Last Updated on October 10, 2024
Not only are ants unwanted in your Summer picnics, but you also don’t want them wandering around your kitchen counters or anywhere in your house. Once ants find a food source, they can communicate with the rest of their army quickly and efficiently. Meaning, hundreds of ants can surround your food in less than a second.
The problem is that while trying to get off the ants, you do not want to add chemicals to the environment or expose yourself or your family to anything dangerous inside your own home.
But the good news today is that you do have options, as we will be looking at the best non-toxic ant killer solution for indoors.
Table of Contents
Best Non Toxic Ant Killer Solutions for Indoors
Prevention
Ultimately, the best way to keep ants away from your home and kitchen is by not letting them get inside in the first place. And this can be achieved by keeping the counters wiped and cleaned because a reduction in redundant food particles invariably will decrease the likelihood of ants being attracted to your kitchen.
However, if you already have these annoying insects roaming around your kitchen, you still have the chance of driving them away. All that will be required will be for you to do a little observe, and see if you can find their entry point. As such, look out for cracks in door frames, windowsills and check vents.
Treatment
Disclaimer: In as much as these treatments work on ants and are non-toxic to humans, please be aware that you will need to do some research about pets and children when considering these options.
#1 Spices
Cinnamon seems to be the most effective non-toxic ant killer because it can be used to repel ants, and also to kill them if applied correctly. Given that the oilish version seems to be more effective than the ground powder, when using it, ensure that the oil is in high concentration and placed strategically at different points of entry.
#2 Peppermint
Coming in form of essential oil or contained in liquid soap, drop the peppermint at each entry point. Another tip is to actually buy the mint plant and place it around your house as part of your landscaping!
#3 Vinegar
You will need to mix a recipe of vinegar and water together, under an equal measurement. You can put this in a spray bottle and spray it on the trails of the ants. This can be effective at confusing ants because they won’t be able to get the scent from their trail anymore, while the vinegar still scents. But when the scent goes off, they will be able to trace their way back. Thus, this could require frequent applications.
#4 Lemon juice
This acidic liquid can be rubbed directly from the lemon itself onto the windowsills and other cracks where the ants come in, and just like vinegar, it detracts the ants from the scent trail they are using. In general, it should be considered a temporary measure just like vinegar.
#5 Dishwashing soap
Using the soap, in a concoction of 50% soap to 50% water, place it directly at the entry point so it can kill any ant that comes across it.
#6 Pepper
Whether you prefer black pepper or cayenne pepper, there is a belief that pepper itself is a deterrent to ants. Thus, you can sprinkle it in its ground form or in a spray bottle with some water. No exact proportions are needed here! And then, place them at every entry point, if need be, reapply as often as possible.
#7 Fossilized Remains of Marine Phytoplankton
What? Otherwise known as food grade Diatomaceous Earth. The edges of these fossils are so sharp that they can kill the ant by destroying its exoskeleton. So is sci-fi sounding right? To ascertain their potency, get these fossils in powder form and sprinkle them at the usual places the ants often come out from daily.
#8 DIY recipe courtesy of The Soccer Mom Blog
Put together 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of dish liquid in a bowl and fill them up in a spray bottle with the mixture adding water as necessary. You can spray this homemade ant killer outside on plants and near the house. You can even spray the inner part over their trails and entry points.
#9 Store-bought choices
So there are some companies that make natural options available to you at shopping malls. Thus, you can pick these up at a local home improvement store or online. Here are some to start you off:
Conclusion
In getting rid of ants, getting back to natural remedies will make you feel better about keeping your food and family safe while also not adding further hazards to the environment. Fighting nature with nature just seems the right way to go!
Once you take back your kingdom, remember to take some measures into keeping your unwanted nature neighbors from invading again. This means you’ll have to be walking around the frontage of your home, to check on bushes and branches that may be leaning on the house.
Fill in noticeable cracks in the foundation and walls, tidy up the kitchen after meal preparation without leaving any crumbs behind. Lastly, try using good storage containers to store dry foods which you may sometimes forget on the kitchen counter or in the pantry. Good luck!
Lacey is an environmental enthusiast and passionate advocate for living green and sustainable. She believes that everyone can make a difference, no matter how small. Lacey is dedicated to reducing her own carbon footprint and educating others on the importance of living greener. She is an advocate for green energy and sustainable practices. She is an active member of her local community, volunteering with local conservation efforts, and taking part in sustainability initiatives. Lacey is a firm believer that the only way to ensure a sustainable future is to work together and make small, but important changes.