How To Kill Ants Behind Walls and Get Rid of Ants in The Home and Yard

It takes many different pest control methods to tackle an ant infested home. Employing one method without practicing other strategies is a recipe for failure. If you’ve recently moved into a single family home infested with ants, remember that the problem could’ve started decades before you came on the scene. If you live in an ant infested apartment, note that neighbors share infestations through common walls. For optimal results, talk to the neighbors living on either side of you. Share our ant control strategies and ask if they’ll join in your fight to knock out a chronic infestation once and for all.

A.) Poison Ants Behind Walls: To target ants which hide in places you can’t see or reach, use a quality bait made of boric acid. For a tasty but poisonous treat that ants will be happy to share with colony members in hidden locations, combine 1/4 tablespoon of boric acid powder with 1 tablespoon of white flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add just enough water to form the mixture into a ball that resembles cookie dough. With gloved hands, pinch away several sections of dough to create several pea-sized drops. Stick the drops under counter ledges, above cabinets and under sinks. Do not put bait inside drawers where kitchen utensils are stored. This will encourage ants and roaches to crawl over your silverware in their search for food. The beauty of cookie dough bait is that it can be pressed into place and applied to strategic locations without creating a sticky mess. However, there are other bait recipes with more aromatic power. Sugar ants are powerfully attracted to mint jelly. Mix 2 tablespoons of jelly with 1/4 teaspoon of boric acid. Place the mixture inside bottle caps or mason jar lids to avoid getting it all over the place. To target protein loving grease ants, mix 1 tablespoon of peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of boric acid. Note that children and pets shouldn’t come in contact with bait made of boric acid. If you have pets or small children, place bait on top of kitchen cabinets.

B.) Use A High Quality Organic Repellent for Cabinets: To discourage ants and roaches from crawling over dishes, cookware and utensils, spray cabinets and drawers with a high quality organic repellent. Our our cedar oil formula repels insects from sprayed territory for up to a month without introducing questionable chemicals to areas where food is stored. The long lasting aroma will also mask the scent trails that ants use to coordinate and flourish. Note that our indoor formula can also be used as a direct hit contact spray to destroy the ants you see. For infestations that have spread beyond the kitchen, be sure to spray carpets and baseboards. The formula will dry out the exoskeleton of insects that crawl through treated areas, contributing to the early demise of insects you don’t see.

C.) Employ Glue Traps: Glue traps are a great way to capture a variety of insects that move from place to place. For optimal results, load traps with bait and place them on the floor in high traffic areas. Note that using bait in non infested areas can attract ants and cockroaches to rooms that were previously free of insects. For bedrooms and living areas, use plain glue traps and repellent sprays on carpeting.

D.) Protect Wood from Carpenter Ants: If you’re dealing with an infestation of carpenter ants, the sawdust piles you find around the home or garage will tell you that these tenacious insects can cause as much damage as termites. To petrify wood so that carpenter ants can no longer tunnel through it, try our wood sealant product for termite control. One lifetime treatment penetrates DEEP to seal wood, kill insects and trigger wood petrification. Most wood sealants are simply coatings that sit on top of wood surfaces. This product is a penetrant. You can literally SEE it leeching into wood and traveling through capillaries. The treatment also prevents splitting, cupping, checking, dry rot and sun damage. It’s excellent for decks, docks, fences, wood beams, concrete and stone.

E.) Remember to Treat Outdoors: If you live in a single family home, don’t forget where your ant infestation came from. Ants living near your home entered through cracks and crevices in the foundation. To discourage a wide variety of insects from hanging around the base of your home, soak the perimeter with our outdoor concentrate, paying special attention to flower gardens, bushes and mulch beds. This organic formula is designed to repel insects without introducing questionable chemicals which can harm vegetation. Organic farmers use this formula to control crop pests naturally, and animal keepers use it to destroy fleas, ticks and mites in the grass. Homeowners with termites and scorpion problems use this formula to discourage these insects from lingering around the base of homes. One quart of concentrate makes eight gallons of solution. Our gallon-sized container makes 32 gallons of solution for treatment of larger homes and lots. (Note that our outdoor formula cannot be applied to carpets and furniture, as it will stain.)

F.) Control Ant Colonies Underground: If you’re concerned about ant hills in the yard, remember that there’s a vast underground network connected to these tiny openings. Applying pesticides at ground level won’t be enough to penetrate subterranean highways and caves. To tackle an ant infested yard,  insert a long wooden broom handle into the opening of the largest ant hill you can find. A long metal spike will also work well. You may need a hefty tool such as a sledgehammer to insert the spike into the ground. Since dirt will immediately fall into the hole when you remove the spike, you’ll need a cheap PCV pipe to keep the hole open. Drive the pipe into the hole and use this gateway to deliver a solution made of water, sugar and boric acid. (Boil the solution to be sure the boric acid dissolves completely.) The length of the pipe can vary, but keep in mind that some species burrow more deeply than others. For example, fire ant colonies have been found to a depth of ten feet in some soils. For general purposes, begin with a 15-inch pipe. Beware that digging will upset ants. Certain species will defend themselves fiercely. Fire ants can be particularly aggressive. Before beginning a massive digging project, it’s wise to figure out what species you’re dealing with and wear protective clothing. Choose thick thermal socks and sweat pants. Pull socks over pant legs and wear the thickest shoes can find. Note that the digging process may disturb colonies and trigger an increase in the number of ants you see above ground. After filling visible holes with the boric acid solution, use a hose end sprayer to soak the entire yard with our outdoor concentrate. It’s 100% organic, and it won’t harm plants, vegetables or flowers.

Learn More About Our Outdoor Formula

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