Here is something kind of random but I was dealing with this the other day and thought some of you might be interested as well.
If you have any of those pesky little ants wandering around the house or yard you might try this little trick to get rid of them.
My Dad taught me this a few years ago when we had a trail of ants marching across the front stoop of the house. Call me a terrible person, but any sort of rodent, bug, snake comes along and I am ready to put the house up for sale.
In California, ants can really be a problem and I absolutely can not stand them for even a second and this tip has worked like magic for me many times.
Even better you don’t need to buy expensive products, dump all sorts of chemicals around the house or mix up complicated DIY recipes.
Just grab a standard box of corn starch- my box was $1.00 at Walmart so you can certainly be generous in applying this.
And dump it all over the ants. You want to be sure the corn starch is in the path they walk because you want them picking it up and carrying it back home with them.
I just went out side two days ago and found a bunch of ants crawling around the garbage can (BLECH!).
Now I wasn’t that interested in becoming close friend with these things so it is hard to see but we had a bunch of them climbing all over in the trash and just under the trash.
So I followed the crack in the pavement and dumped the cornstarch generously over the path they made, where they came from and the spot on the ground under the trash.
If this is in your home you can just put the cornstarch in a measuring cup and pour it right over the path they are marching in.
I had a pretty good size patch so I just used about 1/3 of the box and dumped it everywhere. You need a bit of patience to allow them ample time to carry the cornstarch back. So I would wait at least 24 hours.
Next get the ants wet. The cornstarch will become like a cement mixture and will kill the ants. If this is outdoors- turn on sprinklers or use a watering can to get the cornstarch piles nice and very damp. If this is indoors, you might try a spritzing bottle or something.
I spread this on Monday and we were actually not home yesterday. I did check it out this morning (Wednesday) and we still have a little pile of corn starch to be rinsed away but not an ant in sight!
So this is worth a shot- just note they will still slug around in the corn starch for awhile but they should be gone within a day or two.
UPDATE: This has worked many times for me since posting a few years ago. This year we actually had a MOUNTAIN of ants that suddenly popped up in the backyard. Like I initially though there was an oil spill or something because the pavement was totally black. I put down a box of Cornstarch and allowed the sprinklers to come on as usual. I repeated with a second box of cornstarch the next day and again the sprinklers just hit the spot to get the cornstarch wet. Every single ant was gone within a few days. Booyah!
Check out my DIY Pinterest board for more easy tips and tricks.
Kathy says
No It doesn’t Charlene but I think Wendy is giving an FYI that if you have pets the suggested corn meal DIY might not be the best choice.
Shelli says
We have poured club soda over ant hills. Works by sucking all oxygen out of nest.
Betsy says
Hi Charlene,
Ok! I poured the cornstarch on the trail of ants! Step one complete! When I get them wet, do I have to wet the ant hill? Because I can’t find it. Thanks for the post!
Charlene says
Betsy- no I like to jump dampen the cornstarch trail. With a spritzer if you have that or a watering can or something. You don’t want a gush of water to wash away the cornstarch just dampen. Good luck- they will do the work for you if you are patient for a day or two so they can take it back to the ant hill for you.
Kay says
We use dry hominy grits, then when they drink it expands and kills them. All you do is provide the grits for them to take.
Heather says
We are moving and I have dug up all my raspberry plants and put them in pots. They are now crawling with ants. I realize that it is outside but I do hate it when they crawl all over my arms when I tend to them. Do you know if the cornstarch will do harm to my berry plants?
Dave Posh says
Another method, especially if you have a pool with a DE filter, is to pour some of the diatomaceous earth (DE) where they walk. DE is like microscopic razor blades. Instant exsanguination.
Ann-Marie LeBlanc says
I want to try this but have a question for you first. I’ve tried the borax thing in the past , worked somewhat but killed the lawn. Will this happen with the baking powder. Want to know what to expect. Hoping your idea works !
Charlene says
Ann-Marie- you mean Corn Starch? Borax is pretty toxic so that doesn’t surprise me. I literally just used this on the corner of our lawn last week in copious amounts because we had a swarm of ants and I did not notice any difference at all in the yard. You can always be super safe by testing it on a small corner patch somewhere though.
Ann-Marie LeBlanc says
Thank you Charline. And yes I meant Corn Starch duhhh ! lol Yes I will try it !
alyssa says
Do you wet the corn starch down right away or wait a while?
Charlene says
Alyssa– I like to wait a little while so they track the corn starch back.
Lupe Marsden says
This worked great!!! Did an ant hill outside and had ants in the kitchen and bathrooms! Pour a bunch all over and went to bed. Didn’t care if my little ones touched it in the morning since it’s only cornstartch! Love toxic free because I had a 2 & 3 year old!
Charlene says
So glad to hear that Lupe 🙂
Jolinda says
Any ideas for ants crawling on the side of the house? Just saw them today and don’t want them to find a way in the house. I’m not sure the corn starch will stick well enough on the brick.
Charlene says
Jolinda– another person mentioned vinegar. Maybe put it in a spray bottle? I haven’t tried it but that would be my first suggestion.
Susan says
Just put vinegar 1 part to 3 parts water in a spray bottle, and wipe down your counter tops, spray by windows, doors anywhere you see them. It does work and will not hurt pets.
Helen says
You can buy sticks of cinaimun put a half in your window and a piece in the corner of your doors that go out side and they are gone. I don’t if cinaimun in ground up form will work or not. Good luck it does work.
Catherine Wible says
I have an even cheaper, and faster way to rid your yard of ants. Just pour boiling water on the ant hill. You need to use a lot because ants live very deep under ground, but it kills on contact with no dangerous chemicals, no mess, and no cost!
Mary Elliott says
Unless you have fire ants, carpenter ants, or ants in the house, it’s just a bad idea to kill ants. They are very beneficial in the lawn and garden, aerating the soil and incorporating healthy organic material into it. Plus, killing the workers is rather inefficient as the queen is in the mound producing more to replace them. If you do have ‘bad ants’, it’s better to use a targeted ant bait that the workers will not only eat and then die, but will also feed to the queen–stopping the problem at the source. Ladies, let’s pull on our big girl underwear, and stop killing things that don’t need to die just because they’re ‘icky’. Everything has an important place to fill in the balance of nature.
Charlene says
LOL- Mary I appreciate the sentiment but I don’t think it is sanitary to have trails of ants coming through your home. It isn’t a matter of being a big girl, it is a matter of not having bugs walking across the kitchen floor. We had some in our master bathroom earlier this summer and I am certainly not immature for using this method a few times to remove the ants. I am not sharing my toothbrush with insects.
Stacy says
Works for fire ants on (and under) my patio planters. My friend told me to do this years ago. Sprinkle it on and around and they disappear over time.
DottieK says
Stacy: What were you talking about when you referred to ‘this’ . Cornstarch, vinegar or what as several things were mentioned. I have ants on occasion – inside and out. Not happy about it as they are not invited guests…… oh, I mean pests! LOL
kz1 says
Ants aren’t unsanitary, btw. You can actually use the dirt from an ant mound to cover an open wound in a survival situation cuz it’s sterile. Clean little buggers they are.
Mai says
totally agree with not destroying ants in lawns. And why would they be on toothbrushes? They are not roaches. One way is to put rice flour outside the home so they stay outside and happy.
Cheryle says
I have the small black ants in my kitchen, bathrooms and a few in the living room, they don’t have a path that I can see and not sure where they are coming in at. Will this work to put the cornstarch on the counter’s and around the sink? I hate having my young grand-daughter’s around them.
Donna says
Does corn starch, corn meal, baby powder, etc works for fire ants?? Any tips??
Kitty says
Charlene. What Mary Elliot was saying re: not killing things that don’t have to die is to not kill them when they are outside of your home. She began her comment with “UNLESS you have fire ants, carpenter ants, or ants inside the house…” No one said you should share your home with insects. But you mentioned killing them while they were OUTSIDE, which is unnecessary and possibly detrimental.
Charlene says
Hi Kitty- what she said is to “put my big girl underpants on” which is inappropriate. As for not killing the ants outside- I think we can all make our own decisions. If people are reading this post it is because they have ants and they don’t want them. This is a simple, nontoxic way to remove them. I remove the ants if they become a problem. If they are inside my home, creating a trail from the outside to the inside of the home, crawling all over my trash cans, on the dog’s dishes, creating large hills in the middle of the children’s play area and so on. That is my choice and if others have similar problems they can try this to get rid of the ants. If they are not bothering you then there is no need to take any action. Regardless of your stance on ants we can be respectful of each other and not insulting right?
Abby says
Sorry for those who don’t think you should kill the ants, but… Several members of my family are allergic to ant bites and we absolutely do not want them in our houses. Therefore, it is the best thing to make sure they are gone from our houses. We do the cinnamon thing, plus spray outside.
Jenice James says
Thank you ladies for the tips for getting rid of the ants i almost called in the BIG GUNS. Now that its getting warmer I’m seeing them in my bathroom and bedroom and I clean everyday. so thank you so very much because I’d rather not bathe or sleep with them.
Dianne Betsey says
Hello! I’ve tried cinnamon. It works somewhat, but it stains your carpet if you use it in the crevice between the carpet and wall. Just learned about homini grits and tried it. Ants in bedroom and bathroom disappeared. I didn’t add anything. Just sprinkled or dumped grits where I saw ants congregating. I’ve also tried boiling water. It works instantly, but if you can’t get boiling water on the queen, she just keeps producing ants. After days of splashing boiling water in the same area, you get water damage. I have not tried the cornstarch yet.
MARLA says
just don’t know where black carpenter ants source is thus don’t know where to put treatments …seem only in kitchen. Used traps and sprays with no success
Michi says
I see a lot of people saying that ants are beneficial for the soil. Even if this true, the major ant species found in Florida is actually an invasive and causing great destruction to native species and their habitats. So, if you’re talking about the fire ant of the southeast, don’t feel bad whatsoever in killing those f****ers.
Cem says
Hi
Ants are crawling all over my young apple tree. It’s only the second year it’s with me and it’s still very small. Any suggestions on how to move them on as I’m not sure cornstarch will work on a tree with tiny apples growing.
Charlene says
Cem- I just went to a butterfly house and they have sugar water all over to attract butterflies and I asked how they keep ants away. They said they spray outside daily with a combo of dish soap and water. I don’t think cornstarch would hurt your tree but you could also try that at the base of the tree.
Iola says
I have a terrible ant problem and tried this and it did not work at all.
Charlene says
Hi Lola,
That is very surprising to me. Did you sprinkle it exactly on the trail they walk- so they can’t just sidestep the corn starch and leave it for a day or so? Did you try getting the corn starch wet? This for sure works so maybe double check how you did this. It isn’t possible for the ants to slog through the corn starch and continue to live so maybe they found an alternate path around it.
Tera says
Do you have any suggestions for boxelder bugs? They get in between my screens and windows and then die. It is very hard to remove them in between this small area!
colby says
I have little ants in my car that’s been sitting what will work that won’t harm my carpet or paint?..
Noelani says
Febreze kills ants instantly and smells great!
Charlene says
Hi Noelani,
Some people try to avoid Febreze because of how toxic the chemicals in it can be. That is a great tip if you are comfortable using that product.
I am not a toxicologist I just didn’t know that myself until a few years ago when readers alerted me to some concerns over that type of product.
Here is a quick something you might want to look at:
http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/1659-FebrezeFabricRefresher
malia says
I agree with not killing something that is meant to be in the eco system…but I’m glad to come across this as our property has 5 huge fire ant mounds. I’d like to let my youngest to play outside more without worrying about being stung. I will try this, so thank you!
Shari Harris says
A sure way that works evey time is to shake a powder cleanser like comet, Ajax etc. along the door way. Just a thin solid line will do. They will not cross that path and you’ll never have a problem again.
Shari
Sharon says
I like the comet on the doorway, just want them to stay outside… Don’t really want
To kill good ants and then have fire ants move in.
kc says
I use Baking Soda. Works Great.
Aria says
Flour works great too and probably the cheapest of them all. Just vaccuum right up.
Bill Mobile says
Have a container full of ants. Tried this several times without success. Now going to try diatomaceous earth
JLS says
Food grade diatamiuos earth. Naturally gets rid of all bugs, including slugs.