Ants are annoying, but they’re also a significant problem. They can ruin your kitchen, your garden, and even your office.
Even worse, getting rid of them is a huge hassle. Hence, it's not uncommon for some to wonder and ask, "Does vinegar kill ants?"
That's especially since many swear by the effectiveness of this common and easily accessible ingredient as an insect repellent.
Does Vinegar Kill Ants or Repel Them?
You won't be worried about killing ants when using vinegar to remedy these tiny creatures in your home or office.
Even though it won’t kill ants, it can prevent them from finding food.
Remember that in order to alert the rest of the colony that food is nearby, ants leave behind tiny odor trails.
That’s why they’re lined up in a row on your kitchen floor.
The vinegar’s odor can confuse them and cause them to lose their way.
They're likely to stay away from the house or permanently leave because of the smell of vinegar, especially dried vinegar.
To What Extent Do Ants React to Vinegar?
As mentioned, the pungent odor of vinegar covers up ant trails, making it difficult for other ants to follow them.
Additionally, because of its strong smell, ants avoid going near vinegar. Since vinegar is acidic, it has the potential to alter the pH levels in ant bodies, potentially leading to death.
However, the phenomenon is exceptionally uncommon.
Despite the potential effectiveness of vinegar in repelling insects, you should always remember that vinegar isn’t a permanent solution to ant infestations.
For effective and permanent ant removal, spreading the vinegar solution over the affected areas at least three times a week is reasonable.
If you’re worried about getting ants in your home because of nearby infestation areas, consider installing an ant bait or ant deterrent near those areas.
These devices are designed to attract and trap ants so they can be removed from your home safely and effectively without leaving any traces of their presence.
Besides this, you can also hire professional pest controllers to avoid all the hassle of getting rid of ants yourself.
How to Get Rid of Ants Using Vinegar
Now that you know the answer to "Does vinegar kill ants?", it's time to solve your ant problems at home.
There are several ways to use vinegar to repel ants without resorting to chemicals or messy sprays.
Here are some of our highly recommended methods:
Place Pure Vinegar Where the Ants Enter
The first step is to find out where the ants are coming from by using baiting methods known to be effective in locating the ants' colony.
You can place sugar water or sweet food near the kitchen doors or countertops to help tell you exactly where the ants are coming from.
If you think this method is messy, you can try looking for leaks or other places where moisture might be entering your house.
Moist places are usually the entry point for ants to invade your house.
Once you find out where ants are coming into your house, implementing an insect control solution is easy.
All you have to do is follow these steps:
- Pour some vinegar into a small container and place it near where they are coming in.
- Leave it there for about three days before moving it somewhere else nearby that is inaccessible to humans or pets.
Once this has been done, check back every few days until all signs of ant activity have stopped.
It might take about two weeks for ants to avoid the area where you placed the vinegar solution.
Keeping the solution for a prolonged period is essential because even if you controlled the initial ant infestation, there is a danger of recurrent ant infestation.
Apply Diluted Vinegar to Ant Hills
You can also make and apply an easy and effective DIY solution directly to ant hills. You can also sprinkle it around the perimeter of your house.
This DIY mixture will help scare away the ants since they dislike the smell of vinegar.
To create this DIY mixture, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 2 cups of water
- 1/2 cup of white vinegar (or any other kind of vinegar)
To make this DIY ant repellent, here are the steps you need to take:
- Mix the ingredients in a large container.
- The mixture will turn cloudy and smell like vinegar for about 30 minutes.
To get rid of ants, you just need to pour the solution over an ant hill or apply it directly to an ant problem as needed.
You can use this mixture repeatedly if you want. It takes about five minutes per application.
Use DIY Vinegar Traps
To make a vinegar trap, pour some vinegar into small bottles and carefully place them around where you suspect ants live (you can also make a trail of them).
Make sure you don’t leave any holes uncovered; you don’t want them getting out of this trap.
If you have a heavy ants problem, try sprinkling some sugar on top of the vinegar and watch as they crawl around trying to get at it. They definitely won’t like this trick.
When ants come over, they'll sniff off the vinegar. Since they hate strong smells, they will soon disperse away.
Use DIY Vinegar Spray
You can also spray some dishwashing liquid with vinegar since dishwashing soap has high oxidant qualities, which deter ants.
Spray this mixture everywhere in the house to ensure that these pesky little buggers touch no part of your house.
Vinegar as an Effective DIY Ant Solution
Vinegar is a classic home remedy for cleaning and disinfecting purposes. Some also use it to get rid of spider egg sacs and other insects and bugs.
When used correctly, vinegar is a safe and effective ant repellent but won’t kill ants. Also, it isn’t a long-term solution.
Ants will find another way in or out of your home, so if you’re looking for a quick fix that will last long, you’ll need to look at other effective solutions.
Additionally, if you use vinegar on small areas such as the kitchen counter or table legs, ensure they’re not accessible to kids or pets to avoid any mishap.