If you’ve got an ant problem in or out of the home then it’s best to get on top of the problem before it gets out of hand. Although there are toxic chemicals and ant powders on the market, they can be harmful to pets, plants and the planet. But there are also home remedies to look at. So let’s consider whether or not baking soda can kill ants?
Yes, baking soda does kill ants but for it to be effective it also needs to be mixed with a bait ingredient such as icing sugar.
If you use baking soda, it will not be enough if you only sprinkle it on the ground or into an ant’s nest. For baking soda to work, it is best to mix it with something that will attract ants, for example, icing sugar.
Using bait will ensure that ants ingest the baking soda and die when it enters their stomach. You effectively need to spike something they like with baking soda.
How to Get Rid of Ants with Baking Soda
If you wish to get rid of ants rather than deter them, only sprinkling baking soda will not do the trick. For killing ants, you need to bait them to lure ants into ingesting the baking soda.
Here is how you can get rid of your ant problem with baking soda:
- The first thing you should do is select your bait. Ants are attracted to sweet things, and hence, you can mix baking soda and icing sugar. Icing sugar is sweet and looks a lot like baking soda, making it the perfect bait. You can take one part baking soda and one part icing sugar.
- Next, the location of where you will put this mixture is important. You will have to figure out the place where you spot ants the most. It is essential that you choose a good location because you want the ants to find the sugar mix with ease. There is no point in putting the mix in a place where you have never seen ants before. It is best to use a small container like a lid to contain the mix.
- You will notice that there will be a significant reduction in the ant population in the coming days. The ants will stop coming into your home because most of them will have died.
If you do not wish to deal with a powdered mixture, you can also add water to make a paste. You can apply this paste on walls and any area that has high ant traffic. You can also mix other anti-ant ingredients in the mix like borax and vinegar.
Place a bait station besides an ant's nest and within a week, they'll vanish!
What Happens When Ants Eat Baking Soda?
Many people become confused because baking soda is something we consume, so how can it kill ants? First, it is important to remember that ants are small, and therefore, baking soda reacts differently when they consume it.
When ants ingest baking soda, it reacts with the acid found in their stomach and causes a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction leads to the baking soda expanding. The ants then blow up and die.
However, this method will work only if you mix baking soda with a food item that ants like. Since ants are scavengers, the upside to using this is that they will take the food to the nest to feed other ants. When the ants in the nest eat the food, they will also ingest baking soda.
If you are lucky, the queen ant will also eat the baking soda, which will stop the expansion of the ant colony.
Does Baking Soda Keep Ants Away?
With the help of baking soda, you can also keep ants away instead of killing them.
Ants follow each other and form a trail because they release pheromones. The pheromones that ants release act as a signal to other ants. You can disrupt the ant trail by sprinkling baking soda and which prevents ants from receiving the signal.
However, while this solution is easy, it is not a permanent way to keep ants away.
Is Baking Soda Safe for Pets?
The most recurring problem that occurs with ant killers is that they are harmful to pets and other wildlife like bees. Pets can lick and ingest harsh chemicals that can lead to severe health problems and sometimes even death.
However, baking soda is great because it is a natural way of killing ants without harming your pets. However, you have to be careful with not leaving too much baking soda out because if your pets eat it in big amounts, they can get a bad stomach.
In addition to being safe for pets, baking soda is also safe for the environment. For example, if you have ants in your garden, you can sprinkle some baking soda on the trails, and your plants will remain safe.
What Are Alternatives for Baking Soda?
If you do not have baking soda on hand for killing ants, you can use other items as an alternative.
The first thing you can do is use a mixture of soap and water. However, this will work if you only have a few ants to deal with. The soap and water suffocate the ants and kills them.
Another thing you can do is mix water with vinegar and spray it outside. This method does not kill ants but does keep them out.
Lastly, if you are dealing with an infestation and have an ant mound, you can pour boiling water which hopefully will reach the tunnels and kill the queen ant.
Summary
There are many famous home remedies for killing ants, and one of them is baking soda. Baking soda reacts with the acid in the ant’s stomach. It causes them to explode. Therefore, baking soda is an effective way, and you can use it either by mixing it and powdered sugar or adding water and making a paste.
Baking soda is a great method of killing ants because it is natural and does not harm the environment. Moreover, baking soda is safe if you have pets around and is a cheap alternative for chemicals.
Ryan is a keen gardener from the UK who’s spent years dealing with countless, common pests over the years so knows the ins and outs of how to deal with pests in the garden
