That’s right, it’s an ants in my pans scenario. Not in my pants. The situation wasn’t that dire. But about a week ago I awoke to find ants marching all over my kitchen counters and some of them even had the gall to traipse right across our lovely eco-friendly skillet that we had left on the stove to dry. Oh and speaking of our teflon-free/petroleum-free nonstick cookware set that we got this Christmas (a set of Greenware from Cuisinart cookware that we got from Bed Bath & Beyond), here’s the update that many people have been clamoring for: we’ve been using them regularly and can’t get over how awesome they are. Seriously, we love them and highly recommend them to anyone who’s looking to green up their kitchen.
But enough about our pots and pans. Back to the ant problem. Can you believe the nerve of those little buggers invading our kitchen as if they were the ones who spent 113 days without a functioning sink or stove during the renovation? Being truly reluctant to bring any toxins or poisons into our home (and especially into our kitchen) we resisted the urge to snatch up a bunch of ant baits, and instead we made like ants and let our fingers do the walking, er, marching. We just googled “natural ant remedies” and learned that there were a slew of non-toxic everyday items that we could use instead. Here are a few of the all-natural anti ant solutions that we found here.
- Sprinkle cinnamon where you see ants congregating to get them to back off speedily.
- Fill a squirt bottle with plain white vinegar or 50% apple cider vinegar and 50% water and spray down surfaces where you see ants a few times a day.
- Sprinkle black pepper wherever the ants are marching, taking care to find their entry/exit point and sprinkle pepper in that crack as well.
- Shaklee’s Basic H (a nontoxic soap made of soybeans) can be watered down and sprayed where ants are entering/exiting to keep them at bay (this formula may bubble paint so it’s best to use it on counters and other soap & water friendly surfaces).
- Placing bay leaves in corners and cracks where ants emerge can immediately run them off (and they can be left behind canisters and in corners for long-term ant repelling).
- Substituting garlic cloves for bay leaves is also said to work.
So which options from the delightful non-toxic menu above did we choose?
We went with a tasty black pepper and bay leaf recipe. We just sprinkled some black pepper around the counters and into the crack behind the counter where we clearly saw the ants emerging and then shoved a bit of bay leaf down the crack along with laying a few of them out on the counter. We loved that both of these dry ingredients wouldn’t threaten to stain our granite counters or compromise the safety of our cooking surfaces in any way. And the best part? It worked like a charm. No more ants in my pans.
PS: Want some more natural solutions to getting rid of bugs? Learn 7 ways to get rid of fruit flies!
Priscilla says
omg, i had the same issue in my kitchen. but i had read online somewhere about using cayenne pepper. i sprinkled it all around the edges of the counter and before we knew it, they stopped emerging from the edges. that wasn’t the end of them of course. one day, we caught one coming out underneath the sink! ugh! so i sprinkled cayenne pepper underneath the sink as well. for some reason, that didn’t work as well. i told my mil one day, and you’d never guess what she suggested i use to scare the ants away: a crab shell! i still don’t understand why a crab shell or how it works, but she brought one over, we threw it under the sink (why not try right?), and what do you know? it worked! no more ants under the sink or crawling on the counters!
oh, and if you’re wondering how she got a crab shell…she had gone to a chinese restaurant and packed the shell home for us. lol. thats one mother-in-law eh?
Johnna says
In my first apartment we literally had a mouse infestation. The little buggers would do things like chew through the traps, or eat the peanut butter right off them and not get caught. We tried the poision cubes, but they made me sick…so…we found that peppermint oil sprayed around the perimeter of the house detered entry.
Just a tip!
Danielle says
I am glad you posted this. I never knew of another way to get rid of ants besides using chemicals. I have animals in my home so it’s always a concern for me. My dog, a few weeks ago, tried to eat an ant trap. The traps smelled like peanut butter, so I think that was what tempted him. That was enough to scare me to look into other ways, but was coming up empty. Thanks!
courtney D says
Timely post- we’re fighting the same (yearly) battle. I’ve found a white vinegar spritz to be useful (albeit, stinky) solution- especially as a barrier around sweet treats on the counter. I’ve also tried baby powder in the living areas. The ants don’t like walking through the stuff, and it blocks the sent trail, ultimately ceasing the “march.”
Can’t wait to try the bay-leaf/black pepper combo!
JennD says
My mom always says to wash the area down with vinegar and the ants won’t come a knocking :)
Nicole says
I dont have any natural remedies to share but I would really love to know if anyone has had any luck with natural termite remedies. We seem to have been invaded :( and I’d hate to use chemicals but I also dont want to mess around with something this serious! We did consider Terminix but they want $1500 right from the get go and $800 a year after that to maintain the treatment. We just can’t afford that (and it’s those nasty chemicals I dont want around my kids or pets!) Any help?
Starry-Eyed Barefoot Bride says
I’m so glad to hear it worked! I’m normally the person who goes for the organic or “green” cleaners or bug zappers, but even those make me wary in the kitchen. I’m so glad to hear someone use the completely natural variety and had success!
Jennifer S. says
Believe it or not, ants will not cross over a line of chalk. I had a problem with ants coming up my front step and into the house. I drew a pretty thick line with some of my kids sidewalk chalk and no more ants!
Desiree says
We just moved into our house and we have a puppy so we had to go non-toxic to get rid of our nasty ants and we went with the EcoSmart spray. It’s all natural and the top ingredient is cinnamon oil so it actually smells good when you spray it! I mean, if you like cinnamon. ;-) I think there’s something to the cinnamon trick because it definitely works. I’m going to try the bay leaves in the pantry for a long term fix because I saw one yesterday so I know they’re not completely gone but that’s way better than the kabillion that were there when we moved in!
Love your blog!! :-)
NancyV908 says
A few years ago, I solved an ant problem with a not-quite-nontoxic but very effective solution. Basically, it’s borax plus sugar; it’s possible to make it yourself, but I bought it (Terro brand). The sugar attracts the ants, the borax kills them. You put dabs on little pieces of cardboard or wax paper, put the pieces around the house, & wait. The ants eat it (I had ants completely surrounding each dab), then go back to the nest, where they all eventually die. It worked great after a couple of days. It is possible that you will initially get more ants, but in the end it should get rid of them. There are downsides: borax is mildly toxic–way better than harsh chemicals, but not 100%. So you’d need to be very cautious with pets or small children. But frankly, I wanted those suckers destroyed, not repelled. I’m not sure if it’s true, but I did often read that if you don’t kill the nest the ants will eventually return
I tried cinnamon first, with no luck. At my old house I had success fending off carpenter ants with cream of tartar, as I recall, although it looked bad (I applied it at every crack in my kitchen). I’ve often heard peppermint is good (someone at my county extension office told me she’d had great success with a spray, which she applied periodically) but I couldn’t locate it at the time. I think I’ll look into that again.
maria says
wouldn’t adding food stuff to deter ants attract other bugs like roaches, who are drawn to food? i wanted to find natural remedies for bug control too but am too scared!
Eryn says
Does anyone have a solution to uggghh (hate to even say it!) cockroaches ?
Laura says
Clever idea and good job doing it chemical-free! It’s amazing that we go straight to the brand name chemicals for a solution rather than something all natural that’s in our home’s already!
The pots and pans look like a great set as well. From the reviews, I may have to add it to my list of future buys! Thanks!
Gracia says
When you said you let your fingers do the walking, I pictured the two of you playing godzilla with your hands and crushing them to death.
christine says
Ants are on my bad side this morning… they are attacking my young tangerine tree outside in my backyard. Today my mission is to find a chemical-free treatment to save my tree from the ants! Any ideas?
Kellie Alkayam says
Wouldn’t it help to caulk the crack that they’re coming from too?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kellie,
Yup, caulking any and all cracks would certainly help, but the ants were marching up from the tiny hairline space between the granite mini-backsplash and the wall and we love the clean look of the stone in front of the wall without a line of caulk there so we figured if we could run them off without a gooey caulk session we’d be super psyched. Of course if ants were a reoccurring problem we’d definitely reach for the caulk gun, though. Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
Beth says
Nicole-
I’ve asked around about termites also, and there is really not much you can do (naturally) unfortunately. I use Arrow Exterminators and they put little containers int he ground around the perimeter of our house and spray into them monthly. I have 2 dogs and they run all around and it doesn’t affect them at all since they are underground.
They are only $295/year after they are installed, and they WORK. You really can’t mess around with termites, they cause more damage to homes in America than any kind of natural disaster!
Amy@Designing A Life I Love says
I have to tell ya – we live in a home where I fight these little buggers every Spring! I’ve found lots of chemical solutions do the trick, but ever since my babies have come into my life (8 years ago), I feel better using white vinegar. I don’t dilute it (although you could) I just rub some on a dish towel, and rub my cabinets with it. The vinegar smell dissipates within a few minutes, and I feel better knowing I’ve used something VERY SAFE while taking care of a yucky situation! It really does work, and you don’t have pepper or leaves on your cabinet tops!
Denise says
A rainy spring season seems to drive the ants indoors. It’s great to know there are natural ways to get rid of them.
Sherry, someone mentioned termite control. What type of treatment or protection did you and John select for your home?
Sandra says
Ironic. If I ever find ants in my house, it’s usually in my spice cupboard. Someone needs to send them the memo that they’re not supposed to like cinnamon, black pepper, and bay leaves – cause they’re all in that cabinet! I guess that means the canisters are air tight?
Rhianna says
Christine (with the tangerine trees),
I am having a problem with ants (and flea beetle, blech) in my organic raised bed veggie garden at home as well. I did a little search for organic bug solutions, and I found some good info on diatomaceous earth. Basically, it is finely ground fossilized diatom shells. No chemicals. It is a bug killer (not repeller), and the grains microscopically look like little razor sharp snowflakes. When the bugs (including ants) crawl over it, it knicks their exoskeleton, which will cause them to dehydrate in about 48 hours. You sprinkle it around the base of whatever–the sill of your pot, the base of your tree, etc. I bought some at my local nursery for about $5. I was told by one of the nursery owners that it is okay for pets and children, though if inhaled over a prolonged period of time can cause irritation. And of course you should never let it have contact with your eyes, that sort of thing.
I have been using it, but we’ve had tons of rain outside these past few days, and I think that may be interfering with the effectiveness a little.
It may work for you. Just a thought. Definitely read up on it!
Kelly Clawson says
I also heard chalk works. I know that wouldn’t work in your kitchen, but we would use it when we went camping or on a picnic. You just draw a line or a square using the chalk and the ants won’t cross the line!
Jenny Kerr says
who do you do to keep your countertop from staining? Sorry I know it is off topic, but we are wanting this white/gray marble, but every where we go they tell us not to use it for kitchen counters because you can’t ever seal it enough to keep it from staining.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenny,
We actually purchased Stonemark Granite from Home Depot which has a patented “Permashield” protection to keep most stains for sinking in (it never has to be sealed like normal granite). But there was this one time where we totally left gooey blueberries on the counter without realizing that their juice was dripping down and staining the counter. Literally for days.
https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/09/counter-intelligence/
Eeks! The story has a happy ending though. I’m telling you, granite is actually really low maintenance especially the Permashield kind. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Marissa says
I think the vinegar solution works best. I actually clean my kitchen/bathroom counters with a vinegar/water solution and use baking soda for the gritty stains. It works like a charm and I have never seen any ants!
Lizzie says
Thanks for the ant solutions, we unfortunately get them a lot, we have a very wooded buggy lot, and these little guys are always creeping into our kitchen…no matter how well we clean-up after ourselves. I’ve also wanted to know some non-toxic ways to get rid of them, but too lazy to search or never think about it when I’m at the computer. I will definitely be trying the bay leaf option!
bethinNC says
I’ve found mint essential oils work well (or spray some Trader Joe’s or Doc Bronner’s mint castile soap around). I sprinkle peppermint essential oil around doorways or wherever the little buggers are coming in. If they are coming in cracks or little corners, sprinkle some mint essential oil on a piece of tissue or cotton ball and stuff it in the cracks, etc. For fun, draw a circle of mint essential oil around the ant. THey will circle around and around in the little corral and not cross it LOL.
DItto chalk, citrus peels (we left some pieces of my kids’ clementine peels outside on the deck where the ants were coming in). Mixing borax and sugar (starting w/ more sugar so they’ll take the bait, and then take it back to their nest) is a less toxic method, but you wouldn’t want our doggie getting into Borax (or any children).
For fleas, we’ve had good success w/ diatomaceous earth, in case you ever run into flea issues w/ Burger.
I think the ant thing is cyclical. Some years we’ve had the big black ones, some years the little teeny sugar ants, some years none at all. I’ve known a bunch of people nearby that have had the big black ants this year like we have had. The essential oils have kept them away though. Knock on wood.
teresa says
Does anyone have a natural way to get rid of a snake? (that is outside, not inside) My cat is an indoor cat and I don’t know where to get a Mongoose.
Chelsea @ TheVintageChair says
This was so interesting to read! I’ve always wondered if there was a “greener” solution to those pesky ants, and I can’t wait ot try some of these out!
Annie Pazoo says
Yeah, it’s definintely ant season. Luckily we haven’t been hit as hard as in years past (really, this is a major seasonal stressor for me. Ugh). But I’m also not having much luck with the natural remedies (boric acid, borax powder, salt, red pepper, etc.). Keeping my fingers crossed that the ‘season’ is almost over…
P.S. Thanks for the info on the pans — I’ve been wondering if the teflon-free options were any good!
Molly says
We use those green pans also and are very happy with them. We bought some when Linen N Things was going out of business.
Thanks for the all natural ant remedies!
Alysai says
Baby powder! I didn’t want my dog to be exposed to any harsh chemicals so I found that baby powder works very well against ants.
Lisa R. says
Every once in a while, I get batted in the face by fruit flies in our kitchen. I’ve found the best natural remedy is to set out a little cup of apple cider vinegar, covered w/ tinfoil poked w/ a few tiny holes. The flies are attracted to the fermenting smell, go in the holes, and can’t make it back out. Voila!
erica says
Corn starch. I’ve tried it and it works. Just sprinkle in a small pile where you see ants and let em have it. I don’t the they can digest it or something. The ants were gone in a few days and so was most of the corn starch. Who knows!
Marcia says
I can’t wait to try some of these remedies. But the vinegar one has never worked for me. My ants seem to love it.
Stephanie says
We suffered through an awful ant invasion last fall. What mostly worked for us was a combination of what you’ve suggested as well as baby powder and whole cloves (which is probably similar to using cinnamon and bay leaves).
Ultimately, however, we had to use Terro and moved out of the apartment for a few days so our kids would be safe. The ants didn’t come back after that.
Kelly V. says
I don’t know if anyone’s said this or not, but last year we had a terrible ant problem on multiple occasions. We finally called the bug guy and he told us we needed to trim the trees around the house – if there are any branches that graze the house, they are most likely coming in from these branches (They keep their nests/homes below the trees and climb up). We trimmed the trees and the ant problem was solved. To get rid of those inside we just sprayed them with the kitchen counter cleaner – a spritz of that, and then wiped them away! Good luck they are such small little pests!
DJ says
Be careful if you use cayenne pepper… it can permanently stain some surfaces.
Megan says
Mint works well with ants too. We have a lot of ants outside so our plan is to buy a bunch of mint and put it around all of our doors. I have a lot of baking supplies and use mint extract occasionally too. I hate ants! We had a bunch at a previous apartment and could never get rid of them. We eventually went hardcore and bought the bad stuff. It worked great, but I don’t want to use it again now that there’s a baby and pets in our house. I’ll have to remember your recommendations. Any suggestions for slug problems outside the home? I HATE them!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm outdoor slugs are a good question. Haven’t I heard something about salt? Anyone have any info on that subject? Feel free to chime in!
xo,
s
Holly says
not ant related, but natural cleaning:
it’s shedding time for our medium hair cat and she’s been yorking up some nasty hairballs (sorry!) (and always in the middle of the night and I am always the one to wake up – my bf clearly has his daddy ears already). the nasty stain comes up great when i sprinkle baking soda on it and then splash a little vinegar. then i just blot it with a dish towel. the vinegar really bubbles the stain right out of the carpet, even if i let it dry till morning. it sometimes gets a little crunch afterward, but rubbing it down with water helps!
i found this post awhile back and bookmarked it with all sorts of good natural cleaning tips! check it out:
http://newlywoodwards.blogspot.com/2009/04/spring-cleaning-chemical-free.html
Susan says
I’ve been battling sugar ants for the last few weeks. After reading your post, I put out some extra bay leaves that I had around and am keeping my fingers crossed that they work. Thanks for the environmental-friendly suggestions!
Mallory says
a cup of beer on the lawn is supposed to take care of pesky slugs. they crawl in and can’t get out.
Debbie says
Slugs and beer. Put an inch or two of beer in a disposable pie tin, nestle it under shrubs, hostas etc. so it’s close to ground level. They’re attracted to the smell of the beer and crawl in and drown. They come out at night through early am when it’s cooler and more humid so that’s the best time to do it.
Salt does work, but first you have to see them! Sprinkle it on them and it dehydrates and kills them. Beer’s easier.
Caitlin says
I’ve also used Borax with great success. I’ve never mixed it with sugar before though. I’ll have to try that. Thanks for the other suggestions.
Kristin says
Cinnamon will kill ants and keep them from coming back. I have used it outside my house for both purposes (someone spilled sticky juice on our sidewalk last year and the cinnamon did the trick to get rid of the ants). But make sure it is plain cinnamon and NOT cinnamon sugar! :)
jenifriend says
a friend of mine drew a chalk line where the wall meets her countertops and hasn’t had any problems since. might be worth a shot to avoid having heaps of pepper around and bay leaf lying around. :)
ak says
We had an ant (giant-sized ants) problem several years ago. Our landlord offered to have our apartment sprayed, but we didn’t want any chemicals in the air. We tried a few different natural remedies and found that molasses (2 parts), a little sugar (1 part), and some yeast (1 part) seemed to work most effectively. We cut up index cards, put healthy sized drops on each card, and then placed them near the places the ants entered the apartment.
They must have eventually carried the food back to the queen, because after a few weeks we no longer had a problem.
Emily says
Just after reading this post I noticed all these little ants crawling around inside my car. I figure it’s from all the rain we’ve had lately. I vacuumed the car and wanted to make sure they were all gone since I’m driving 3.5 hours to my parents tomorrow with two doberman puppies. Anywho, I sprayed the upholstery with a vinegar/water solution we have around for cleaning, sprinkled cinnamon on all the rubber floor mats and put a few bay leaves on each seat. Hopefully when I leave for work in the morning my car doesn’t smell like a cinnamon-spiced, pickled bay leaf but as long as the ants are gone I don’t think it’ll matter!!
Autumn says
I’ve heard of people having success using raw grits. You sprinkle the grits where the ants can get at them and they pick up each grit and haul it back to the nest. When they actually eat the grits, they expand in the ant’s stomach and POP…no more ants.
I have to be honest with you. I’ve never tried this, but my grandmother swore it would kill any ants that showed up, and I can’t actually recall ever seeing an ant in her kitchen.
Sherrie says
We had ants in our home office of all places. We do not keep food there, just water glasses occassionally, so don’t know what they were looking for.
I saw a blog that tried sprinkling cinnamon everywhere, but I opted for some cinnamon sticks that I decorate with at Christmastime and within less than two days they were completely gone.
Jenny K says
Thanks so much, it always looks like marble in your pictures. I looked at the granite at Lowe’s (at least ours) and didn’t see anything like it. I will be driving to the Home Depot in Bloomington it looks like! Thanks so much for the help!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenny K,
John actually just reminded me that we’ve heard that our “Pashmina” granite from Home Depot has been discontinued through them but any stoneyard should carry it (just by another name). You might have an easier time tracking it down if you described it as white and gray and veiny with flecks of garnet in it. Hope it helps! Happy hunting…
xo,
Sherry