I have ants in my kitchen how do you get rid of them without using poison?

Question

I'm pregnant and can't spray anything with poison. They are coming in through our back door and they are all over the counter. My husband is at an appointment so what can I do in the meantime to kill or control them so they don't spread through the whole kitchen?

My husband is going to spray around the door when he gets home but how is the best way to get all of the ones on the counters?

Thanks so much for your help.

Answer 1

You must first determine the type ant you have. Different ants require different solutions. Never spray poison on Pharaoh ants. The colony will split or form numerous colonies through out your home. They must be baited. Most ants can be treated safely with a mixture of boric acid and peanut butter. Put the mixture in bottle caps and place around your kitchen. Give it time. It will work. If the ants are reluctant to eat the bait then mix boric acid with sugar.  Some ants require protein and some need carbohydrates. Boric acid is safe.

Answer 2

go to the store.  There are small plastic things called "Ant Bait"  they have a food ants love, that also have poison in theme.  Set those in the runs where the ants go.  They will enter the containers and take the food back home.   It may take a few days for the ant problem to go away, but they worked for me.

Unless you break them open, and eat the bait yourself, they are harmless to humans.

Answer 3

I deal with this one almost every spring. I just give the countertops a good cleaning and wipedown with regular dish detergent and make sure to wipe them down again every night.  Don't forget the floors, even the tiniest crumb left behind. Once they realize there's not a trace of food, they move on to the next house.  I've rarely had to resort to insecticides.

Answer 4

Natural remedies like corn meal or grits take time to work. They won't harm people or pets but the ants carry them back to their nest and eat them. Because they can't digest them, it ends up killing them and once the queen is dead there are no more eggs being laid. This has been a nasty year for ants.

Good luck and good health to your new family!

Answer 5

I know a beekeeper who sprinkles Cinnamon around his beehive to keep ants out of the hive. I do not know first hand if this works. I would think that ant baits and even sprays that you could buy at grocery stores would not harm you or the baby. There is such a small amount of stuff in those little traps that you would likely never get it on you. You might try the cinnamon first then try the bait traps.

Answer 6

try vinegar and water and then wipe them up with a paper towel.ps use a spray bottle.

Answer 7

the person who mentioned cinnamon is absolutely correct- BECAUSE i just did this and it worked- it takes quite a bit of cinnamon a- sprinkled at the source of whre they are coming from- so far it's been 48 hours in my downstairs kitchen and no ants- albeit in have cinnamon piles around the kitchen but i can live with that for now- i also put the ant baits around the outside of the house and sprinkle more cinnamon outside- and i have no ants.

Answer 8

You could ask them to go, but poison works better!