What Gets Rid Of Ants

What gets rid of ants?  

Luckily there's a lot of different sprays, traps and home remedies that can help combat an ant infestation.

However, the species of ants you have in your home can determine wheather they're just an annoyance or a serious problem.

For example, carpenter ants can cause extensive damage to the wooden structure of your home, deck or barn.

Carpenter ants actually don't eat the wood though, they just like to burrow into it to make a home for their colony. 

They like to feed on protein and sugar so if they're outdoors they will eat dead insects or things in your garden like honeydew.  

Inside they seek out sweet foods like syrup and jelly or that old candy behind the stove.  

Meat and pet food are also a carpenter ants favorite meal.

Are Ants A Common Problem?

If you find ants marching across your kitchen floor you're not alone.  

In fact, a springtime ant problem is really common.  

I've personally had an ant problem in every home I've lived in......old and new homes, nothing is completely immune to an ant infestation.

So where do ants come from?  

The easy answer is outside, but the important answer is what brings them into your house to begin with?

Typically it's a food source....something sweet like honey or jelly from that PB&J you had for lunch. 

Sugar ants apply to a variety of different species that love to eat sweets.  

So, if you want to get rid of sugar ants, or learn how to kill sugar ants check out these articles!

During my first ant infestation I was a new homeowner with young children.

I didn't want to fill my home with harmful sprays to remove the ants from my house so I researched how to kill ants naturally.

I found there's actually a lot of easy things you can do from using essential oils for ants, using peppermint oil for ants, applying cinnamon for ants, and learning some valuable lessons in the process.

For example, does salt kill ants or does baking soda kill ants?  

These articles will tell you everything you need to know.

Personally, one of my favorite DIY ant traps uses borax for ants and it works great!  

Just make sure you don't add too much borax because you don't want to instantly kill the ants when they feed from the trap.  

You want them to take the food back to the colony so you eliminate the entire problem.

What Gets Rid Of Ants - Prevention Tips

Learning how to keep ants away in the first place is often one of the easiest ways to prevent an infestation.  

A good thorough and consistent cleaning can do wonders when you're battling ants.  

Keep your food sealed up, wipe down countertops and sweep your floor to eliminate any food for the ants to feed on.

Cleaning also sets up the best way to kill ants because once all the easy food is removed, your bait or ant traps that you set out will become very appealing since all the other food is gone.

How long do ants live?  

Well.....it depending on the species, but overall ants live surprisingly long.  

In fact, most species live around 5-15 years, so you don't want to wait out an infestation.

Male ants have the shortest lifespan and die after reproducing.  

Worker and soldier ants that help the colony thrive live for around 7 years and the queen has the longest lifespan which is usually around 15 years!

Black Ants or Carpenter Ants - What Gets Rid Of Ants?

Although black ants really don't cause a lot of issues inside your home, they can make a lot of homeowners nervous because their appearance closely resembles carpenter ants which are very destructive to your home.

To help determine what you're dealing with, read this article that explains the difference between carpenter ants vs black ants. 

If luck is on your side and you don't have a carpenter ant issue, read here to get rid of black ants or here to learn how to kill black ants.

What Gets Rid Of Ants With Wings?

What's the difference between ants and termites?  

Some ants, often referred to as flying ants or swarmers, actually develop wings. 

What are ants with wings?  

Luckily not every ant with wings is a termite.

Most species of ants grow wings during the mating season to help with travel and reproduction. 

Since different ants mate at different times of the year, it's not uncommon to find winged ants throughout the warm humid months.

To learn more, check out this article that explains the difference between flying ants vs termites.

Outdoor Ants

What gets rid of ants outdoors?  

Usually when batting ants outside it's easier to use a spray or liquid application around the exterior of your home or in your lawn.  

Traps work great indoors, but I've found using a liquid spray outside is more effective.  

This article explains how to kill ants outside.

This doesn't mean you have to buy expensive harsh pesticides, there are a lot of home remedies for ants.  

Read here to learn how to kill ants naturally.

Have you ever noticed large groups of red ants in your lawn?  

They might be fire ants.  

However with hundreds of different species of ants living in the United States, not every ant that's red is a fire ant.  

Read here to learn the difference between fire ants vs red ants.

If you do happen to have fire ants living in your lawn, these articles will explain what do fire ants eat and how to kill fire ants.

Small honey ants, also known as winter ants, are very active during cold weather.

Although they won't bite or sting you, they will contaminate stored food or damage outdoor plants.

To learn more, we'll teach you how to get rid of honey ants here.

What Gets Rid Of Ants - Overall

What gets rid of ants?  

A lot of things actually and luckily a vast majority of ants don't cause major problems. 

However, this doesn't mean you want an army of ants marching through your kitchen or bathroom every day.

If you're experiencing an ant infection, just follow the recommendations listed above and your ant problem will quickly become a thing of the past.