Yes, baking soda does kill ants. Weve got an easy-peasy homemade ant killer recipe using baking soda and its non-toxic! For example, kitchen cabinets and pantries are a good choice. Without the acid, baking soda will not be able to . In fact, most dont like baking soda and will avoid it altogether. If you dont want to wait or you cant afford to wait, then you might want to try baking soda alternatives. You may need to repair some siding, floorboards, window sills or doors if these are allowing ants to easily come into your home. But before you go killing all your ants with baking soda, its worth considering whether or not your ants are really an issue. Baking Soda Kills Ants. The good news is that you can easily experiment with baking soda to get things right. Combine cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of borax, and cup of warm water in a container you dont use for food. More of our most popular natural homemade products: Natural Homemade Ant Killer Spray Natural Itch Relief Spray for Bug Bites Author Boric acid isnt a common household product, but some people keep the chemical around as an antiseptic or to make homemade eyewash. Combine vinegar, dish liquid, and baking soda in a large bowl and carefully mix to avoid foaming up over the bowl. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. You can use the two ingredients on mounds you see near your door outside. Combine equal parts vinegar and water and spray the mixture onto any ants you see, as well as any points of entry that you suspect the ants are using. Once youve gotten rid of your ants, try to determine where they were getting in. Toss some coffee grounds around any places where ants are likely to pop up. Stir well to combine. For ants, though, the altering of their bodies natural chemistry is fatal. So, if you think your natural ant-killing method isnt working, that might not be the case you may just need to wait a little bit longer until the entire colony is taken care of. How To Get Rid of Ants in a Non Toxic Manner, How To Clean Silver With Aluminum Foil & Baking Soda, How To Spot Clean Old or Set-In Upholstery Stains, How To Clean and Season an Old, Rusty Cast Iron Skillet, How to Clean and Disinfect Your Laptops Keyboard, The Ultimate First Time Homeowner's Guide, Jar Lids (or something similar to hold the bait, although a container is not necessary). Did you know that some ants are naturally attracted to Vitamin C? Place the can next to the nest and let it do its thing. Stacey is the creator of The Soccer Mom Blog, a Houston Texas mom blog that focuses on positive living for women and families. A local pest professional can recommend other ways you can deal with an ant problem. Soothing Homemade Itch Relief Spray for Bug Bites, 2-ingredient natural homemade roach killer, https://thesoccermomblog.com/homemade-roach-killer-all-natural/, How to Make Your Headlights Brighter in Minutes (at home). Have babies or young children at home? Bait can become stale after a week. Just make sure that if you use it, youll use it on the most common entry points for maximum effect. No matter the species, signs of an ant infestation mean its time to take action. Add a little more powdered sugar or peanut butter to disguise the baking soda and attract the ants. And there are plenty of child and pet safe ant killers too. Step-2 Stir well and observe how the reaction takes place; the remedy against ants will be ready. And of those solutions there are plenty of natural ant killers to choose from that are free from toxins that could be risky for your family. If you have a colossal nest, try placing a good inch of the mixture into an empty pop can. What did Pink Panther say when he stepped on an ant? It wont affect your lawn, gardens, or animals in the areajust ants and other insects. Read more: Top 10 Natural Mosquito Repellents. We respect your privacy. Add a few drops daily until the sugar ants are all gone. Made from the remains of organisms called diatoms, diatomaceous earth (also called DE) is a type of sedimentary rock. Not only that, but the acidity of the vinegar will damage the ants exoskeleton. If one of these ways doesn't work for you, don't worry. So, unknowingly they will collect your baking soda and sugar mixture and march it straight back into the nest to kill all the other ants too. For the baking soda to be lethal, it has to be used dry so do not mix it with anything wet like maple syrup or honey. Combine vinegar, dish liquid, and baking soda powder in a large bowl and stir gently. Spraying your floors with it wont have the same desired effect. Add 30 drops of tea tree oil and 1 tsp of liquid castile soap. Sure, there are plenty of strong chemical products that can address infestations pretty well, but baking soda offers a few benefits that you cant get anywhere else. They can take advantage of cracks in the foundation, small holes in the walls, and more. You can sprinkle dried bay leaf powder in the garden or outdoors as well and it is easy to see the results almost instantly. While theyre all a nuisance, not every ant acts the same! Its a little messier than the alternatives, but itll get the trick done nonetheless. You may want to use one of these household items before you call the exterminator or other pest control professional. Just like peppermint essential oils, tea tree oil can also be used to deter ants. TERROs products for ant control use borax as the active ingredient so theyre popular among people looking for store-bought insecticides with more natural contents. There are many reasons why we advocate using baking soda to kill ants. Chalk interrupts the ants sense of smell, sending them scattering. You can spray and let sit over entry points to keep the ants from coming back. In fact, you may already have some at home you can use. Combine vinegar, dish liquid, and baking soda in a large bowl and carefully mix to avoid foaming up over the bowl. It is made from naturally occurring ingredients, mined from salt beds. Holly Riddle is a travel, food and lifestyle writer, and a full-time freelance content creator after several years on editorial staffs for a multitude of publications ranging in topic and audience demographic. But when you mix it with some sugar, youve got a surefire way to lure those ants right where you want them. On any given day you might find her working on a freelance photo or blogging gig, wrangling her little darling, or walking Chuck the boxer. I bought ant bait station and instructions said that ants should be gone in 2-4 WEEKS. The ants will come by, grab the sugar and then take it back to the colony to share, but the boric acid on the sugar will kill them. After all, one little ant can carry up to 50 times their body weight! Whip it out of your pantry and mix it up. Dish soap and vinegar are two natural methods for getting rid of ants in the garden. Some say that applying baking soda to ants directly has similar results to diatomaceous earth. Step 3: Add about 6 0z warm water to the baking soda and black pepper mixture. Related: How to Deal With a Mouse Infestation. Both use lemongrass oil as the key ingredient to naturally kill ants. While its not nearly as effective as some might believe, its still useful in its way. Once ingested, the Vitamin C will increase the acidity of the digestive system to make the baking soda even more fatal than it already is. Aside from that, baking soda is safe. How to Use Baking Soda to Kill Ants Ready to put an end to those pesky little ants once and for all? Like most living creatures, ants rely on stomach acids to break down food. As mentioned above, the real danger comes from the bacteria that the ants can bring into your home. Baking soda is commonly used as an odor absorber and placed under sinks or in a refrigerator or freezer. Lets take a look at the three biggest reasons why: Cheap products being able to get baking soda and confectioners sugar from the grocery store for under a dollar each is super cheap. It has a bitter and salty taste, but you wont experience any dangerous side effects. Dad jokes aside, this is precisely what youll be singing once youve read our simple guide. Enjoyed Top 5 Things You Can Use to Kill Ants Naturally? Step-3 Use a spoon to spread the mixture over the areas you have found ants in your house. Mix equal parts baking soda and confectioners sugar. The natural ant killer borax is a mineral that is a highly effective pest control agent used by both homeowners and professionals. Its not just a myth! Your email address will not be published. The next time you see ants in your home, resist the urge to use those stinky chemicals and spray cans full of pesticide. As with borax, the ants will carry the baking soda to their nest. If you only have a small ant infestation, baking soda and similar tactics may work within a few days. Baking Soda is a staple found in most of our kitchen pantries, as it is commonly used in day-to-day baking and other home recipes. As a natural ant killer baking soda is effective but its not very attractive to ants so it has to be combined with something that is, like a sweetener. You can use that knowledge to your advantage and create an ultra-effective bait food. The only downside to using this all-natural and safe method is that it only kills the ants that you directly spray. However, if you have a larger infestation, it may take up to, or longer than, a week. After consuming the baking soda, death for individual ants can occur anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours. Understanding what kind of ant youre dealing with will give you some insight into the mixture that works best. If youre looking for an instant ant killer, youre likely going to need to look to the more traditional ant killers that you might find at the big box home improvement stores. While many homeowners prefer to go the natural route, theres no denying that store-bought insecticides provide quick and reliable results.We understand its not ideal. But Weitz does not recommend it for indoor use. What is Baking Soda? Scatter the mix outside on mounds and other areas where ants may build their nests, such as stepping stones, firewood piles, and around the base of trees. Larger colonies can take up to a week to kill with baking soda. Mix the baking soda and corn syrup in a small bowl. Why Is Baking Soda a Good Option for Getting Rid of Ants? It might not smell the best, but it is a very safe solution. Just add all the peels to a jar, cover them with water and then let the mixture sit for a few days. So heres the thing about baking soda, its not a contact killer. Have more questions about keeping ants out of your home, whether you use baking soda or any other method? If you have a constant ant problem outside, theres one other thing you can do to keep those infestations at bay. The quick fix helps kill ants on sight while also deterring future ants from entering your home. Add water as needed to fill the remainder of the bottle. We independently select these productsif you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. I used a 3/4 tablespoon of each, and mixed it together directly in the jar lid. As we said earlier, you likely have some baking soda in your home already. I pack it into the cracks and it does tend to kill on contactI had some old Johnson and Johnson baby powder that had talc as the only ingredient, and it works like a charm. If you have any leftover mixture, put it into a jar and save it for next time. These granules of pepper can pose big problems for ant colonies, who find them irritating, just like a human might. Thats not very quick. ReadTerms of Service andPrivacy Policy, Gnat Traps: 17 Ways To Get Rid Of Those Pests, Shiplap: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (Plus 9 Ways To Use It In Your Home), 11 Ways To Stretch Shoes (DIY & Professional Methods), 9 Pizza Ovens To Help You Celebrate National Pizza Day, The Best 50 Gifts For Vegans Plant Powered Finds, How To Monitor Your Psychological State: Mood, Emotions and Thoughts, 6 Reasons You Should Add Cuticle Oil To Your Routine [Plus Our 13 Top Picks]. Cinnamon actually suffocates ants. Much safer than the commercial products made from harsh chemicals. It entirely depends on what method you use. This means that they have a few minutes to get it back to their colony. It can take some time to exterminate them all, so be vigilant! Once she dies, the rest of the colony will soon follow. Whether you keep an immaculate home or tend to be a bit messy, its easy for ants to find their way indoors. Try combining three parts powdered sugar with one part boric acid. Be sure the ground is dry when you do this and that there is no rain forecast as the farina has to be dry to kill the ants. It's useful to clean sinks and wash your home. However, leaving a trail of this homemade ant killer on its own won't likely be effective. Dont swap that out for granulated sugar. Sprinkle the mix around high-traffic areas where you have ants. They offer products for both outdoor and indoor use. Mix powdered sugar and baking soda in a 70/30 ratio. Let it sit for a few days and then vacuum it up. Divide the mixture across 4 to 6 disposable plastic container or jar lids. Sprinkle a thin ring of farina around the ant hill so that the ants can easily access the food and bring it back into the nest quickly. So what makes baking soda a better alternative to pesticides and bug repellents? If youre dealing with a severe infestation, you might want to know what baking soda brings to the table before you decide to use it. First of all, its completely safe. To use it for infestation prevention, you just need some baking soda. Look around your home and observe the ants carefully. Such as making old books smell less musty, being the main component of the black snake firework, as well as being used in whitening toothpaste. Thats not the case with baking soda. Now that you understand a little more about how baking soda kills ants, lets put that knowledge to use! If youre not seeing results with the basic recipes, consider altering them a bit. 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