How Can I Get Rid Of Ants Outside My Back Door?

Question

i have had problems with ants right outside my backdoor for years now and every year they get worse and worse. I have tried everything you can think of to get rid of them e.g. hot water, ant powder, ant spray, cleaning products, mint leaves, bay leaves, vinegar ect. But they just get worse and worse. Please help as they are starting to get into the house and the kitchen and we have a dog so we can't put anything dangerous to pets down. Please please help. Thx

Answer 1

chalk, watch them draw a line, they wont cross it. its funny, exterminators help.  I had the same problem, but got a kick to see them not cross the line.  its weird but true.

Answer 2

you probably have carpenter ants if they are the big black ones or pavement ants if they are the little brown ones...either way, buy yourself a bag of Sevin dust, use it with either a dust puffer or a loose brush like a feather duster. Dust around your door or where you see ants walking.  The ants walk across the dust and die or take it back to the nest and die. You should see less ants in a few days...or a total elimination. For inside, dust under sinks. Don't leave pet food out or trash, this draws the ants.

Answer 3

When you are bored one day, watch where the ants are coming in, and out...

Seal the area off with some simple silicone or make a better seal around your house... (gaskets around the door, etc)

When there are a lot of ant's around it is probably for a reason.

If you can find where they are coming from, maybe you can use the raid bomb where you literately spray it into there ant castle.

The most important thing is to kill them where they are coming from....

Answer 4

Try baby powder!!!

Answer 5

Borax helped me.

But you may just need to put the dogs at a friend's house for a day and spray something like Ortho Home Defense and let it dry. It lasts a year and helped our problem. I put borax at doorways and things - in holes etc - you can get that in the laundry aisle.

Answer 6

Not hot water, boiling water!!!  Where ever there hill is!   Do it a couple of days in a row.  Right on the hill!  Boiling water kills them every time!!

Answer 7

get some raid ant killer and put it were you have seen the ants then put some just inside the door it wont hurt carpets when you have done that put some talcum powder in a line outside the door the ants wont cross it

Answer 8

Petrol & Lighter

Answer 9

We had lots of ants and we just went to walmart and purchased ant killer.  It comes in a powder form and you sprinkle it around where the ants are and on any ant hills.  Next, you will have to activate the chemical by spraying with water.  I think you'll have to treat it every 3 months.  If that doesn't work, I'd call an exterminator and get on a monthly plan in the spring/summer months.

Answer 10

I dont know the answer to this Im afraid.  Im just wondering if there is something that you cant see that may be attracting them.  This sounds horrid, but could you have a small animal corpse or something like that anywhere?  It  might be worth investigating it further to see if there is a route problem.

Answer 11

put ant powder under a brick,it will attract ants but keep dog safe,