6 DIY Ant Killers That Actually Work, Backed by Pros

A trail of ants in your kitchen is probably not a welcome sight. Ants are a common household pest, but they can be easy to eliminate if you spring into action quickly. 

We talked to the pros in pest control about what DIY ant killers are worth a try. Mix up one of the solutions below to get rid of the ants in your home.

Dish Soap and Water

Dish soap is the workhorse of household cleaners and has thousands of uses, including being an effective ant killer.

“It removes their tough skin and since they can not retain water in their bodies, they will dry up and die,” Thorne says. 

Materials

• 2 tablespoons dish soap
• 4 cups water
• Spray bottle

Instructions

Mix the dish soap and water together in a spray bottle. Spray directly onto ants and in areas where you’ve seen ants. The dish soap will kill ants on contact and will also remove the pheromone trail left behind so other ants can’t find their way into your home. 

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Baking Soda and Sugar

Baking soda is another household staple that can kill ants and Bennett’s recommended approach.

“Baking soda will be lethal to ants when they ingest it, and mixing it with powdered sugar makes it pretty much indistinguishable from the sweet morsels the ants are attracted to,” Bennett says. 

Materials

• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup of baking soda

Instructions

Mix sugar and baking soda in a bowl. Place the mixture in areas where you’ve seen ants. When the ants consume the mixture, the baking soda reacts internally and creates carbon dioxide gas to kill the ants.

This poisoning works slowly enough that the ants will bring the mixture back to the colony to kill even more ants.

Borax and Sugar

Like baking soda, borax poisons an ant’s digestive system and works slowly so the ants will bring it back to share it with others in the colony. However, you must mix borax with sugar to entice ants to eat it.

Materials

• 1 cup of warm water
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of borax

Instructions

Mix the water and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add borax and stir well. Soak cotton balls in the solution and place them along the ants’ trails. The ants will ingest the mixture, bring it back to the colony, and die from the borax poisoning. 

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

This powder contains fossilized marine organisms that are incredibly sharp and shred the exoskeletons of insects when they come into contact with it.

Materials 

Instructions

Sprinkle DE around areas where you’ve seen ants. The powder will cut through the ants’ exoskeletons, leaving them to dry out and die. 

Lemon Juice 

Bennett says lemon juice serves a dual purpose as an ant killer.

“Not only can it kill ants, it can also interfere with the scent trails they leave behind to guide other ants from the colony into your home or around your yard,” Bennett says.

Materials

Instructions

Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a spray bottle and add an equal amount of water. Spray the mixture at entry points and around areas where ants have been spotted. Remove the lemon peel and place rinds near entry points and other ant-heavy areas. The peel contains d-limonene, which kills ants on contact. 

Boiling Water

If you’ve located the nest where the ants are coming and going, this method will wipe out the entire colony in one sweep. 

Materials

Instructions

Bring water to a boil in a cooking pot. Then, carefully pour the water onto the ant nest to kill all of the ants inside it. 

How to Prevent Ants

After you’ve fixed the ant problem, don’t forget to take the additional steps to ensure they won’t return. Follow these steps to prevent ants from entering your home: 

• Seal up cracks and crevices. Check for small openings where ants could be entering, such as ripped screens or crevices near your doorway. Seal up those openings with caulk or replace any broken window screens.
• Use vinegar. “[Ants] hate vinegar’s taste and smell, so it works as a natural repellent,” Liakopoulos says. Make a vinegar cleaning solution and spray it around your home’s entrypoints to keep ants away.
  
• Clean your home regularly. A clean home is the best way to prevent ants from finding food in your house. Vacuum, mop, and tidy rooms often, especially the kitchen, to eliminate crumbs and spills. Keep food stored in airtight containers to prevent ants from feasting inside your pantry.
• Remove potential water sources. Check for leaky faucets or pipes that could be a potential water source for ants. Avoid leaving containers full of water around your home, such as a pet water bowl.

When to Call a Professional 

While these methods are effective in killing ants, Bennett recommends calling an expert if the situation doesn’t get better soon or worsens.

A pro will use stronger insecticides and traps that target the colony so your ant problem resolves quickly.