How to get rid of house ants?

How to get rid of ants in the house?

• in my house we have a huge problem with ants appearing around spring/summer (the hot days) and being all around the house. They're in front of the front door, on the floor, sometimes they climb up the walls, front room windowsill etc. We'v bought ant killers etc. but it is still hard to get rid of them. Could anyone tell me why they are here, what they are doing (do i have a ant colony beneath my house?) and how to get rid of them??? Any1 who answers all 3 precisely will get a 100% best answer as that is all that i can give them (lol ;)

• Answer:

  ants come out for food and water particularly during warmer days. they could be attracted to one piece of dog food on the floor or crumb on the counter to a dripping sink. fix leaks and clean thoroughly after cooking. there may be many colonies. anywhere from outside in the yard to the soil under your house or even in your walls.. so it is hard to say where they are coming from in your home. it's hard to wipe out a whole colony or the many colonies that may be around your house. ants outdoors in the garden and yard do serve a purpose and actually help plants grow, not to mention they do help with (other) pest control like aphids. its when they come inside that they become a nuicance. i have small kids and pets and every year we have minor ant problems in the house.. well obviously i can't use poison so i have researched tons of home remedies. some of these remedies can take care of window sills, door ways, baiting, poisoning, the spots where they are entering (walls.. my spot is from between the sink and wall).. this year i am getting serious about it because the baits from the store just don't work. vinegar is a natural deterrent and safe to use around children and pets and on eating surfaces such as the kitchen counter. just spray where you see them coming in. black pepper or cinnamon sprinkled where they are coming in. also baby powder for whatever reason they hate it so sprinkle a bit on the ant and see where it exits and then sprinkle on that spot as well. you can use this stuff in window sills as well. if you want to kill the ones coming in, a natural trap is a container of cream of wheat (not cooked) and after they eat the grains they explode because the grain expands. these remedies won't always rid you 100% of ants but they make them much more manageable. it wouldn't hurt to tape your vents and throw some bug bombs under the house. after using bug bombs you need to clean everything well. <i don't do this because we have a lot of pets. hard to get them out of the house for long enough and clean the place thoroughly enough but this will certainly help. also this is one thing i have heard yet have never tried, plant mint around your house particularly near doorways. suposedly ants don't like mint. couldn't hurt to try. :) you may even need to use different baits. some are sugar based and some are fat based. depends on what your ants are attracted to. ask for help at a home and garden center in your area to know which baits are which. in this case you would be able to poison the ants in their home when they take the poison to the nest. good luck!