Nobody likes it when they are having fire ants in their home or garden. Besides being irritating, these ants can be harmful as well. If you are having the same problem, here we have your solution. By reading this article, you will be able to know how to kill fire ants with some simple steps.
In this article, we are covering some effective home remedies to kill these insects. So, you can have a good home surrounding. Moreover, we will cover what are fire ants and what should you do to keep them away from your home. Let’s find out.
What Are Fire Ants?
You see fire ants are part of the genus Solenopsis. These insects are sunny and warm conditions. So, this is why they mostly avoid shady places. You will find them in your garden area. On the other hand, if you are not cleaning surfaces properly, these insects can come inside your house.
How Serious Are Fire Ants?
Basically, these fire ants are not that harmful. However, their sting can be very irritating. When an ant is attacking, it injects venom through a stinger. Make sure you are being cautious about their activities to avoid bites. This is why you need to know how to kill fire ants by applying some effective remedies.
How to Kill Fire Ants With Home Remedies
You see these insects can be very irritating. As we mentioned above, we are going to share some easy home remedies that you need to apply for eliminating these insects. Let’s find out:
1. Glass Cleaner
Liquid detergent or glass cleaner is one of the best remedies to kill insects. First mix some glass cleaner with liquid detergent, then spray on your house. In fact, this mix will keep those insects away from your house. Just spray it on those areas where fire ants originate from. Then, wipe down the area later.
2. Peppermint
In this ‘how to kill fire ants’ guide, we can’t ignore the benefits of peppermint. If you are looking for a natural remedy to eliminate these harmful insects, peppermint is the ideal one. In fact, peppermint is so good for killing mosquitos, bugs, and other insects. Add 10 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil with water and spray everywhere.
3. Hand Soap
Hand soap is a good alternative for glass cleaner. Many people don’t like the smell of glass cleaner, so they can use hand soap. Mix hand soap with water and spray it everywhere. This will remove the scent of ant pheromones, so it will be harder for an ant to communicate with others.
4. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is another amazing home remedy that plays a crucial role to remove insects. You just need to mix 2 to 5 drops of tea tree oil with water and spray the mixture everywhere. However, the scent of this mixture could be too strong for some people. So, you can use peppermint mix alternatively.
5. White Vinegar
It’s hard to find a person who does not have white vinegar in their kitchen. Well, white vinegar is another good home remedy for killing fire ants. If you find these insects, you can wipe them up with vinegar. Some people make a 50-50 mixture of water and white vinegar as well to eliminate these harmful insects.
6. Pepper
Just like peppermint and tea tree oil, pepper is a good home remedy. Pepper is something that fire ants find irritating. So, you can quickly eliminate them by using this one. Using black or red pepper is completely safe and natural, so you don’t need to worry about using it. Just sprinkle pepper if you see these insects inside your house.
7. Neem Oil
If you are looking for a natural remedy in this ‘how to kill fire ants’ guide, you need to check neem oil. Yes, you should know how good neem oil is against harmful insects. Neem tree is widely used in India for killing insects and germs. So, you can use neem oil for repelling fire ants.
8. Boric Acid
If you don’t want to use natural ingredients and want to get a quick result, you can try boric acid. This is an effective poison that helps people killing any type of ants. However, you need to keep boric acid away from children and pets as it could be harmful to them as well.
9. Borax
Just like boric acid, borax is another effective home remedy for removing insects. Well, if you are wondering, borax and boric acid are not the same. To use borax, first make a solution of sugar, warm water, and borax. Then apply it to suspected areas. Make sure you are keeping the solution away from pets and children.
10. Coffee Grounds
Coffee ground is another great natural remedy for fire ant, specially brewed coffee grounds are so good for it. To get rid of them, you need to sprinkle the coffee grounds on a disposable surface. The smell will attract them. Also, make sure you are changing coffee grounds often as it becomes dry.
11. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is a great home remedy for killing fire ant. The best thing is, diatomaceous earth is not poison, it’s a type of silica. So, you don’t have to worry about your children. In fact, it can help you kill bugs as well. However, be careful using this silica as it can be irritating for your skin.
12. Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
Last but not least, lemon eucalyptus oil also plays a great role in eliminating fire ants. This oil is used in making candles as it includes citronella which is good for repelling bugs and mosquitoes. However, keep this lemon eucalyptus oil away from children and pets as it can be harmful to them.
How to Keep Fire Ants Away From Home
Finally, you know how to kill fire ants by implementing some simple home remedies. However, you can be prepared to keep these insects away from your home. You just need to do some easy things daily.
- Keep Surfaces Clean
The first thing you need to do is keeping your surfaces clean. Make sure you are cleaning your kitchen surface regularly as these insects prefer this place most. Moreover, you have to make sure that there is no food smell in your house. So, they won’t enter your house.
- Seal Your House
You might know that most fire ants come from little cracks. This is why you need to seal your house properly. Make sure you are checking every corner of your house including windowsills, under doors, and cracks.
- Cover Foods
As we noted above, these insects get inside our houses after smelling food. So, if you are leaving your food open, there’s a higher chance of getting fire ants. So, make sure you are always covering food. Plus, keep sweet foods, sugar, and honey in tight containers.
Conclusion
You see eliminating fire ants can be easier and you can do it by yourself. We have shared twelve best solutions for killing these insects. However, you need to make sure to keep them away from your home or garden. If you need more information, you can get help from an expert.
