Ants in the kitchen are about as appealing as ants in your pants. Not only are they unsightly and unsanitary, but they can also bring bacteria and fungus into your kitchen—yuck! Learn how to get rid of ants in the kitchen:
How to Get Rid of Ants in the Kitchen
1. Store Food Properly
Open boxes of snacks are open invitations to ants. Choose airtight containers for open pantry items—they keep ants out while preserving the freshness of your food. Mason jars and resealable plastic bags are also good options.
2. Set an Ant Bait
Those ants in your kitchen are worker ants who feed the queen and continue to grow the colony. Ant bait will be carried back to the colony and will eventually eliminate the queen and the colony. Put ant baits in the areas where your open food used to be. Be patient—it will take a few days for the ant colony to be eliminated.
3. Clean Up
Ants feed on sticky residue and crumbs, so even if you have your food in sealed storage, the area needs to be food-free. Vacuum the shelves and wipe them regularly. And, don’t forget to clean your food containers too! Finally, clean your floor and cabinets weekly to throw ants off the scent.
If ants still won’t leave your kitchen alone, look into approved sprays for ant elimination. Follow the ants back to their colony outside, and drown the colony using the instructions on the bottle. Good luck with your ant elimination!