5 Natural, Kid-Friendly Ways to Get Rid of Ants

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Ants, ants, ants. Not going to lie! We have a ant problem. It is always at its worse when the weather is transitioning from cold to hot or hot to cold. I hate it and I am over it!

Ants love kids (No I’m not talking about their aunts).  Or I guess I should say ants love all the food kids like to drop around the house.  Whether it is the little crumb from some Goldfish crackers or fallen pieces off a granola bar your kids are providing a buffet for ants.  Ants might be trying to infiltrate your house to reach all those food scraps as you read this!  So what do you do if ants have already made a home inside your house?

First and foremost vacuum up all those crumbs attracting the ants.  Granted you can not follow your little one around every single minute with a vacuum, but at least get up the food that is already there now.  Next step is to eliminate your little invaders.  Most commonly people will get those little ant bait traps, that work well, but seem to attract little hands and you do not want your kids messing with the pesticides and chemicals inside of those.  So what other options do you have?  What natural options do you have that you don’t have to worry about the kids getting into?   Here are 5 natural ways to get rid of ants in your house.

  1. Ants hate the scent of Bay Leaves, Cloves and Cayenne Pepper (which you may just have in your Kitchen already).  Place one of these at the point of entry for the ants into your house.
  2. Use a combination of vinegar, water and 8-10 drops of tea tree oil.  Spray this along the ant’s trail. Easy peasy!
  3. Baby Powder along the ant trail and point of entry or directly dust the ants with it when you see them.
  4. Soapy water will also kill on contact and kill the trail scent of ants.  Use 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap mixed with water in a spray bottle
  5. Coffee grounds. If you are a parent, I know you have some of this on hand! Put out coffee grounds at the point of entry of the ants or directly on any ant hills you might see outside of the point of entry (This method takes up to a week).

Use one of these methods and hopefully your house will ant free in no time!

Thomas Brogan

Thomas Brogan, a native of Des Moines, was the original founder of Des Moines Parent and is a father to a 12 & 14-year-old. In his free time, he likes to explore nature, try new local restaurants, and enjoy life as best as he can.

2 thoughts on “5 Natural, Kid-Friendly Ways to Get Rid of Ants

  1. I love that this is a natural way to get rid of ants. I hate putting harsh chemicals in my home around my kids and family. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Darlin D. Aviles says:

    This morning I woke up with several red bumps. I suspect I have an infestation. I’m worried I won’t be able to kill all of them at one time. Although the lavender oil trick seems lovely. I might just have to hire a professional to fix my problem.

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