Stop Ants Coming in Through The Window!

For some people, ants are merely part of their reality and their daily lives. So common are these little six legged creatures that they’ve simply adapted their lifestyles so that they can, in a way, coexist. However, for many other people in the world, ants are quite a nuisance – and at times, they can cause structural or property damage, and even cause some health issues to homeowners. We’ve put together different methods on how to stop ants from coming through the window. If you’ve mostly managed to keep the ants at bay only to realize that they are finding a way in through your windows, this article is just for you. We’ve also listed a bunch of different products and other things that you can do in order to keep these critters away.

ANT BAIT	BRAND	EXPERT RATING	CHECK PRICE
	Raid Max Double Control Ant Baits		Check Price
	Hot Shot HG-2040W Ant Bait		Check Price
	Terro T300B Liquid Ant Baits		Check Price

Ant problems can start small – literally. It probably starts as one ant, and then two, maybe three. Scout ants, that is, sent out to forage and look for food sources. These ants will then report to their colony, who will send the worker ants in the hundreds in order to retrieve the food that they’ve found. These ants will follow scent trails left by the scout ants. The next thing you know, one ant has turned into one hundred or even more. And you don’t realize how bad your ant problem has actually gotten until you start seeing them everywhere.

What Do I Do When The Ants Come?

Stop – don’t adapt your lifestyle to these ants. Don’t simply start changing the way that you store your food in order to keep them away. You need to do something about your ant problem, before it gets worse. Remember, ant colonies can reach up to forty or even fifty thousand strong when they mature. Certainly, this is a number that can send your skin crawling.

This is where you start doing something to keep them at bay. Fortunately, controlling and even decimating an ant population is rather easy. If you have a problem with them, we are here to help you with how to stop ants from coming through the window, the doors, and everywhere else.

Remember that while these methods will work in keeping the ants away, it is still a good idea to keep food properly stored away. Likewise, it’s a good idea to ensure that you properly dispose of your garbage in a timely manner. Doing this will prevent future reoccurrences of ant invasions – because again, it only takes a couple of scout ants to figure out where the food is.

Let’s talk about some ways on how to stop ants from coming in through the window.

How to Stop Ants From Coming Through The Window – Home Remedies

There are many different methods known today for keeping ants away from your property. Fortunately, many of them are truly easy and accessible to every homeowner. In fact, we believe that you will most probably have at least half of the below home remedy methods available to you and ready to go right now. It’s that easy and simple! So without further ado, let’s get talking about how to keep the unwelcome ants out of the house.

Doing Home Repairs

First of all, before you begin doing any other method on this list, the most important thing you should do is any home repairs. In particular, we mean that you should caulk the seams of your windows, and also caulk any cracks in the wood. Close any gaps that you find around doors, windows, and even walls. Make sure that you are blocking off any space that will allow ants to get in. This will require you to really get in there and look closely, because ants are tiny and can fit through the smallest of spaces. If this is something that you may struggle with, maybe because of bad eyesight, then it’s not a bad idea to hire someone to help. Or you can even ask someone in your family or in your neighborhood for help. More eyes to look for tiny holes will mean less chances that ants will get through!

If you’re really thorough, you will find that this method is certainly rather effective. Furthermore, it comes with an added bonus: sealing off your house in this manner will make it more effective in terms of temperature control. This can cause your power bills to be somewhat lower moving forward (don’t expect a huge change, however). Another bonus is the fact that this is likely one of the safest ways to do it, especially when pets or kids are involved.

Just make sure that you find caulk that is non-toxic!

Destroying the Ant Hill

The second thing that you can do to keep the ants away from your home is to look for their ant hill. It’s not uncommon for ant invaders to make a small home in your garden or yard. If you spot an ant hill, you can simply pour some hot, boiling water over it in order to destroy the colony. Depending on how big the ant hill is, you may need more than one kettle full! You may need to make multiple trips in order to effectively decimate them. This is a surefire way of how to stop ants from coming through the window. After all, what ants would still go through if there are no ants left to speak of?

This works great for some species of ants, with the exception of carpenter ants. In terms of carpenter ants, they are more likely to be found in moist, and even decaying wood. Carpenter ants also like to make nests indoors sometimes. Therefore, if your problem is a carpenter ant population, you will have to hire an exterminator to help deal with them.

Adhesive Tape

Another option when it comes to how to stop ants from coming through the window is by using adhesive tape. Double sided tape or even just regular cellotape will be effective in doing this. All you need to do is line all the insides of your windowsills, as will as the wall borders of your windows, with this adhesive tape. Do it sticky side up, for the reason that the ants will walk over the tape and get caught. This is a truly simple but proven effective way to stop ants in their tracks.

The only downside to this method, of course, is the fact that you will have to replace the tape frequently. Well, maybe not too frequently – it all depends on how large the ant population you’re dealing with is. Furthermore, some types of adhesive tape may leave residue on surfaces. Therefore, if you really want to use this method but don’t want any damage on your walls or windows, you will need to find a type of tape that won’t leave any marks behind. Many find that painter’s or masking tape is a good type of tape for this purpose.

Lemon

Surprisingly, lemons actually happen to be a great way to keep ants away. You don’t necessarily need pesticide to keep these pesky little critters away. In fact, lemons can help you to get rid of them completely. Lemons are a great way for how to stop ants from coming through the window – just squeeze some lemon juice onto your windowsills or door thresholds. If you haven’t caulked the cracks and holes through which the ants are getting in (you should, by the way), you can squirt some lemon juice into them. Lemon peel also works in deterring ants – just scatter some around your entryways or your outside windowsills.

Coincidentally, lemons also work great in deterring fleas and roaches from coming into your home. All you need to do is mix 4 lemons (juiced) including the rinds into a half gallon of water. Use this mixture to wash your floors (especially in areas where insects and pests come often). As a result, you will notice that ants and other pest insects will no longer come around.

The only bad thing about using lemons is that the effect does not last too long. Be ready to do this every so often if you truly want to keep your home bug free. Fortunately, this method is not only affordable, but it’s also completely natural and safe! Plus, who wouldn’t want their home to smell citrus fresh?

Vinegar

Vinegar doesn’t exactly smell… nice, per se. But it’s still effective due to the fact that you can kill ants with it. One part water and one part vinegar in a spray bottle is enough to keep the ants at bay. You can spray this mixture directly on ants, in the areas where you see them walking, or even directly at their ant hill. While doing this, you will notice ants dying, and other ones scattering away. Like us, ants don’t exactly like the smell of vinegar. So if you want to get the ants away from your property, use this spray to send them away.

Don’t worry about the strong smell of the vinegar, by the way. Even though the smell can be rather strong at first, it’s not permanent. In fact, the smell will probably be completely gone in maybe half an hour to an hour. Not a bad way to get the ants going, especially considering how cheap this method can be.

Herbs and Spices

Certain herbs and spices can deter ants and other insects from coming into your home. One such spice is cinnamon. Some people say that ants despise the smell of cinnamon (too bad for them, because cinnamon smells wonderful), and as a result it deters them from entering your space. Simply sprinkle cinnamon around your entryways to keep the ants away.

You can also use whole (dried) bay leaves. Tape them to the inside of your cupboard doors, your windowsills, and just about any other place where you think ants will walk through. Doing this will keep the ants away, because ants also dislike the smell of these leaves. If the insects keep getting into food containers that don’t seal properly, you can tape bay leaves to the inside of the lid. This way, the leaf’s flavor will not contaminate the food inside, while still effectively repelling ants.

Cayenne pepper will also help you to tell and even show ants that there’s nothing for them ahead. Sprinkling cayenne around your home especially in high traffic ant areas will be an effective way of sending these insects away. If you find their nest, you can even pour some cayenne pepper powder into it to not only kill but also deter them from ever coming back. Who knew spices could be so useful for this purpose?

Diatomaceous Earth

Of course, we cannot make a list of how to stop ants from coming through the window without mentioning the famous bug stopper: diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous Earth, sometimes called D.E. or even Diatomite, is effective in killing the ants and repelling them completely. For this to work, however, you must use food grade diatomaceous earth, simply because the particle size must be small enough to affect the ants. This powder is often suggested by many different sources in terms of pest control usage simply because it is truly effective. By nature, DE is abrasive and also absorbs some lipids from insects’ exoskeletons. It is for this reason that ants will die, usually from dehydration or too much abrasion to their exoskeletons.

Fun fact: D.E. is made from remains (don’t worry, it’s fossilized) of diatoms, which are super tiny aquatic/marine organisms. The skeletons of these diatoms are made of silica, and so over time diatom skeletons have accumulated and fossilized in many different places to be mined for use. Isn’t it fascinating how humans find a use for everything?

Peppermint Oil

If you love peppermint, boy are you in for a treat. Peppermint is a great way of keeping ants away from your property. As a matter of fact, many companies sell peppermint essential oil for this purpose (not only for keeping your home smelling lovely and relaxing). This oil is not just a fragrant way of keeping ants from coming into your home, it’s also completely natural and safe. If you’re not looking to kill the ants and all you really want to do is deter them from coming inside your house, peppermint oil is a good way to do it. It repels them without being toxic to them!

To use this method, you can soak a cotton ball in peppermint oil and smear oil all around your entry ways. Door frames, window frames, any cracks and crevices where ants can come through should all be coated in this oil. Make sure that before you do this, you have done a small spot test to ensure the oil will not affect the finishes or paints of any surfaces.

Another way in which you can use peppermint oil is to mix two to three table spoons of it with a quart of water. It’s best to use distilled water for this purpose. Put this mixture into a spray bottle. Remember to shake the bottle properly before each use! If you want, you can use a half quart of water and a half quart of alcohol (high proof) with your 2-3 tbsp of peppermint oil. Again, don’t forget to spot test before going ham with the spray, lest you cause any stains or damage to your surfaces.

Borax

One more home method for how to stop ants from coming through the window is using borax. Borax, or sodium borate, is a mineral that has many different uses. You most likely will know this white powder as a laundry aid. However, is not just a laundry aid. In fact, you should be keeping it in your home because it’s also an excellent way of killing ants!

If you have a lot of ants coming into your home, you can get rid of them with borax. You can use this recipe from mashupmom.com: mix a half cup of sugar with one and a half tablespoons of borax. Put this in one and a half cups of warm water. Mix well, then soak cotton balls in the mixture. To get rid of ants, just put the cotton balls out near areas where ants usually walk through. They will be attracted by the sugar and will bring the borax home with them, effectively killing off their colony.

Most noteworthy though is the fact that you should not use this method if you have small children or pets that can get to the cotton balls. Also, remember that you should wash your hands every time you touch borax, as this powder is highly alkaline!

Other Things You Can Do

Whew, that was a huge and comprehensive list of things you can do for how to stop ants from coming through the window! Note that all of the things we listed there were natural methods and home remedies that you can do without needing to purchase anything extra.

However, if you just want a quick and easy but guaranteed way of getting rid of the ants, well you can also use some other methods that are fortunately available to you. Let’s talk about some of them, shall we?

Exterminator

Of course, we can’t talk about getting rid of insects and pests without talking about your friendly neighborhood exterminator. Exterminators and pest control services are the best people to talk to when you have an insect invasion that is getting out of hand. If you want quick, often guaranteed results, hiring an exterminator is usually the way to do it.

Exterminators can cost anywhere from 90 dollars to 500 dollars per visit, depending on the type of insect, the severity of the invasion, and the size of the property. For simple non-carpenter ant problems you can probably get them on the lower end of 90 to 150 dollars per single visit. If you live in a warmer area, it may be worth signing on for an annual contract. Annual contracts usually mean that the company will pay you a visit twice a year or quarterly (although you can have them come more often if you wish) and do treatments in order to make sure you have no insects. Annual contracts will, of course, cost more than single visits.

Be Vigilant When Hiring Exterminators

We want to make a note of the importance of being vigilant while hiring a pest control company. When hiring an exterminator, make sure that you don’t simply hire the first one you see. If you’re in a rush and you really want to get rid of some bugs, it’s understandable that you maybe just want to hire somebody so that they can get rid of the pests right away. However, doing this might mean that you probably have a higher chance of hiring unqualified or incompetent companies (yes, they do exist). Therefore, before you put a pen to paper to sign a contract, be sure that you ask a few questions first.

Ask if the company and its technicians are licensed. You can even double check by calling your local pesticide control office for your state. Licensed companies and technicians usually mean that they are updated with the latest techniques and chemicals being used for the purposes of pest control. You can also ask if they have any insurance policies to make sure their employees and your property is covered for any possible injury or damages. And of course, you can also look at their online feedback and their BBB rating to get a better idea of what the general public thinks about their services.

Doing this will ensure that you hire only the best company that has safety in mind while they eliminate your insect problems. It also gives you peace of mind, knowing that you haven’t compromised on safety and quality. We couldn’t recommend this enough!

Chalk and Gels

There are some products available in chalk form or gel for specifically made for ants (and sometimes roaches). You can use these chalks and gels for how to stop ants from coming through the window. Simply draw lines around the window or in any other places that ants like to come in through. These chalks will not only kill ants, but also keep them away for weeks at a time.

Of course, these products should not be used if you have small children or pets that might have access to them. Only use if you will not be putting anyone in danger! Otherwise, this is truly a cheap and effective way of keeping ants and other insects like roaches from coming into your home.

Ant Bait

Finally, one last method that we want to talk about for how to stop ants from coming through the window is by using ant bait. It may seem counterintuitive to use bait at first, but the truth is that this is an effective way of making sure the ants never come back. Ant bait will entice these insects to come in and have a bite or two. They will also start bringing the contents of the bait back into their colony. As they do this, slowly their colony will begin to die off.

Ant bait products usually work slowly, for the reason that they want the worker ants to be able to bring the poison back home before they begin to die. Therefore, if you want to use this method, be prepared to wait a few days to even a week or so before the ants are completely gone forever. Bait traps are truly one of the most effective ways available for getting rid of entire ant colonies without you needing to hire any exterminators.

If you want some suggestions for some ant bait products, don’t worry – we’ve got your back. Here are a few that we can definitely recommend:

Raid Max Double Control Ant Baits

This particular product comes in a box with eight inside. Raid is known for its pesticide and insect killing products worldwide, and so it’s no surprise that they have come out with these ant baits. Raid Max Double Control Ant Baits claim to kill the entire colony. They have a new double bait technology that can supposedly kill ants up to three months from when you first set out the bait – that’s certainly a very long time! The ant baits do come in child resistant packaging, making it safer to use out in the open in areas where your small children might get into.

This product claims that you will start seeing fewer ants around within a few days. Yes, according to SC Johnson (manufactures of this product), you can expect the colony’s population to be significantly reduced in just this short amount of time. If you have a particularly bad ant problem, be grateful in the fact that each box comes with eight so you can set baits down in many different areas that you find ants in.

Remember not to mess with the packaging and the form of the baits themselves – they are made this way so that only the ants can get in and get to the poison. This product is harmful if it is absorbed through the skin so wash your hands immediately if you come into contact with the bait itself. In fact, you should be washing your hands immediately with soap and water just after handling the containers.

Pros and Cons

Hot Shot HG-2040W Ant Bait

Purchasing one box of the Hot Shot HG-2040 Ant Bait will give you 4 individual traps to set out. This product is likely the most affordable option of all three we’ve mentioned here today. Hot Shot claims that their bait will kill entire colonies, even the queen ant. They have also confidently claimed that their bait can work up to 6 months, giving you half a year of freedom from the pesky little ants. With claims like these, who wouldn’t want to use this product for how to stop ants from coming through the window?

Hot Shot says that this product is also safe to use indoors and outdoors. Furthermore, they say that the design of the bait stations is child proof, so you can set these out anywhere and expect your kids and pets to remain safe. Do remember though that it’s probably best to tape them down securely so the kids and pets can’t run of with them.

According to Hot Shot, the HG-2040W will kill ants that feed from sugar and even those that will feed from grease. So if you don’t know what type of ant you have, trying this bait may not be the worst idea. Besides, if you’re unhappy with your purchase, Hot Shot offers a money back guarantee. Just check the label on the box for the details of the guarantee.

Pros and Cons

OUR CHOICE: Terro T300B Liquid Ant Baits

Product Name: Terro T300B Liquid Ant Baits

Product Description: Another product we can definitely recommend is the Terro T300B Liquid Ant Bait. It comes in boxes of 6, and you can purchase 2 packs (2 boxes, 12 baits) for a very affordable price. Terro claims that this product will kill just about any common house ant – the ants that you see, and even the ants that you do not see. The baits are ready for you to use – just twist the seal tab off and put the baits down in areas that you see ants frequent. The T300B baits come completely sealed, so that the bait inside remain liquid and fresh.

Offer price: $$

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• Quality
• Effectiveness
• Price

Overall

5

Summary

Like the Raid traps, this product claims to be effective in killing the entire colony. It can also reduce the population of the ants within a few days. The active ingredient in this product is Borax, which slowly begins to interfere with ants’ digestive systems. This slow acting poison allows the worker ants to bring more back into the colony to share with everybody else.

This product is also quite affordable, and has numerous positive reviews saying it has been completely effective in eradicating ant problems. Some consumers, however, complain that the new packaging has not been ideal. In some cases, the bait inside would spill. Therefore, make sure that you tape the traps down and secure them so you don’t accidentally cause them to spill.

Pros

✔️Affordable

✔️Tons of positive reviews

✔️Effective

✔️Convenient packaging that also keeps the baits fresh until you use them

✔️Uses Borax

✔️Can kill entire colonies

✔️Will work for most common house ants

Cons

❌Packaging can cause spillage at times

❌Will attract a large amount of ants at the beginning so be ready to deal with this until their population dies off

Conclusion

How to stop ants from coming through the window is certainly now a problem of the past. With all of the home remedies and even product recommendations we’ve listed here today, we’ve given you a wealth of information! Hopefully this helps you in dealing with these ants and keeping them away forever, no matter which method you choose. What’s important is you find what works for you. Good luck on keeping the ants at bay!