There are some control methods and home remedies that have proven to be effective against ants in the kitchen. If the six-legged insects have invaded your kitchen area, you should act quickly to prevent a worse insect infestation. Otherwise, the unwelcome guests will settle in your cooking area, which could lead to more serious problems. Although these are tiny creatures that can invade almost anywhere like in the Ant-Man movie, they can be fended off. To do this, try the methods and tricks described below.
Where do the ants in the kitchen come from?
Even if you just notice an ant crawling aimlessly around your kitchen, the chances of an insect infestation are high. The tiny ants also tend to move into living quarters during the warmer months. However, why do some species prefer the kitchen to other areas? Most ants are equipped with scent detectors that allow them to sniff out potential food sources quickly and efficiently.
If the insects sense food that has accumulated on your kitchen counter or on the kitchen floor, move quickly. This could happen, for example, with spilled juice, crumbs, or leftover food left in the garbage can under the kitchen sink. The ants can take all this as an invitation to raid your kitchen. This often results in the insects quickly becoming a colony that stalks carefree through your kitchen. Don’t panic right away, though, as there’s definitely something you can do about it to show them who’s boss. Here are some simple steps you can take.
Remove food sources for ants from the kitchen area
The first preventive measure you should take is cleaning up leftover food and spills. Most often, ants set up camp in a home to look for food. So try to make sure your food stays in tightly sealed containers or plastic bags. Ants in the kitchen are usually attracted to starchy and sweet things like honey, cornmeal, and sugar. Therefore, be careful not to leave any splashes or spills of such food sources in the kitchen space. You should also remove food crumbs from around your appliances and in trash cans as soon as possible. Keeping your kitchen area as clean as possible will help reduce the chances of an ant infestation.
Making entry points inaccessible to ants in the kitchen
The second important step is to keep ants away from the kitchen area by blocking their entry points. At first glance, it may seem impossible to seal every kitchen cabinet or crevice. However, try to seal as many cracks, crevices and holes in walls, radiators and floorboards as possible. The trick here is to follow the trail of the ants to find their entry point. Look around and also check window frames and doors. If you live in a separate house, you can also inspect the nearby outdoor area for any signs of ants.
Use potentially effective home remedies to combat ant infestations
Even if you’ve blocked their entry points, ants can still get into your kitchen. This might prompt you to use some common repellents against it. In such cases, you can try using home remedies such as pepper, cinnamon, curry powder, salt or chalk that repel ants. However, you should also be aware that some of these products can irritate the eyes, nose, mouth or skin of children or pets. Therefore, it is advisable to take the appropriate protective measures when using it. In addition, you can also soak cotton balls in essential oils like peppermint oil and place them in the corners of your kitchen cabinets and drawers. Also try lining doors and windows with talcum powder. Vaseline could also prove effective when trying to get rid of ants in the kitchen.
Use humane remedies against ants in the kitchen
If you have an existing insect infestation, using natural solutions could prove to be a humane means of controlling ants. You can easily fill spray bottles with a variety of readily available products and essential oils such as lemon, peppermint oil, vinegar, and others. To do this, mix equal parts of vinegar or lemon juice with warm water and shake the bottle well to enhance the effectiveness of the solution. This means that areas such as kitchen floors, kitchen worktops, corners and many other surfaces can be sprayed without having to use chemicals on ants in the kitchen. The best strategy, also in this case, is to follow the trail and spray where the ants have established their colony.
Use other control agents for insect infestation
When pesky ants invade your kitchen, there are other ways to keep them away. In addition, there are various products and home remedies that you can use to get rid of ants in the kitchen. If you look in your own pantry, you may already have some of these products right in your kitchen. Most of these are suitable as home remedies for other purposes as well. However, it is up to you whether you want to use these substances against an insect infestation.
- Diatomaceous earth is effective as a repellent against various pests and also works on ants. So-called diatomaceous earth is a type of silica that contains the fossil remains of aquatic organisms. Simply apply this around the ant colonies and leave the pebbles on for a few days. The substance absorbs the oils from the insects.
- You can also use boiling water against ants in the kitchen. This is an equally effective way to get rid of the insects. First identify the ant holes in your kitchen and pour boiling water into them.
- The liquid soap is another household product that could also be useful in controlling ants in the kitchen. Use it to make soapy water to spread around your kitchen area. It quenches the smell of ant pheromones they use to follow tracks. Without the smell, they cannot communicate with each other and scatter in different places.
- Coffee grounds are suitable both for fertilizing plants and for repelling ants. Simply sprinkle dried coffee grounds on the places where the insects are staying or moving. Many people believe it is the smell that repels the ants. Others claim that the insects don’t like the feel of the ground beneath their feet.
- You can even use sugar or such foods as a distraction to drive the ants outside in the kitchen.