Non Toxic Ant Killer for Outdoors – 10 Ways to Get Rid of Ants.
Anyone who has ever had an ant problem in their home knows that they can be incredibly difficult to get rid of. While there are many commercial products on the market designed to kill ants, there are also a number of natural remedies that can be just as effective. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most popular natural ant killers and discuss how they work. We will also provide tips on how to use them effectively. So if you're looking for an alternative to harsh chemicals, check out these non toxic ant killer for outdoors.
Best Ant Sprays without Toxic Chemicals
Are you tired of ant infestation in your garden, porch or backyard? Are ants getting into your home and crawling all over the floors and kitchen countertops? You might feel like you have tried everything. You may be considering calling a professional exterminator to take care of this problem once and for all. But before you do that, give our non toxic ant killer for outdoors a try. Pest control can be a tricky issue since many of the products on the store shelves have multiple warnings. If you have concerns over those products but need an effective way to get rid of ants for good, there are some non-toxic solutions you can try!
Understanding Ant Colonies to Find out How to keep the Ants Away
Ants are among the most successful creatures on earth, with an estimated 10 quadrillion individuals scattered over all continents except Antarctica. They are nevertheless frequently unwelcome visitors in human settlements, either for their presence in homes and structures or for invading non-human habitats. Ant colonies may also be viewed as undesirable and troublesome, due to their burrowing and mound-building activities that may pose a threat to infrastructure such as roads and plants.
Ants are incredible creatures that have adapted to almost every environment. There are over 12,000 different types of ants in the world and each one has a unique role in its ecosystem. Some species work as predators, while others act as scavengers or Farmers. Fire Ants are known to form symbiotic relationships with aphids. Aphids feed off of plants and in return, ants protect them from predators. Ants may be a nuisance for homeowners due to their presence indoors, but they can also become a problem in non-human habitats as well. For example, carpenter ants that invade a house or wooden structure will not only damage the home itself, but can also cause a number of hazards to a homeowner's health.
Worker ants will establish a scent trail that they will follow back to their colony. They will also leave pheromones behind so other ants can find the food source as well, creating a non-stop cycle of ants feeding on the non toxic ant killer for outdoors bait until all available non toxic ant killer is gone.
Another non-human problem that ants contribute to is the disruption in insect life cycles. For example, ants will prey on butterfly and bee larvae for food. This means that there are fewer butterflies and bees being produced over time. Since they serve as pollinators for plants, this is another reason to get rid of ants in your garden.
Why Choose a Non Toxic Ant Killer for Outdoors
We have had ant problems around the house and lawn, off and on for quite a few years. I always notice some years are worse than others.
While having the insect exterminators spray for ants is the ultimate fix, we have a few reasons for trying to avoid calling them if possible. For one, we are always concerned about our organic garden getting over sprayed by insecticides. Professional exterminators often offer a guarantee of getting rid of ants, which makes them a good option. However, our concerns about overspraying our organic garden and then indoor use around our dogs often have us talking ourselves out of calling them!
We also have a few pets around the house that will sometimes naughtily get into plants or vegetables. The last thing I want is to worry about pesticides all over the place. If you have small children, there's also the concern they could touch areas that have been sprayed with instant kill pesticides or contact spray– something that could pose a danger if ingested or transferred to the eyes.
Of course, ants are everywhere outside, and we don't necessarily want to rid ourselves of all of them since they do eat other more destructive insects, and often keep to themselves. It's only when they are taking over we have to do something about it! Indoor ants can be problematic for several reasons. Ant invasions can contaminate food and backstock in the pantry– which is an issue right now with grocery prices increasing. The last thing I want to see is an entire container of food ruined with ants enjoying it! Ants can also have entry points leading into the house through dirty areas outdoors. They can track through trash, waste water and more, leading to risk of disease.
Those little black ants your grandparents always said were harmless? It turns out they can track bacteria and other contaminants around your home. They can even track salmonella, something you don't want around your counters or kitchen sink!
So, we researched the best ways with natural methods of getting rid of ants, and keeping them gone! Check out these Natural Ant Killers or Deterrents here!
CINNAMON:
Ants do not like the strong smell and taste of cinnamon. The good thing is that it won't harm your plants! Just sprinkle cinnamon around the base of your plants where the ants are forming their usual trails. For this purpose, I would use the cinnamon that you can find in bulk, either at the bulk shopping grocery store like Winco, Costco, and Sam's. Or find it here on Amazon.
There is no difference in quality of cinnamon here, so use what you can find at the lowest cost. You might even try cinnamon sticks if that is all you can find.
PEPPERMINT:
If you have the opportunity to plant Peppermint, give it a try! This companion plant smells great and naturally deters insects.
If you don't have room or just don't feel the need to invest in peppermint plants, you can try crushing small amounts of peppermints around the garden or use peppermint essential oil. Use caution around pets when using peppermint oil and don't use any sugar free varieties since they can be toxic to dogs.
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH:
This natural, powdered sedimentary rock is a very fine form of fossilized diatoms. Since it's so coarse and absorbent it works well as a natural pesticide.
Diatomaceous Earth absorbs lipids from the exoskeleton of the ants and makes them susceptible to dehydration. Since it's naturally found in the environment, you don't have to worry about adding harsh chemicals to your lawn and garden.
Find Diatomaceous Earth on Amazon, and in natural food and health supply stores.
LEMONS & ORANGES:
Most of us don't have a lemon or orange tree on the property, but if you buy fresh fruits often, be sure to save those lemon and orange peels!
You can run them through the food processor to rough chop them, then scatter around plants as a Natural Ant Killer. Use pieces about the size of a quarter in the garden. Citrus oil is toxic to certain kinds of pesky ants! So don't forget to use your lemon juice.
WHITE VINEGAR:
I buy my white vinegar in bulk since I use it all over the house for natural cleaners and more. For repelling ants you can use a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water.
Use a spray bottle and label properly so you're not guessing at which spray to use. This vinegar and water mix can be sprayed directly onto ants or ant mound to kill them.
It's also great for those ant trails you see inside the house…the last thing I want to use in my kitchen and around food is a bug spray! This one works just fine and you can wipe it up with a towel. You can also fill up one of those large gallon sprayers and spray the perimeter of your home and door frames. So easy. Pets do not like the scent of vinegar but it shouldn't be harmful. Be sure to wipe up immediately.
Do not use as a preventative since vinegar is harsh on most surfaces.
CAYENNE PEPPER OR BLACK PEPPER
I had good results with cayenne pepper around the base of my plants. You do have to keep on top of it. Don't forget to add more as needed.
Cayenne works as a barrier, so for best results sprinkle in a line to block the ants where they usually form a line. You can make a circle around the base of the plant.
CHALK:
Chalk isn't the first thing we think of when trying to get rid of ants, but if you want to recyle your old sidewalk chalk, this is a way to repurpose it!
Draw a thick line on the concrete where ants usually travel. Although it's unknown why or how chalk can interrupt ant lines–possibly the scent– they typically will stop and reroute their line. Find sidewalk chalk here.
SALT:
We always have a large side canister of salt. Be very careful with sprinkling salt on any grass, vegetation, or even the ground, since it can alter the sodium content of your soil. It can kill grass and plants so use carefully.
However, salt water spray and putting down salt granules can deter ants from traveling across concrete and possibly into the house. It's a good natural ant repellent– think barrier– if you have a lot of it on hand.
CORNSTARCH
While most of us think of cornstarch for cooking, it can be used as a Natural Ant Killer. This idea works better for large amount of ants in a specific location.
Cover the ants in cornstarch and soak with water, OR cover with corn starch and then vacuum up immediately. If vacuuming, dispose of the vacuum contents outdoors, so you will avoid any stray ants within your home. (Healthline).
It's important to note cornstarch won't kill ants on contact so you have to be prepared to remove them.
COFFEE GROUNDS
Coffee grounds can be good for the vegetable garden for several reasons. For one, it supplies soil with acids and extra nitrogen which certain plants love. It's also a safe ant killer.
Ants do not like the scent (possibly) of coffee grounds, and it's a common garden remedy to cover an ant hill with coffee grounds. How well it works might be debatable, however. Since coffee grounds are good for the soil and it's a great way to re-use and recycle something you probably use anyway, we say give it a try! It's a win win for outdoor use. Coffee grounds is an excellent choice to help get rid of other garden pests from your flower beds such as slugs, snails, fruit flies and beetles.
Boric Acid
Boric acid is a slow-acting poison that's mixed with tasty food to make an ant bait depending on the type of ant or species of ants your dealing with. It's the active ingredient you find in most liquid ant bait and bait stations. The worker ants take it back to the ant nest so they can share their findings with other ants in the colony. While doesn't kill the entire ant colony at once it does kill a few at a time .
Liquid bait it's slow acting and may take 3-4 weeks to kill the entire colony.
Thanks for Reading!
I hope some of these non toxic ant killer for outdoors with natural ingredients are useful to you, and will help prevent any unnecessary calls to treat ants. With all these tips we hope you can find the best ant killer without toxic chemicals that is perfect for you. Keep in mind, if you choose a non-toxic remedy or make your own ant killer spray, research any residual effect there may be around. your garden. Ensure the product used will not harm your plant varieties. As you may have guessed, many of these common ingredient products are best used as a preventative measure. If you have an overwhelming ant problem, large ant hills , or dangerous ant species, the best choice is always to consult a professional! Thanks for reading.
Happy gardening!
Disclaimer: This post is for sharing general information only, and tips that have worked for me. Not meant for expert advice, and of course results always vary. Feel free to share on Facebook or in the comments if any of these tips have worked for you!
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH:
This natural, powdered sedimentary rock is a very fine form of fossilized diatoms. Since it's so coarse and absorbent it works well as a natural pesticide.
Diatomaceous Earth absorbs lipids from the exoskeleton of the ants and makes them susceptible to dehydration. Since it's naturally found in the environment, you don't have to worry about adding harsh chemicals to your lawn and garden.
Find Diatomaceous Earth on Amazon, and in natural food and health supply stores.
Need more gardening tips? See more here!
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