Ants are a common problem for homeowners, but they’re not impossible to get rid of. You’ll need to eliminate the food source that’s attracting them and seal up your home, but there are plenty of natural solutions that work well.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| Ants can cause damage to carpet fibers and backing if left untreated. |
| Attractants like food, moisture, and organic matter can invite ants into your carpet. |
| Natural solutions like vinegar, cinnamon, and bay leaves can be effective at repelling ants from carpet. |
| Professional extermination may be necessary for severe or persistent ant invasions. |
| Regular cleaning, vacuuming, and maintaining a clean home can help prevent future ant infestations. |
In this guide you’ll learn how to get rid of ants on carpet in eight simple steps!
Break Out The Vacuum
Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.
It’s important to take care of the whole house when you’re getting rid of ants on carpet, so be sure to vacuum up any other areas where they might be lurking.
Ants love to get into hard-to-reach places around the house like baseboards and corners of furniture so make sure all those areas are cleaned off too!
Vacuuming regularly will help keep ants from coming back to your home as well as minimize their impact in the here and now.
If you’re plagued by ants and tired of temporary solutions, our guide on How to Get Rid of Ants Permanently can help! Discover the tried-and-true tips and tricks that have kept communities ant-free for years.
Apply Boric Acid
Boric acid is a natural pesticide that can be used to get rid of ants in your home. It’s not harmful to pets or children, but it can cause harm if it comes in contact with hardwood floors, so be careful when applying boric acid around your home.
First, make sure you’re dealing with ants and not another type of insect. If you see large numbers of insects moving along the carpet or other surface and they have wings, they are likely moths or flies rather than ants. Ants tend to travel in smaller groups and don’t fly like other insects do.
Next, apply boric acid directly to cracks and crevices where you believe the ants may be entering your home—the walls near windows and doors are common areas for them to enter from outside sources such as trees or bushes outside your home’s exterior walls
Clean The Carpet With Vinegar
The first thing you’ll want to do is clean the carpet with vinegar. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, and you can find it at any grocery store or other retailer.
Once you’ve cleaned the area with vinegar, let it dry completely. You’ll need to make sure that all of the ants have been removed before proceeding; if not, they’ll simply come back as soon as you leave your home unattended again!
You may notice that there’s an unpleasant smell left behind by this method but don’t worry: there’s an easy fix for that. Just add some baking soda into your vacuum cleaner bag (or just sprinkle some directly onto your carpet) while running it on high heat and watch them disappear!
Don’t let ants ruin your day or invade your space any longer! Check out our guide on How to Get Rid of Ants in the House Quickly for simple, effective solutions that can have you ant-free ASAP
Cut Off Their Food Supply
Here’s a little-known fact about ants: they are like the kids in your neighborhood who only have access to one flavor of ice cream.
If you take away their favorite flavor, they will eat whatever else is available—even if it’s just an off-brand knockoff of the original. This means that by removing all food sources, you can make it impossible for them to survive on your carpeted flooring.
To do this, remove any crumbs or spills from around your home and clean up any spills immediately. Remove pet food and water bowls as well; ants love both!
If you have children who tend to drop their snacks on the floor, keep an eye out for these little guys because they’re sneaky little buggers who’ll even come for food that isn’t even touched by humans such as sugar packets or cracker crumbs (yuck).
| Methods | Description |
|---|---|
| Store food in airtight containers | Prevents ants from accessing food sources |
| Clean up spills and crumbs immediately | Reduces the amount of food available to ants |
| Take out trash regularly | Removes attractants from the home |
| Wipe down counters and surfaces | Eliminates residue that can attract ants |
| Sweep floors regularly | Removes debris that can be a food source for ants |
Seal Up Your Home
You can seal up your home to prevent ants from entering in the first place. For example, caulk cracks in the foundation and any other areas where you think ants might be coming through. If there are any holes around doors or windows, seal them up with caulk as well.
If there are gaps between the wall and flooring, that’s another place for ants to enter—so you’ll want to make sure those areas aren’t accessible for an ant colony!
Carpenter ants may be a threat to the structural health of your home, making their removal a top priority. Learn how to naturally eliminate this invasive species with our How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants Naturally guide, featuring safe and effective home remedies
Spread Some Cinnamon Around
There are two ways to go about this: you can sprinkle plain cinnamon on the carpet, or you can use cinnamon oil.
The latter is more potent and will be able to kill more ants (and other bugs in general), but it’s also toxic and should be used with caution.
If you decide on using cinnamon oil, don’t get too close when spraying it—the ants will die from being exposed to the fumes before they even come close enough for contact. Remember that if you use either method of using cinnamon as a repellent for your ant problem, make sure that neither children nor pets ingest any of these substances!
Use Caulk To Seal Up Cracks
If you have a large crack in the wall, caulk is not an effective solution. It can work for smaller cracks and crevices, but only if you use a thick layer of caulk that fills the entire space between your carpet and baseboards.
If you’re using caulk to stop ants from coming through floorboards or baseboards, it’s best to seal up all holes in those spaces with another type of material like foam insulation (as opposed to just using caulk on top of them).
Find The Queen And Kill It
If you find the queen and kill it, the rest of the colony will die.
Lift up a corner of the carpet, then lay a newspaper or plastic sheet on top of the flooring underneath. You can also use insecticidal powder to treat areas where you think ants may be living or traveling through.
Pour an ant killer onto a sponge and gently rub it into your carpet until all visible signs of ants are gone—don’t forget to spray along baseboards, windowsills and outlets as well!
To keep ants from disrupting your daily routine or invading your space, try implementing simple methods suggested in our How to Keep Ants Away guide. From sealing food containers to using natural deterrents, discover effective ways to prevent ant infestations before they start.
Set Out A Trap
Now that you know how to recognize an ant problem, you’re ready to take action. The first thing you should do is set out a trap.
A good bait for ants is something sweet and sticky—a piece of bread with honey spread on it works well.
Set the trap near where you see the ants, but not so close that they’ll be able to reach it from their nest (you can use this trick to find their nest).
Check back every few hours and check whether any ants have been caught in your trap; if so, move it away from your home before releasing them again at another location out of sight from other people or pets.
| Types of Traps | Description |
|---|---|
| Bait traps | Pre-filled with insecticide or a sweet liquid to attract ants |
| Homemade borax traps | Mixes borax, sugar, and water to create an ant-killing solution |
| DIY sticky traps | Uses a mixture of peanut butter or honey, and adhesive to trap ants |
| Natural traps | Uses essential oils, vinegar, or diatomaceous earth to kill or repel ants |
| Electronic traps | Kills ants with electrical shock or zaps them with UV light technology |
Make Some Diy Ant Poison
Another option is to create homemade ant poison. It’s very simple, but you’ll need some time to let it work.
Mix one part boric acid powder with eight parts water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the solution directly onto ants that you see on your carpet or floor (don’t spray the nest). This should be done every couple of days until there are no more signs of ant activity.
Another way to get rid of ants? Spray them with vinegar! Vinegar is an acidic liquid that many insects find unbearable, so it can be used as an effective repellent against ants as well.
To apply this method, mix two cups of water with one cup of white vinegar in a spray bottle and apply liberally around areas where you think you may have seen ants the nest included!
Be sure not to use this method if pets or children will come in direct contact with it because they may suffer from burns if they do so accidentally
Finding ants in sugar can make cooking and baking a hassle, but our guide on How to Get Rid of Ants from Sugar has got you covered! By implementing a few tips and tricks, you can protect your sweet supplies while eliminating the sneaky pests
Liberally Apply Some Wd-40
You can use WD-40 to get rid of ants on carpet. This is an excellent option because it’s a water-displacing spray that can also be used as a solvent and lubricant. It’s great for cleaning, protecting, and lubricating all sorts of things—including your carpets!
WD-40 works by attacking the cuticle (the outermost layer) of the ant’s exoskeleton so that they dehydrate and die off easily after being sprayed with it.
You must be sure to treat areas where you’ve seen ants before because otherwise you’ll just be killing them off at one spot only for them to come back in another area later on down the road.
Rinse With Soapy Water
The next step is to rinse the carpet with soapy water. You can use a mixture of water and dish soap, or a spray bottle filled with a little bit of dish soap mixed with warm water.
Spray the mixture onto the area where you found ants, and let it sit for several minutes before rinsing it away again. Repeat as necessary until your infestation has subsided completely.
Conclusion
If you’re still struggling with ants after trying all of these methods, it may be time to call in the professionals. Ants can be a real nuisance and cause damage to your home and belongings, so it’s important to take them seriously.
The good news is that since they are social insects who live together in colonies, getting rid of them should be easy if you know what you’re doing! Just follow our tips above and remember: don’t panic!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources that may help you tackle your ant problem:
Fosburit’s guide on How to Get Rid of Ants on Carpet: With easy-to-follow instructions, Fosburit’s guide provides both natural and chemical-based solutions for getting rid of ants on carpet.
Today’s Homeowner guide on How to Get Rid of Ants in Carpet: This guide offers a variety of methods to eliminate ant infestations in carpet, from using natural solutions to applying insecticides.
Happy DIY Home’s article on Carpet Ants: Get familiar with carpet ants and how to identify these pests with Happy DIY Home’s comprehensive article. You’ll learn about the behavior of these ants, how they reproduce, and what to do if you spot an infestation.
FAQs
Can ants damage carpet?
Yes, ants can damage carpet by creating nest sites, chewing through fibers, and loosening the backing. In addition, some ant species may secrete formic acid that can discolor or weaken carpeting.
What attracts ants to carpet?
Ants may be attracted to carpet fibers that contain food particles, sweat, or other organic materials. They may also be searching for a source of moisture, especially during dry periods.
Can vinegar get rid of ants in carpet?
Yes, vinegar can help eliminate ants in carpet if used properly. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and apply the solution to areas where ants have been seen. Repeat as necessary.
How can I prevent ants from coming back to my carpet?
To prevent ants from returning to your carpet, make sure to clean up spills and crumbs immediately, vacuum regularly, and use a pet-safe insecticide around the perimeter of your home. You can also try natural ant repellents like cinnamon, bay leaves, or peppermint.
When should I call a professional to treat an ant infestation in my carpet?
If your ant infestation is severe or persists despite your best efforts, it may be time to call a professional exterminator. They have the experience and expertise to identify the cause of the infestation and recommend effective treatment options.
Hello! I’m Hellen James, and I write about how to keep pests from invading your home. For the last 10 years, I’ve been working in pest control and am excited to share my expertise with you!
