How to get rid of ants in the kitchen — 3 ways to eliminate an ant colony

Key points

• Ants infest kitchens for food, shelter or water, typically when temperatures are warmer.

• Ant bait can be used to detect the ants’ entry point and colony location.

• You can prevent an ant infestation by having the exterior of your home treated in the summer months.

Your kitchen is where you enjoy meals and sip your morning cup of joe — it’s not a dining hall for ants. But these resourceful little pests love a good snack as much as you do. That’s why it’s not too far-fetched that crumbs could lead to ant infestation. So how do you get rid of ants in the kitchen? 

One rookie mistake when dealing with ants is using over-the-counter pesticides, cautioned Shawn Payne, owner of Lakewood Exterminating based in Lakewood, Ohio. Though these chemicals can quickly eliminate visible pests, they “generally don’t work very well for social insects like ants,” he said. Instead, you want to identify the type of ant, pin down what attracts them, their point of entry and, ultimately, their nest — then strike.

You have a variety of slow-acting poisons at your disposal to get rid of ants in the kitchen, such as ant bait traps, borax and sugar, and non-repellent sprays. Scout ants will return to their nests with the bait, share it with others and wipe out the entire colony. Then you can use a vinegar spray to erase any pheromone trails that act as beacons for other ants.  

Now, let’s figure out why a line of marching ants suddenly showed up in your kitchen, how to get rid of them and prevent them from returning.

Why did ants infest my kitchen?

Ants infest kitchens when they are in search of food, shelter or water, typically in spring and summer when temperatures are warmer. These pests have four to five times more odor receptors than other common insects, according to Vanderbilt University research, making your kitchen more vulnerable to infestations if you have tiny cracks in your home’s foundation and you are prone to leaving bits of food on counters.

When scout ants locate an entry point to your home and discover food, they will secrete pheromones to create a trail. This trail assists the ants in traveling back and forth from your home to their colony. Fortunately, these trails run both ways — they may allow more ants to infest your kitchen, but they also allow you to ferry poison back to their home base.

What type of ants are they?

An ant’s size and color are two features that distinguish them from one another. Knowing whether you’re dealing with the typical little black ant or a carpenter ant determines how quickly you need to act, and if you need to contact a professional.

More than 700 ant species can be found in the U.S., but only about 25 of these are known to infest homes, according to the National Pest Management Association. Here’s a look at the five most common types of ants that infest homes.

• Argentine ants: Argentine ants are 1/16 to 1/4 inches long, dark brown or black, and bear a shiny exoskeleton. Queens and males may have wings, though most are wingless and give off a musty odor when crushed. They prefer sweet and protein-rich foods and favor moist environments. Argentine ants tend to nest under logs, stones and debris, but can also be found near water sources such as pipes, under floors or wall voids.
• Carpenter ants: Not to be confused with termites, carpenter ants are red, black or both and measure are 1/2 in to 5/8 inches long. These especially damaging pests build their nests by chewing and tunneling through wood in your home. However, carpenter ants are resistant to standard ant bait. If you see frass, or piles of fine debris, near small holes in windowsills, baseboards, door frames and other wood fixtures, call a professional exterminator before further damage occurs.
• Odorous house ants: Odorous house ants are 1/16 to 1/8 inches long and either brown or black. When crushed, they give off a scent of rotten coconuts. They will often build their nests near moist areas such as leaky pipes and fixtures, but you can also find them in cracks and crevices, garbage cans or near woodpiles.
• Pavement ants: Blackish or dark brown, pavement ants are around 1/8 inches long and build their nests in cracks or under pavement, sidewalks and driveways. Pavement ants will eat just about anything and can follow trails extending 30 feet. They can also build nests in walls.
• Pharaoh ants: Pharaoh ants are easier to detect thanks to their pale, yellowish-to-reddish color and dark abdomen. These ants are 1/16 inches long and eat a variety of foods, even dead insects. Pharaoh ants can be found in humid environments like kitchens, bathrooms and commercial establishments. They nest in walls, under floors and behind baseboards. Their inability to survive outdoors year-round makes them likely to seek shelter in damp, humid areas like sheds and under debris.
• Little black ants: Little black ants are typically jet black and  1/16 inches long. They consume greasy and sweet foods, hence their nickname “sugar ants,” but will also feed on vegetables and insects. They thrive in wooded areas, so weathered or worn-down wood in or around your home is vulnerable to infestation.

Ants are not only a nuisance, but they pose a health risk by contaminating food with bacteria. The argentine ant, for instance, can crawl on garbage or deceased animals, carrying and depositing disease-causing bacteria throughout your home. Warmer climates, such as Florida and Georgia, are home to the white-footed ant that can also transfer disease-causing organisms, including E.coli, to food surfaces, according to a 2018 study.

How can I get rid of ants?

Powdered insecticides, borax, diatomaceous earth, vinegar and even liquid dish soap can help you destroy the ants you can see foraging outside of their nest. But to truly eliminate this pest, you need to locate and eliminate the colony and seal off their entry point.

Step 1: Find the ant colony

Ant colonies are usually hidden behind walls, large appliances and rotting wood. Outdoors logs, debris, rocks or mounds of soil are other desired colony hubs.

To find the ant colony, Payne instructed that you should look for debris — gravelly bits or sawdust-like frass, depending on the species of ants — which they kick out of their nest. You can also pre-bait by putting capfuls of sugar, honey or syrup out and wait for an ant trail to develop.

Then Payne recommended removing the pre-bait and replacing it with regular ant bait where you see the trail forming. The next step is to track them to a crevice along the baseboards, the wall or electrical outlets.

Locating an ant colony makes it easier for you to effectively treat your ant problem as this is the hub where the queen resides, laying her eggs. A well-fed queen can lay up to 800 eggs daily, making it crucial to halt reproduction.

Step 2: Eliminate the ant colony

Once you’ve pinpointed the colony’s location, do not seal it off just yet. Focus your treatment on this area. It will eliminate the ants and dismantle the primary structure they use for storing food, living and reproduction.

To eliminate the ant colony, you’ll need to get rid of the queen ant responsible for reproduction and her worker ants that forage for food.

Various methods can be used to destroy an ant colony, and the choice depends on your resources and whether you prefer using pesticides or natural chemicals. Below, we’ll delve into how you can implement a few strategies.

Option 1: Bait traps

Ant bait traps contain insecticides that lure in ants. Assuming they are collecting food, the worker ants will carry this slow-acting poison back to their colony and share it with other ants — including the queen.

You want to place these near ant trails to lure the most ants, but do not interrupt the trails. It’s important for the ants to be able to find their way back to the nest with the bait. Use both carbohydrate-based and protein-based bait to attract a wide variety of ants, unless you know which food source your unwanted guests prefer.

Many ant bait traps contain hazardous ingredients so avoid placing them in food prep areas or where they may be accessible to kids and pets.

How to use:

1. Open the pre-filled traps (always follow the supplied instructions that come with your bait traps).
2. Place them near the start of the ant trails.
3. Replace the bait traps once they have become depleted.
4. Repeat until the ants are gone. 

Option 2: Borax

Sodium tetraborate, or borax, contains the naturally occurring element boron. The white, powdery substance is used as a food preservative and cleaning agent and can be found in pesticides. Ants won’t eat borax on its own so mix it with something sweet, such as sugar or honey. Borax can be harmful if ingested, so keep it away from children and pets.

How to use:

1. Mix half a teaspoon with eight teaspoons of sugar and one cup of warm water.
2. Soak a few cotton balls in the substance and place them in high-traffic ant areas.
3. Repeat until all ants have been eliminated. 

Option 3: Non-repellent spray

Repellent insecticides send bugs packing when they come into contact with the undesirable chemicals in the spray. However, ants have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell and are adept at detecting repellent sprays and finding a way in through holes in your defenses.

Non-repellent insecticides don’t alert pests, thereby allowing them to pass through it and collect the poison on their bodies. Then the ants carry this poison back to their nest and contaminate other ants inside. Repellent sprays can treat both the interior and exterior of your home and are commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms, patios, and other infested areas of a home.

How to use:

1. Read the directions of your product carefully and mix the appropriate ratio of concentrate and water.
2. Spray the area, focusing on entry points and gaps in walls and floors.
3. Don’t spray the ants’ trail directly — you want the poisoned ants to find their way home.

Step 3: Kill ant stragglers

You’ll know you eliminated the ant colony when you no longer see ant trails in your home. Now it’s time to seal off their point of entry and kill remaining ants. If you see any stragglers, which is common, you can use a nontoxic mixture such as lemon juice and water to wipe them away. Fast-acting insecticides will kill ants on contact, though you can also use vinegar or alcohol to kill them off instantly.

A popular non-repellent insecticide among consumers is Real-Kill Ant & Roach, which is rated 4 out of 5 stars, based on over 400 reviews left by Home Depot customers. Raid Ant & Roach Killer 26, also kills on contact and is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars, based on over 3,000 reviews left by Walmart customers.

Diatomaceous earth

Diatomaceous earth is a soft rock deriving from the fossilized remains of diatoms, consisting of silicon dioxide. It has a white or light gray powdery texture and causes severe damage to an ant’s exoskeleton, not to mention it dehydrates and kills them. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in the areas where ants are present and entering your home. Window sills, baseboards, and cracks in the walls are good places to start. Diatomaceous earth isn’t poisonous but it is an irritant.

Vinegar spray

You can wipe away trails with a paper towel moistened in both white vinegar and water, alcohol or watered-down dish soap. For the vinegar spray, use equal parts of water and vinegar, mix in a spray bottle and target ant trails and points of entry to get rid of ants. 

Can I eliminate ants myself?

You can eliminate ants yourself by laying out ant bait traps, borax or using non-repellent sprays. Nontoxic solutions that are safe for you and pets include pouring boiling water on an ant colony you can access easily. Ants also dislike the smell of black pepper, peppermint oil and citrus fruits. 

However, if these methods fail and the ant trails persist, there may be an underlying issue more suitable for a pest control expert. Professional pest control experts pinpoint where the nest is and if there are multiple sites. Their expertise and access to a wider range of chemicals and treatments make them more equipped to deal with stubborn ants.

How can I prevent ants from returning?

To keep ants from coming back, Payne recommended applying granular ant bait on a regular basis through the summer months to control colonies outside. Here are a few other preventative measures you can take.

Seal ants out

Find and seal any small cracks or tiny openings around your home’s foundation. Caulking, grout, weatherstripping and metal flashing are a few materials used to do this.

Eliminate moisture

Ants are attracted to moisture. Eliminate standing water, repair leaks and keep your gutters clean. Consider using a dehumidifier in areas prone to moisture.

Clean up food and soiled dishes

Keep counters clear of food and crumbs and remove any lingering pet food from the floor. Always always keep non-perishable foods in an airtight container. Empty garbage cans regularly. Clean up spills or food residue found in the can immediately.

What’s next?

Once you contain the infestation, take preventive measures so ants don’t return. Pest control visits should be scheduled quarterly, or every three months. If the issue persists or the ants return, Payne recommended hiring a professional to treat your home’s exterior, particularly in the summer months. 

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