead wood. Thankfully, they aren’t often found indoors. We say fortunately because these ants have stingers and can spray their threateners with formic acid, which can quite hurt. You will find these most commonly in the Midwest and Northeast USA.
Ant Removal Home Remedies
If you want ant removal home remedies, you are definitely in the right place! We’re here to help you with all sorts of different natural methods of getting the ants out of your home and keeping them out. This way, you won’t have to wake up with ants on your pillow (yes, this actually does happen – and it is an utter nightmare!). Let’s get right to the different methods, shall we?
Method #1 – Use Mint
Mint isn’t just a candy you love to eat or a syrup added into your coffee. As a matter of fact, mint is actually quite an effective insect repellant – and it’s all natural too. So if you want to repel not just ants but most other insects too, you can plant mint around the perimeter of your house or keep them in pots all around your property. If you don’t have the luxury of planting mint or having any plants at all, then you can use peppermint essential oil. Fortunately, ants hate the smell of peppermint. Therefore, if you diffuse it into your home not only will the ants stay away, but you’ll also have a really refreshingly scented home. A more effective method however is by placing a few drops of the peppermint oil on a cotton ball, then wiping any areas with the oil to deter the little creatures. On top of that, you can put the little cotton ball in food cupboards or cabinets to keep ants away.
Method #2 – Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is less of a repellant and more of a way to destroy any of the trails of scents that ant use to follow and navigate around. To create a lemon solution, use one part of lemon along with three parts of water. Use this solution all over your home – at entry ways, around the perimeter, and just about any area where you see ants. This is important, because if you see one ant then more will follow. This is why it’s so important to know ant removal home remedies.
Method #3 – Vinegar
Vinegar is kind of like lemon juice in that it does the same thing too but with the added bonus of killing the ants too if you must. For this solution you will need to use a half and half mixture of water and vinegar. You can put this solution in a spray bottle and set it aside. Spray it directly at ants when you see them in order to kill them. You can then use a damp rag or paper towel to wipe them away. This vinegar solution can be used as a deterrent around your entryways, window sills, and any other places where you see ants converging. The only disadvantage to using this method is that the smell of the vinegar may be quite strong and can linger around for some time.
Method #4 – Cinnamon
If you need to kill a lot of ants fast, you can use cinnamon. Yes, this spice that you use on just about everything also works well as one of the many ant removal home remedies here. The ground up type of cinnamon works by suffocating ants when they inhale the particles. If you don’t mind a slight mess, you can pretty much sprinkle some cinnamon around the places where you normally see them. Alternatively, if you don’t want to have cinnamon sprinkled everywhere, you can use essential oil. For the essential oil, you can use a few drops in water. Put it in a spray bottle and shake well before you use it! This comes with the added benefit of making your home smell like Christmas.
Method #5 – Diatomaceous Earth (Food-grade)
Diatomaceous earth is something that you likely have heard of before. It’s essentially the remains of phytoplankton from the ocean – fossilized. Diatomaceous Earth also works as an excellent ant repellant. If you sprinkle a food grade DE around your property, it will work by scratching or cutting through the exoskeletons of the ants. This causes their bodies to slowly dry out until the ants die. Make sure you get food grade DE before you start sprinkling a thin layer of it all over your entryways, windowsills and so on. You can also put it under your fridge, under your cabinets, in your garbage cans or around them.
Method #6 – Black Pepper or Cayenne Pepper
Another thing that ants hate is cayenne pepper. Black pepper does the trick too! To use this method of ant removal home remedies, you simply have to sprinkle the pepper around areas where you see ants at. You can even use the pepper to create a barrier or a wall that will deter and block the ants from getting into your home. You can also put the pepper in some water and spray it straight at the ants. It won’t kill them, but it’ll make sure they don’t come back!
Conclusion
Ants are a pest for sure, but you can get rid of them with the many different natural methods we listed here. We’ve made sure to find only the effective natural ant removal home remedies out there! Please do try them out and report back with your results if you wish. Good luck in keeping a completely ant-free home – and remember, half of the battle is keeping your house clean!
