Are you looking for the cheapest way to kill ants that are infesting your house?
There are some people who say salt can do it. You should have this condiment already stocked in your kitchen so you don’t have to spend money on it anymore. But is it really effective in controlling ant populations?
If salt is effective, then this could be the cheapest way you can get rid of these pesky creatures. Let us examine the details of this subject and see if this humble condiment can really help us in exterminating ants.
Can Salt kill Ants?
Time magazine published an article in 1937 with the title “Science: Salt v. Insect.” Perhaps this article started the discussion on whether salt can kill ants or not. The article told the story of a certain Dr. Vernon Raymond Haber.
Apparently, Dr. Haber discovered that he can kill insects with some grains of a certain type of salt that is known as Epsom salt. He proved this salt’s power by using it to kill Mexican bean beetles.
When seen on a microscopic level, there may be some truth to the point that this particular article is pushing. The vapor and water present in the air are both absorbed by salt.
Therefore, when salt is exposed in any place where moisture is present, vapor and water will be absorbed.
This must have led backyard scientists to foster their theories all over the internet claiming that salt can kill insects, not just ants, by simply zapping away their moisture contents. That means dehydrating these small critters will kill them.
On a physiological level, insects, including ants, use their exoskeleton to breathe. There are theories that claim salt is able to penetrate the exoskeleton of ants thereby wreaking their internals.
It is akin to snails with their mucus and other exposed parts not able to tolerate salt since it can dehydrate them to death.
It is a small wonder why many people picked up this theory since salt does not contain harmful substances. A small amount of salt cannot adversely affect humans and animals.
How Salt Is Used To Kill Ants
Since salt can be used as an organic way to solve ant problems, many people are interested on how this can be done.
One of the most common ways is to mix some amount of ordinary table salt in pot of boiling water. Wait until the water cools down. Once cooled down, pour the water into a spray bottle. Spray this mixture on all the areas, indoors or outdoors, where ants are present.
Another way is to use this salt and water mixture and pour it directly into the ant nest or ant hill. This will ensure that the whole ant colony will be exterminated. However, the total extermination of the colony will depend on how deep and how complex the colony is.
It is, therefore, necessary to repeat doing this method if ants will again appear after the initial extermination process.
Does Salt attract or repel Ants?
There is another option which requires a certain saline solution that will get rid of ants.
This solution is composed of 25 percent water and salt, 10 percent sugar and 65 percent bran. These substances are mixed together to form a paste.
Ants are supposed to be attracted to this paste. So, you will need to spread it around your house or in the areas where ants are concentrated. Then observe how the ants will respond to this bait.
Do Ants Like or Hate Salt?
There are others who are not convinced that salt can really kill ants. They claim that salt only repels them. But they also believe that ants do not like salt and will not stay in areas that are treated with a saline solution.
In this regard, a solution is also offered that will deter ants from invading your house.
The process requires you to boil water and put in some amounts of ordinary table salt. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and spray it in areas where there are high concentrations of ants.
A detailed process how you can kill ants using salt. Here are the steps.
First Step – use regular table salt and sprinkle it in areas where there are ants. Make sure that the areas you will sprinkle the salt on are completely dry.
Second Step – do this repeatedly ever week until there are no more ants mingling around those particular areas.
Third Step – If there are no more ants present that means the salt has already done its work on the ant colony. Then draw a line using salt at the end of your driveway or any area before entering your lawn. This is to prevent any ant from crossing over to your lawn and into your house.
Fourth Step – If the ants were not repelled by regular table salt, buy a bait trap that is sweet and has boric acid. Boric acid is classified as hydroponic salt. The sugar will attract the ants and eat the boric acid with it. Then they will bring this poison to their colony.
The poison will do its work on the whole colony and hopefully, you will be able to get rid of them. But be careful in using boric acid because they are also harmful to pets and humans.
Using Epsom Salt Will Kill Ants
Previously, Epsom salt was mentioned as effective in controlling ants.
Use it as a deterrent – you can sprinkle Epsom salt to deter ants from infesting your home. Sprinkle it around your house, your pots and around your garden.
Make an Epsom salt solution – get a water bucket and fill it with five gallons of water. Dissolve one cup of Epsom salt in the water.
Pour some of it in a spray bottle and spray the solution on areas where ants are present. Spray it also on your plants. If you see a pile of ants, pick them up and drown them into the solution.
Make an Epsom salt bait – for ants that are invading your home, put some Epsom salt in a bowl. Then place along the areas where ants are crawling. Get some sticks and lean them on the floor or on the wall to the edge of the bowl. The ants will use the sticks to crawl into the bowl.