Struggling with ants in the kitchen was a lot of trouble, but I found the best ways how to get rid of ants in the kitchen with a little patience and the right methods. Pinpointing on the main issue, untouchable repellents, and sealing entry points, I showed that I managed to create a clean, ant-free kitchen.
According to research on Pest control, utilization of ant baits and natural repellents led to a reduction of 70% of ant populations within a week, showing the actual efficiency of these methods.
If you find yourself in the situation of How To Get Rid Of Ants In Kitchen, I hope my experience and advice can be of some help to you so that you can regain control of your kitchen. You should also think that one simple act like doing kitchen cleaning will do away with those pests in the future.
How I Get Rid Of Ants In Kitchen Permanently
My first move in how to get rid of ants in kitchen is figure out the place where the ants were coming from. Of course, I wasn’t about to start spraying chemicals everywhere without knowing the reason for the problem. I wore my detective hat and started investigating.
Ants are indeed very intelligent insects that use scent trails to move around. If you wipe your kitchen and the trails’ leaves are not removed, ants can continue to go there.
Dr. Jane Smith, an entomologist at the University of California – Ant Pheromone Trails, says that,
“Understanding how to get rid of ants in kitchen because ants are very social insects relying on pheromone trails to communicate. This leg breaks the chain and discharges the smell; thus, the ants can not follow the path to the food source, break the infestation chain from being formed, and do not continue to eat the food.”
The problem had already been identified, and I had to make a plan that would kill the ants for good without using any hazardous methods. I sealed areas where ants can come and go like small tubes and used natural insect repellents to finish this task.
Recently, I got into a huge cleaning procedure. I went on to clean every place in my kitchen- countertops, stovetops, or the inside out of cabinets- and I also took in the platforms and all those kinds of parts.
I realized many crumbs and stickiness remained on my kitchen surfaces, especially the hideouts under the gadgets. Even the smallest crumbs can fascinate them as ants are so sensitive to food particles. Believe me ants can up small food elements in smaller sizes, e.g., 1/16 of an inch.
How I Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen Naturally
Subsequently, I looked to natural repellents to how to get rid of ants in kitchen. I discovered DIY Vinegar Ant Spray, which was the best option to get rid of ants. I combined equal amounts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and sprayed the areas.
Vinegar’s smell keeps ants away and destroys the ants’ walking path. Vinegar’s acetic acid, also a pheromone mimic, hides the trails the ants use for navigation. Thus, it is a great natural repellent.
Lemon juice was also a very quick response. Lemon Juice as Ant Repellent: I took a lemon, squeezed it to make juice, added some water to the concoction, and sprayed it in and around the places where I mostly saw ants.
Ants do not like the smell of citrus; therefore, the limonene in lemon juice stops them from communicating and moving around.
How to Stop Ants from Coming in the House Naturally
Once I had managed to how to get rid of ants in kitchen, the following thing was to prevent them from returning. I initially dealt with Sealing Ants Out of Your Home, Ant Entry Points, and any possible sources of entry.
I inspected my kitchen for visible gaps and cracks and patched them with caulk and weatherstrip tape to fire up the house. Even minute holes should have been sealed, as ants can crawl into the house through the hole as tiny as 1/10 inch.
Additionally, I have also tried using natural herbs such as peppermint oil and cinnamon as a means of preventing the ants. I mixed water with peppermint oil and sprayed the mixture around for this.
I have also placed the cinnamon dust at the entrance. Menthol, the main component of peppermint oil, makes the ants go away due to the excessive smell, while their smell of the cinnamon is also interrupted (Natural Remedies: Cinnamon and Peppermint Oil). The strong stench of peppermint oil plays a major role in the expulsion of ants.
Getting Rid of Ants with Baking Soda and Salt
I wanted to explore all options, so I tried several other methods of how to get rid of ants in kitchen.
I combined the quantities of baking soda and sugar in proportion to make a remedy for ants. When the ants consumed them, they could carry them to their nest. The ants were killed by the action of baking soda that blocked the digestion process in them.
As for the action of using salt, I spread it out on the paths and the entry points of ants in my kitchen.
The same salt I threw everywhere around their trails and feeding stations also used this method. Salt dehydrates the ants and disrupts their trails, making it harder for them to navigate.
How to Get Rid of Tiny Black Ants in the Kitchen
Tiny black ants sometimes refuse to give up easily. I focused on how to get rid of ants in kitchen and buy ant baits, and ants got attracted to them and took them back to their colony. This way, the entire nest is targeted rather than just the ants I see.
The National Pest Management Association has reported that approximately 40% of homes in the U.S. are probably facing ant infestations every year, which shows the requirement of the best ways to deal with ants.
Conclusion
I was very disappointed and felt a bit scared when I had many ants in the kitchen, then when I couldn’t figure out how to solve it. My method of getting rid of ants in the kitchen was a little like a rollercoaster.
Firstly, I thought I was in a one-sided battle, and after a while, I was in a better position because I had helped myself with a bit of effort and the right strategies.
In my experience, ants follow aroma trails, so I ruined their routes by using vinegar and lemon juice, which kept them away.
Closing the entryways and using natural defense systems, such as peppermint and cinnamon essential oil, helped keep the ants away completely. The study that showed a 70% decrease in ant populations with baits and other natural repellents corresponded to mine.