When it comes to pests, there are no fool-proof solutions. More often than not, the most effective pest control strategies require a combination of steps taken over a period of time. So while this means there is no singular “best” way to get rid of ants, there are some methods that have stood the test of time, and that are tried and true in banishing ants from your home.
1. Put Away the Food
Nothing brings in the ants in faster than a ready food source, especially in the kitchen. In a similar manner, clearing the food will get rid of them just as quickly. This doesn’t mean just picking up the crumbs off the floor or tossing out the garbage. It means washing down the sink for every bit of leftover food and residue; it means spraying the counters with vinegar spray that repels ants. Pretty soon, the trails of ants should disappear, making this one of the best ways to get rid of ants.
2. Seal it Up
It’s one thing when ants find a viable source of food in our homes; it’s another when they have plenty of entry points that lead directly to it. Caulking, sealing, and doing whatever you can around the window sills, doors, and near the foundation are several ways to limit entry against ants.
3. Squash the Source
Ants come from somewhere and it’s usually from an ant hill or hive they have constructed not far from your home. The proximity allows them faster transport of food to the queen of the colony, who is the sole vessel of reproduction in certain varieties of ants. In any case, tracking down and finding the ant’s base camp is the best way to get rid of ants all at once. Spray it down until it is soaked in pesticide or simply pour a pot of boiling water all over it (be mindful of breathing in too much pesticide or burning!)
These ant control methods are among the best ways to get rid of ants, but they are by no means guaranteed. For even better results in how to get rid of ants, get in touch with a local pest exterminator who can also recommend treatments that also qualify as a best way to get rid of ants.