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By: Francisco Guzman | Updated: Aug 13, 2021 | How Stuff Works

Ants invade homes for one reason: food. Whether you left crumbs on the kitchen table or forgot to take the trash out, where there’s food, there are ants. Ants aren’t all bad. They help to clean up dead animals and naturally create topsoil as they burrow into the ground. But they can also pose a danger to you and your home.

Ant bites aren’t only annoying, they can trigger an allergic reaction in some people. A typical ant bite can cause pain and discomfort, but bites from a fire ant can lead to difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, nausea, and dizziness. While fire ants pack a big sting, other ants can do different types of damage.

Carpenter ants, similar to termites, can cause damage to your home’s walls, decks, doorframes, and other wooden materials. These ants create nests in wooden areas that are moist and starting to decay and cause damage by tunneling through the wood.

But if your home has become infested with ants, don’t worry. Getting rid of them is fast, easy, and cheap. Most of our suggestions below use ingredients that are safe to use around babies and pets. Here are some home remedies to quickly and successfully rid your house of ants.

How to Get Rid of Ants

White vinegar: Mix a solution of one part white vinegar to one part water or just use straight vinegar. Wipe your counters, tables, appliances, and jars with the solution to kill ants and prevent them from returning. Although you won’t be able to smell the scent after a while, ants will.
Hand soap: Spray a soapy water solution into holes and crevices that may be the entry point for ants in your home. Soap is an effective remedy for preventing ants from entering your home because it removes the scent of ant pheromones, which ants use to communicate with each other.

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