10 Homemade Ant Killers You Can Make Using Readily Available Ingredients

Ants are problem everywhere in the world. They invade our homes in search of a food and water supply. If their objective is found by the initial scout ants that are sent out, it’s not long before thousands of ants march in and take over our kitchen cabinets, pantry and other locations where food is stored.

Homemade ant killer is an ideal solution to get rid of these hungry pests. Since they invade the space where we live and store food, chemical ant killers are not a good choice. Creating a non-toxic ant killer using readily available ingredients is a simple, safe and effective way to kill ants without harming your children or pets.

A few simple ingredients, like vinegar, dish soap, essential oils, boric acid and sugar, can be used to rid your home of ants. Read on to discover 10 homemade ant killers you can easily make to keep your home chemical free and pest free.

1- Vinegar and Water

This is a simple, inexpensive and effective natural ant killer that will also clean and disinfect the infested area. Create a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray mixture on ants for instant death. Wipe up dead ants with paper towel and spray vinegar-water solution on the area again and wipe with cloth or paper towel.

Vinegar is an all natural product that is safe to use on eating surfaces and around children and pets. Vinegar is also a natural cleaner and disinfectant. Keep a bottle of this on hand for quick clean ups and just in case you see ants in your home.

2- Dish Soap Ant Killer

Create a 25/75 solution of dish soap and water to use as a homemade ant killer. Any dish soap will work, just pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray directly on ants. Wipe up residue with a paper towel, then spray area once again and wipe clean. This DIY solution will kill the ants and clean up the mess they leave behind.

Any dish soap product will be safe to use around children and pets since it is weakened with water. An organic dish soap product can be used to help make this one of the best ant killers you can make at home. Keep this spray bottle of homemade ant killer near your kitchen sink for easy access when ants are seen and for use as a quick cleaning spray for counter tops and dishes. You may also like to check out similar article Homemade fly traps.

3- Essential Oil Ant Killer and Repellent

The best way to get rid of ants is to kill the ones you see now and stop the ones you don’t see from entering your home. Certain essential oils can do just that – prevent an any invasion both now and later.

Peppermint, clove and tea tree essential oils are powerful ant killers and long lasting repellent to help prevent ants from returning.

Place 40 drops of either peppermint, clove or tea tree oil in one cup of water. Pour into a spray bottle and spray on ants for instant death. Spray around the inside and outside of doorways, windows or any other location ants might use to enter your home.

This will repel ants and add a welcoming fragrance to the air inside your home. Re-apply spray as often as needed to keep ants out of your home. You may also like to check out similar article homemade wasp traps.

4- Powered Sugar and Baking Soda

These are two readily available ingredients that every home baker has on hand. You can create a cheap, effective and safe homemade ant killer with these two products. Powered sugar attracts ants and baking soda brings about almost instant death for them after they ingest it.

Create a mixture that is 70 percent powder sugar and 30 percent baking soda and place the mixture in a shallow container. Place container wherever ants have been seen. This DIY ant killer can be used indoors or outdoors, but will need to be replaced every three of four days when placed outside.

This ant killing mixture is not lethal for pets or children, but could give them a belly ache if they ingest a lot of it. Place small amounts in baby food jar lids or on pieces of foil so if children or pets do consume it, it won’t be enough to harm them. Sprinkle this mixture directly onto outside ant hills so ants will have to walk through it as they enter and exit their colony.

5- Borax and Sugar Cotton Balls

If you have wondered how to kill ants naturally without using a spray product, this is the solution you need.

Bring one cup of water to a boil, then remove from heat. While water is still very hot, mix in one cup of sugar and two tablespoons of borax (boric acid). Allow mixture to cool slightly, then drop in several cotton balls so they can soak up the mixture.

Remove cotton balls from borax and place on small pieces of foil or wax paper (cotton balls will be sticky), then place anywhere you have seen ants. Replace borax and sugar cotton balls weekly to keep them fresh and sticky for trapping ants.

Borax can cause skin and eye irritation, so use caution when working the product and wear gloves and safety goggles. You may also like to check out similar article homemade mouse poisons.

6- Homemade Ant Trap

Make a few of these effective DIY ant traps to rid your home of pests. Create a 50/50 mixture of borax and clear corn syrup. You will need a paste-like consistency, so add a little more borax if needed to reach a paste-like consistency. Spread borax mixture on small pieces of cardboard cut from a cereal or pasta box and place where you have seen ants.

Don’t use this homemade ant killer in homes with pets, the sweet tasting corn syrup will entice pets to eat the mixture. Replace DIY ant traps weekly to keep them fresh and sticky so they can effectively trap ants. You may also like to check out similar article homemade tick repellents.

7- Boric Acid and Sugar Trap

Mix one tablespoon of boric acid and one cup of sugar with one-half cup of water. Place mixture in a shallow container and place wherever ants have been seen.

The sugar will attract ants and as they consume the mixture, the boric acid will dry them up from the inside out. The ants will also take some of the homemade ant killer back to their colony for other ants to consume, killing them as well.

If there are pets or children in the home, place a lid on the container which has several holes poked into it. This will allow ants to get in and out of the container while keeping pets and children safe.

8- Boric Acid and Cornmeal

This is another effective homemade recipe that will wipe out an entire ant colony. Create a 70/30 mixture of cornmeal and boric acid. Boric acid is commonly found in a laundry product called ’20 Mule Team Borax’, and can be located in the laundry product aisle of your local supermarket. Put mixture in a shallow container and place wherever ants have been seen. The boric acid laced cornmeal will attract the ants and after they eat it, they will carry some back to their colony for other ants to eat.

This mixture does not bring about instant death for the ants, but it will eradicate an entire colony if you’ll have patience for a couple of days. Any type of cornmeal will work in this DIY recipe.

9- Peanut Butter Straws

This is a neat and safe way to kill ants while protecting children and pets. Create a mixture of one tablespoon of smooth peanut butter and one tablespoon boric acid. Push the mixture into a plastic straw until the straw is full. Cut straw in several two inch lengths and place wherever ants have been seen.

The straw will contain the peanut butter, so there will be no sticky mess left behind. The straw will also prevent children and pets from eating the peanut butter and boric acid mixture.

These are good for use inside or outside of the home. The plastic straw will help keep the peanut butter mixture fresh for several day when placed outdoors.

10- Cinnamon Any Killer

Cinnamon is a favorite spice for humans, but deadly for ants. Ground cinnamon or cinnamon essential oil is an effective for use as a homemade ant killer.

Simply sprinkle ground cinnamon around windows and doors, or anywhere else ants are entering your home. The smell of cinnamon will act as a repellent and prevent the ants from entering your home.

If you already have ants inside your home, add 40 drops of cinnamon essential oil to one cup of water and place mixture into a spray bottle. Apply the homemade spray directly to ants for instant death. The fragrant cinnamon oil will also make your home smell warm and inviting. Ground cinnamon and cinnamon essential oil is safe to use around children and pets. You may also like to check out similar article homemade pesticides.