What Kills Ants?

While using chemicals is an option to kill ants, it is not something you will want to do, especially if you have an organic garden. Using chemicals is a huge problem because it causes substantial harm to the environment. So what kill ants?

There are various things that kill ants, including soap, pepper, vinegar, and boiling water.

It is important to remember that results may take time with some of the methods for killing ants. It is essential to be consistent with your application of whichever method you choose to try for effective results. 

What Kills Ants Instantly?

Killing a large ant infestation is, fortunately, not too difficult. So, here are some ways you can kill ants and expect instant results: 

Borax

In addition to helping you keep your house clean, borax can also help you kill ants. What is great about borax is how accessible it is, so you do not have to worry about its availability.

You can use borax by mixing some of the powder with sugar. Sugar is a key ingredient because it will attract ants while the borax kills them. You can place the mixture near your plants or anywhere you spot ants.

Boiled Water

Follow an ant trail and it will lead you to a mound where all the ants live. To eradicate all the ants, killing the ant queen, who lives in the mound, is important.

You can pour the boiling water on the ant mound to kill the ants along with the ant queen. This will ensure that there are no future generations of ants.

However, a downside to using this method is the damage the boiling water can cause to the grass and plants. 

Diatomaceous Earth 

Diatomaceous earth is harmless to humans. If you have children, you can use this powder to kill ants without worrying about any implications. 

The powder has sharp crystals that work to cut the ant’s exoskeleton, leading to dehydration and eventually death. While this powder is pretty effective, it can also be detrimental to other insects such as bees. 

Vinegar

Vinegar has a powerful smell that does not sit well with ants.

It is important to dilute vinegar before you use it to avoid harming the plants in your garden. Using vinegar is simple as you can create a spray by mixing it with water. To make the spray stronger, you can also include some essential oils or tea tree oil. 

Baking Soda

Another common kitchen ingredient that can help kill the ants in your garden is baking soda. You can combine baking soda with powdered sugar to create a mix and place it near your plants.

The sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda kills them by disrupting their digestive system. 

Dish Soap 

Soapy water is a great way to deal with the ants in your garden. You can combine some dish soap with hot water and add a few drops of essential oil to strengthen the mixture. Use this mixture and spray it on the ants to kill them. 

Cornstarch 

You can tackle a large group of ants by using some cornstarch. The cornstarch is said to smother the ants and kill them.

However, you will need to pour a lot of cornstarch on the ants to smother them. The downside to using cornstarch is that it can get messy.  

What is the Best Homemade Ant Killer?

If you are faced with an ant problem, you will want the best ant killer out there. However, there is no one homemade ant killer which we can declare to be the best.

Using the homemade approach when dealing with ants means that you need to be consistent for it to work. Not only this, but you also need to be aware that what might work for one group of ants, might fail on another.

Therefore, it is a matter of trial and error before finding something great. Nevertheless, some of the best homemade ant killers include vinegar, soapy water, and a sugar and borax mixture. 

Summary 

Using chemicals whenever there is a pest infestation seems like the obvious choice but it’s one worth avoiding where possible.

Many people will, therefore, turn to home remedies because they can cause far less damage to the environment versus chemicals. Some of the ways you can kill ants include borax, boric acid, vinegar, soapy water, and boiling water. 

By following the trail of ants, you can get to the mound where the queen lives. It is important to kill the ant queen to limit the production of ants in your garden.