Using traps and diatomaceous earth inside, especially behind appliances, can help. Black pepper works, too. Outdoors, ant baits are effective. Beware that some contain pesticides like boric acid and hydramethylnon, which can be dangerous to kids, pets, and tomatoes.
Lemon eucalyptus oil, another natural repellent, may be helpful in keeping ants away from your home. Mix with water in a spray bottle and apply to entry points.
1. Amdro Ant Home Perimeter Ant Bait
The Best Ant Control is one of the most popular on the market, and it’s available in both granules and bait stations. It works by targeting the entire colony rather than just killing ants on contact. Worker ants will pick up this specially formulated bait and carry it back to the queen and other ants, and once they all eat it, the colony dies. You can use this product on lawns, landscaped areas or around structures to prevent ants from entering your home. It kills carpenter ants, argentine ants and other listed ant species, and a 24-ounce bottle will treat up to 1,080 linear feet of exterior perimeter.
This is an outdoor ant killer that doesn’t contain any petrochemical propellants or pyrethrins, and it has low toxicity to mammals when used as directed. It is safe to use around children and pets, but you should keep them away from the treated area until it dries. It should also not be applied to wet ground, and you should avoid using it in vegetable gardens.
This product is simple to use, and all you have to do is sprinkle it over a 1-foot-wide band around your home’s perimeter. It works as a repellent and an insecticide, and it is effective against many different pests, including ants, fleas and ticks. It also leaves behind a revitalizing peppermint aroma, making it a great choice for families with dogs and cats.
2. Mighty Mint Insect & Pest Control
This plant-based spray is safe to use around people and pets when used as directed. It is formulated with natural peppermint oil, which has been documented as an effective insect deterrent and is an efficient contact killer when sprayed directly. It’s also free from common non-natural petroleum ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate.
This concentrate makes 1 gallon of ready-to-use spray, and it’s easy to mix with water in a spray bottle. Its pleasant scent is a good deterrent to insects while repelling mosquitoes and other nuisance pests. It’s ideal for a variety of indoor and outdoor applications.
This powerful insect repellent is formulated with high-strength Northwest peppermint essential oil. Its unique mint smell is pleasing to humans while being irritating to unwanted pests. Its exclusive formula is an effective repellent to a variety of pests, including spiders, ants, roaches, beetles, flies, fire ants, stink bugs, and wasps. It can even kill hornets and hornet spray. It’s a great alternative to toxic pesticides and insecticides. It also doesn’t contain any pyrethrins, which are known to be carcinogenic.
3. Navigator SC Concentrate
When it comes to pest control, precision and efficacy are non-negotiable. Navigator SC is a professional-grade synthetic pyrethroid insecticide meticulously engineered for the critical task of protecting public health and safety. It is designed to combat a multitude of insect species, including cockroaches and mosquitoes, while also killing fleas, bedbugs, and ticks.
This powerful termiticide and insecticide contains 9.1% fipronil, the same active ingredient as Termidor SC and Taurus SC, which makes it a viable alternative for pre- and post-construction subterranean termite control applications. In addition to its termite control abilities, it is also effective against ants and other perimeter pests. This includes acrobat, argentine, big-headed, crazy, carpenter, and odorous pavement ants. It also kills and controls wood-infesting beetles such as carpenter beetles, bark beetles, and emerald beetles.
Apply the product in a trench for termite control or as a spray to treat outside surfaces and along foundation perimeters. When used as a spray, mix the solution at a 0.06% finished dilution and spray up to 18 inches wide around common insect entry points like doors and windows. Aim for a foundation spray band that extends one foot up the structure and six inches out, and follow product label instructions for other application details.
During and after application, all holes in commonly occupied areas that have been treated must be plugged with caulk or foam. This includes soffits, vents, and plumbing and wire penetrations. The product has a short re-entry interval of only three hours and is safe for use near children and pets when used as directed.
4. Spectre PS Aerosol
Spectre PS is a pressurized insecticide in an easy-to-use aerosol with an actuator that gets this product into cracks, crevices and voids where pests hide, crawl, live and breed. It can be used alone or in conjunction with baits and IGRs as part of a comprehensive pest management program.
This nonrepellent aerosol has the active ingredient Chlorfenapyr, which interferes with insect energy production, leading to paralysis and death. It also works to prevent insects from developing resistance to it. This makes Spectre PS great for use around your home, as well as in food storage areas and food-handling establishments. It can be used indoors and outdoors as a crack and crevice treatment, space spray or a direct contact application around the outside of structures.
For indoor use, apply Spectre PS to cracks, crevices, and ductwork, where ants or other pests hide, crawl or congregate. Apply it to weep holes, under siding, in attic vents, wall voids, and behind equipment. Also apply it to interior surfaces in cabinets, pantries, and closets; inside appliances (remove refrigerators and stoves); under sinks; and around doors, windows, walls, and equipment legs and bases.
For outdoor use, spraying for ants as a perimeter spray around the outside of your home or other structures, 18 inches up and out and 18 inches outward to create a barrier. Avoid over-spraying in the grass and on plants. When using on plastic, painted or varnished surfaces, test in an inconspicuous area to make sure it won’t stain or damage them.