Being in the pest control business for over 30 years, we have heard it all when it comes to eliminating ants. The most common DIY method we hear homeowners trying is some mixture of vinegar or even straight vinegar on ants and their path.
The real question for homeowners that do have an ant infestation is; does this work, and what type of vinegar and/or combination works best at eliminating ants?
Best Types of Vinegar for Ants
Does the type of vinegar you use matter when trying to eliminate an ant colony? The short answer is, yes. Let’s take a look at what vinegars homeowners most commonly try to use on their ants.
Does White Vinegar Kill Ants?
White vinegar can help clean the trail that helps ants find food, but won’t solve an infestation already in progress. Once the smell goes away, the impact it had on the ants will too.
Some homeowners have reported that spraying a mixture of white vinegar and dish soap directly onto ants can kill them. However, this method only affects the ants you see and doesn’t impact the colony itself, other than they may get a bit less food from the ants that didn’t return with their crumbs.
Does Apple Cider Vinegar Kill Ants?
Apple cider vinegar will not only NOT kill ants, it will probably attract them, especially black ants. Apple cider vinegar has sugars and other nutrients from apples making it more of an attractant than a deterrent to ants.
If you mix apple cider vinegar with a soap or something more potent and spray an ant directly, you might be able to kill it, but regardless, you will not stop your ant infestation problem with apple cider vinegar.
Does Red Wine Vinegar Kill Ants?
Much like the other vinegars listed above, red wine vinegar is not likely to kill ants alone, unless you drown an ant in it or continuously drench a few ants in the red wine vinegar, but this will be a fruitless effort if you are trying to eliminate an ant infestation.
What Can I Mix with Vinegar to Help Kill Ants?
As we have found, vinegar alone is unlikely to do much damage to ants other than causing a few to lose their trail and get lost. However, what about mixing vinegar with something else, maybe water or baking soda, would that help prevent and control ants? Let’s take a look.
Mixing Vinegar with Water
Some homeowners have found that mixing white vinegar with water and spraying around baseboards and entry ways has helped deter ants, but there is no proof that this mixture kills ants and eradicates a colony. This might just help clean your home 🙂
Mixing Vinegar with Baking Soda
Some people add baking soda, hoping for a chemical reaction. While vinegar and baking soda do fizz dramatically, this reaction is short-lived and doesn’t harm ants. The fizz is mostly for cleaning grime and not very effective for pest control.
Mixing Vinegar with Essential Oils
Essential oils like peppermint or tea tree oil mixed with vinegar can be more promising. These oils contain compounds known to repel insects. When combined with vinegar, the solution may have a stronger deterrent effect. However, this still doesn’t reach the queen or the nest, and will not kill any ants. However, this method is preferred by many homeowners because at the very least you are making your home smell like peppermint as opposed to just vinegar!
Mixing Vinegar with Bleach
Mixing vinegar with bleach can actually be more harmful to humans than anything, and we do not recommend this combination. Vinegar mixed with bleach can create a harmful gas, and when inhaled by humans can be harmful.
The Real Solution to Your Ant Problem
Being in the pest control business for over 30 years, we can confidently say that vinegar, no matter what you pair it with, will not eliminate your ant problem. At ELDER Pest Control, we use industry tested and proven ant stations and sprays to eliminate ants, not just the ones you see, but the colony and the queen. Once we identify and eliminate the source, we can spray your property to help prevent further infestations from occurring. Call ELDER Pest Control today if your vinegar concoction isn’t working and you want to free your kitchen from ants!