Can a baking soda trap help to effectively get rid of ants in a non-toxic way? Well, if you use it effectively and perfectly mask it, then this natural ingredient can help to eliminate these insects from your home.
Baking soda, the one found in most kitchens, is one of the best DIY solutions that’s eco-friendly.
Using Baking Soda as a Nontoxic Way to Get Rid of Ants
Non-toxic ways that involve the use of natural solutions provide the most effective way to get rid of ants. Baking soda is definitely one of the best organic chemicals to use, especially if you want to easily remove ants on your property.
Ants usually avoid pure baking powder. So, you can simply sprinkle the organic chemicals in some of the places where these insects are prevalent.
They include window sills, doorways, and other types of entryways. Even better, here is how you can use baking soda is a non-toxic pesticide.
Ingredients and Preparation
- Get equal parts of baking soda and confectioner’s sugar. In some instances, you can add peanut butter or honey in order to make the mixture more enticing.
- Thoroughly mix the ingredients to create a uniform blend.
- Sprinkle the mixture around places where these ants are highly concentrated. It’s important to sprinkle the mixture on entry points of the high-traffic area and then make sure that you seal the entrance to prevent the insects from leaving.
- Go ahead and scatter the remaining mixture in random places.
- After this, wait for a couple of days and you will see tangible results. Even if you leave the entryways open, the ants will carry the baking soda mixture to their nests, and if the remaining ants eat the insecticide, they will also end up getting killed.
Using Baking Soda Traps
The above mixture is the most used technique when it comes to eliminating ants. However, you can still prepare an organic trap by using applying a solution of baking soda.
Mix this ingredient with water and then apply it on any edible that you suspect ants love to eat in your home. Make sure that you add sugar and then apply it on the bait, to ensure that the bait is irresistible.
Do You Need a Specific Type of Baking Soda for the Insecticide?
You simply need the normal baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate. It’s a cost-effective solution that works well as an insecticide. It should be noted that sodium bicarbonate has been registered with the EPA as a fungicide.
This is because it can easily kill certain plants. However, it’s non-toxic and useful when it comes to the elimination of ants and roaches.
Are There Other Effective Alternatives That People Are Likely to Have in Their Pantries?
A well-equipped pantry is likely to have a couple of organic products that can be used as insecticides.
Some of these ingredients are the basic things that we use in our daily lives. So, if you don’t have baking soda, here is what you can use:
- Vinegar solution: you can mix water and vinegar and then spray the mixture around areas where ants are likely to use as entryways. In case you don’t have vinegar, a lemon solution is also another great substitute.
- Soap and water: this is an easy solution to make because soap is readily available in most homes. A dish soap solution will easily coat the ants, blocking their airways and then suffocating them. But this technique is quite tiring since you have to work with individual ants.
- Boiling water: if you can’t use the above techniques, then boiling water could be easily your friend. Simply pour boiling water in the ants’ nest and you will kill a huge percentage of them, including the queen.
Where in My Home Should I Place the Baking Soda Traps?
Like we have stated above, you mostly need to focus on the entryways. This could be doorways and window sills. Just make sure that you find the trails and then place the bait there.
You will cut short the spread of the ants as they go to search for food. Remember that the more the trails, the more the infestation.
How Often Should You Use the Baking Soda Insecticide?
Well, this depends on the level of infestation. The more the ants, the more you need to apply the baking soda bait frequently.
What is the Science behind Baking Soda Killing Ants?
Some of you may not be convinced that as simple setup such as this that involves the use of a simple ingredient can be effective. However, there is scientific proof to prove the effectiveness of this ingredient.
Human beings often use baking powder to bake because it normally alters the PH balance. While it may be safe for use and consumption by us, it’s toxic to ants. As a matter of fact, ants that consume baking soda end up dying.
Generally, when these insects ingest baking soda, the ingredient ends up reacting with its digestive chemicals. As a result, baking soda ends producing carbon dioxide. This ends up dehydrating their body and their body dries out eventually.
The effectiveness of baking powder is significantly enhanced by ant activity. Have you seen the way ants move and live in colonies?
There are several classes of ants including the worker ants that have to go outside daily to forage in search of food. Once they bump into the baking soda baits, they will take the “food” back to the nest for other members of the colony to consume. The eventual impact of this is that the whole colony might actually end up getting eliminated.
Note:
Do not anticipate this elimination process to happen overnight or violently. It’s going to take some days or even weeks before you can even begin seeing noticeable results. This is because ants generally ingest small quantities of food including the baking soda bait. So, that tiny bit can easily get diluted by the body, slowing down the whole process.
However, this doesn’t eliminate the fact that a chemical reaction will occur. It’s only that the whole process will be slow but eventually, you will get the results. For some people, it might take weeks if you are dealing with a bigger colony. If you are unsure about the effectiveness of baking soda, this article has verified all the facts and you can, therefore, go ahead and use it.
Is There Any Issue You Should Expect?
Well, from this explanation. Everything seems to be straightforward. But it is important to understand that ants are not stupid insects.
So, if you are tempted to simply administer a pure baking soda solution, then you might not end up killing any of them. That’s why it’s important to sufficiently mask it with an attractive ingredient that will lure the insects.
Note: in case the baking soda ends up reacting very slowly and the colony continues to grow, then you might be forced to seek an alternative solution. You don’t want things to get out of hand within weeks as you wait for these pests to get eliminated.
Benefits of Using Baking Soda to Kill Ants?
The main benefit of baking soda is its non-toxic nature. It’s a natural substance that is safe for use and consumption by human beings. Baking soda is normally used to make baked foods and it’s sometimes used to make toothpaste.
Safety is a key component that is required when dealing with DIY insecticides. This is what baking soda offers. So, if you have children or pets at home, then there is no harm if they touch these baits. On the other hand, toxic bug sprays are harmful and may hurt your little ones or pets.
Lastly, this technique is quite simple to implement and it takes less than five minutes. This ingredient is readily available in any kitchen and if you don’t have, you can buy it for as cheap as $0.5.
Note: don’t use granulated sugar instead of confectioner’s sugar. This is because both confectioner’s sugar and baking soda have the same texture and appearance. It means that the ants won’t be able to easily distinguish the two ingredients.
We have several articles that discuss and explain DIY traps and products found around your home, I highly recommend checking them out as you will find them useful:
Waging WAR -13 Effective DIY ways to Kill ANTS Outside
How To Get Rid Of CockRoaches FOREVER – YES SERIOUSLY!!
How I Got Rid of Ants in My Wall – Tactics and Solutions
Waging WAR – 11 DIY House Hold Products Proven to Kill Ants
The Bottom Line
So now that the ants have gone, what next for you? Well, once you have eliminated the ants you have to still protective measures.
It could be a crack on the wall, a space on your door, or a hole in your window. Make sure that you effectively seal it to avoid re-infestation.
Ants are bad pests that devour a lot of things. Once they find a way into your property, you have to find a way to remove them. What you need to understand that the cleaner your property is, the lesser the chances of infestation by ants.
Generally, these insects are attracted to food crumbs. So, if you keep your kitchen shelves, counters, and floors dirty, then you will be attracting them.
Make sure that you provide fewer food sources and this will make your house less desirable for them. But in case this is a constant problem, then you have to seek the services of a professional exterminator.
If you want to learn more about various insects, then checkout our site categories, we have a bunch of articles there that are totally worth reading:
P.S.
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All the best
Steve
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