👉 Get the complete step-by-step DIY Pest Control Guide at HowToGetRidOfBugs.guide — including diagrams, treatment maps, and safe product recommendations for every situation.
Ants are one of the most persistent household pests — invading kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and even yards. Once they find food or moisture, they quickly form trails and nests that can be difficult to control.
This guide will show you how to eliminate ants indoors and outdoors using professional-grade products that are safe, effective, and proven to work.
Why Ants Invade Homes
Ants come indoors in search of three things: food, water, and shelter. Even the smallest crumbs, sticky residues, or leaks can attract them.
Common problem areas include:
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Kitchens: Crumbs, grease, and sugary spills
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Bathrooms: Moisture under sinks and along baseboards
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Garages: Cardboard, pet food, or standing water
Once ants locate a resource, they leave behind a pheromone trail that other ants follow — meaning the problem can escalate quickly.
Understanding How Ant Control Really Works
When treating for ants, the goal is not to kill the individual ants you see, but to eliminate the colony — including the queen.
If the queen survives, the colony will continue to grow and send out foragers, even after short-term sprays or repellents.
Here’s what makes professional-grade products so effective:
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Non-repellent sprays like Alpine WSG and Bifenthrin don’t alert ants. They walk through the treated surface and unknowingly transfer the active ingredient to others, including the queen.
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Ant bait gels such as Advion Ant Gel Bait, Optigard Ant Gel, and Syrend (if available) are treated like food. Foragers carry bait back to the nest, feeding it to larvae and the queen — wiping out the entire colony.
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Granular baits like Advance 375A Granular, MotherEarth Granular Bait, and Niban Granular Bait are designed to be recognized as food by worker ants outside. They collect the bait and share it, leading to colony collapse from within.
This is why patience is key — instead of killing the ants you see right away, the goal is to let them carry the product back so it can spread throughout the colony.
How to Get Rid of Ants Indoors
Indoor treatments should focus on targeting trails and entry points while avoiding repellents that can scatter the colony. Instead, use non-repellent sprays, baits, and IGRs (Insect Growth Regulators) for long-term control.
1. Kitchens
Ants often enter through window sills, wall voids, or behind appliances in search of food and water.
Treatment Plan:
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Clean thoroughly: Remove food debris, seal pantry items, and wipe down counters daily.
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Bait Placement: Apply Advion Ant Gel Bait, Optigard Ant Gel, or Syrend Ant Gel along trails and behind appliances. These baits are highly attractive and allow ants to carry poison back to the nest.
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Non-Repellent Spray: Lightly treat cracks and entry points with Alpine WSG or Bifenthrin — both transfer active ingredients through ant contact, ensuring colony-wide control.
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Avoid repellents like Raid or vinegar directly on trails — these scatter ants and break the bait cycle.
2. Bathrooms
Bathrooms attract ants looking for water or small soap residues.
Treatment Plan:
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Inspect around plumbing, under sinks, and along baseboards.
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Use Advion Ant Gel near moisture areas and around the toilet base.
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Apply Alpine WSG lightly around baseboards and pipe entry points.
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Seal plumbing gaps with silicone caulk to prevent future entry.
If moisture problems persist, use a dehumidifier and fix leaks — moisture is one of the biggest attractants for ants.
3. Garages and Utility Rooms
Garages provide warmth and shelter, especially near pet food, trash bins, or cardboard boxes.
Treatment Plan:
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Bait trails using Advance 375A Granular or Niban Granular Bait along walls and behind storage areas.
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Apply a non-repellent spray (Alpine WSG or Bifenthrin) to cracks, baseboards, and around garage doors.
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Use Cimexa Dust or Boric Acid inside wall voids or near expansion joints for long-term residual control.
How to Get Rid of Ants Outdoors (Yard and Perimeter)
Outdoor control is essential — it prevents reinfestation inside. Most indoor problems start from colonies nesting in lawns, flowerbeds, or near foundations.
Step 1: Locate and Treat the Ant Hills
If you can locate the mound or colony source, target it directly for the best results.
Treatment Plan:
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Apply a non-repellent spray first to the mound — this ensures ants don’t scatter before contacting the product.
Recommended products: Alpine WSG or Bifenthrin -
After the non-repellent dries, apply a granular bait around and over the mound.
Best options: Advance 375A Ant Bait, MotherEarth Granular Bait, or Niban Granular Bait.
Pro Tip: Advance 375A works exceptionally well on most ant species, including carpenter ants, pavement ants, and fire ants.
The bait will be carried into the colony, eliminating queens and larvae from within.
Step 2: Treat the Entire Yard and Perimeter
If you can’t find the nest, you can still eliminate activity by treating high-traffic areas and borders.
Treatment Plan:
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Perimeter Spray: Apply Bifenthrin around the foundation, door frames, windows, and any plumbing penetrations.
This creates an invisible, non-repellent barrier ants unknowingly cross and share with the colony. -
Granular Perimeter Bait: Spread Bifen LP Granules or Bifen XTS Granules evenly around the yard and foundation to provide lasting residual control.
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Yard Treatment: For large lawns or mulch beds, reapply Advance 375A or Niban Granules monthly until activity stops.
Long-Term Ant Prevention
Once the infestation is under control, prevention keeps it from coming back. Follow these habits year-round:
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Seal cracks and entry points with silicone caulk or weather stripping.
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Keep food sealed and surfaces clean — especially sweets, grease, and pet food.
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Fix leaks and reduce moisture indoors and outdoors.
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Trim vegetation away from siding and rooflines.
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Refresh baits quarterly to maintain protection.
Recommended Product Summary
| Treatment Type | Product Examples | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Ant Baits | Advion Ant Gel, Optigard Ant Gel, Advance 375A, Niban, MotherEarth | Kitchens, garages, outdoor mounds |
| Non-Repellent Sprays | Alpine WSG, Bifenthrin | Indoor cracks, wall voids, foundation borders |
| Dusts | Cimexa, Boric Acid | Wall voids, outlets, under appliances |
| Granules | Bifen LP, Bifen XTS | Yard and perimeter control |
| IGRs | Gentrol Point Source | Prevent colony regrowth indoors |
Getting rid of ants takes strategy, patience, and the right products.
We’re not just spraying visible ants — we’re treating the colony itself to ensure the queen dies, ending reproduction and stopping the infestation at its source.
Non-repellent sprays like Alpine WSG and Bifenthrin allow ants to spread the active ingredient among themselves.
Bait gels and granules are seen as food, carried deep into the nest, and shared — wiping out massive populations in a matter of days to weeks.
Peppermint oil or household sprays might repel ants temporarily, but true control requires eliminating the colony structure — and that starts with professional-grade tools and patience.
Get the complete step-by-step DIY Pest Control Guide at HowToGetRidOfBugs.guide — including diagrams, treatment maps, and safe product recommendations for every situation.