DIY Natural Ant Killer – Pet Safe!

Made this natural ant killer that is safe for indoor use and safe for your pets! DIY natural ant killer is easily made from ingredients you probably already have at home. You’ll just need a spray bottle and you’re all ready to make your homemade ant killer.

Did you know here are over 22,000 species of ants? These ant species include banded sugar ants, yellow crazy ants, and European fire ants to name a few. While, like most insects, ants can be beneficial, they can be quite destructive in your home or at your picnic. They sneak into your home raiding foods in the cupboard, ruining indoor structures, and even biting us.  Let’s focus on making an indoor ant killer that is natural and safe to use around pets.

It can be a challenge to eliminate a colony of ants, especially during the summer season where they tend to collect their food for future use during the rainy season. They are currently so desperate for water in this Southern summer heat that they are all over the ridge of the kids’ pool!

However, it is possible to eliminate them using either chemical, biological. or physical DIY ant killers We try to avoid using avoid using harmful chemicals in our home, especially since we have kids and a dog, so we prefer using natural ant killer when possible.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make a homemade ant killer that is safe, organic and effective. This DIY ant killer works well as an indoor ant killer, but if you have these pests outdoors you’ll need something stronger. And if you have fire ants in your yard like we have all over Alabama lawns? May God have mercy on you. They are the worst. Anyway, let’s focus on our natural ant killer for indoor use. Talk of fire ants gives me nightmares.

Homemade Ant Killer Recipe

You will need:

• 6 oz apple cider vinegar
• 6 oz warm water
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon powdered black pepper (not ground or flakes as these will clog your spray bottle)
• spray bottle
• mixing glass or bowl (A Pyrex liquid measuring cup works great because you can mix and then pour easily. Alternately you can use a plastic drinking cup that has flexible sides)
• masking tape (optional)
• black pointed marker (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: Put at least 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a mixing glass or disposable cup. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered black pepper.

Step 2: Mix the baking soda and black pepper thoroughly using a popsicle stick or spoon.

Step 3: Add about 6 0z warm water to the baking soda and black pepper mixture.

Step 4: Stir until thoroughly combined 

Step 5: Pour the baking soda mixture into a clean, empty spray bottle.

Step 6: SLOWLY add about 6 oz apple cider vinegar to the spray bottle. You don’t want it to fizz up too much as you pour.

Step 7: Once all the fizz has settled, close the spray bottle tightly and mix the ant spray thoroughly by shaking the spray bottle.

Step 8: Use a piece of masking tape to create a label and stick it to the spray bottle after, so that everyone in your house knows what’s inside the spray bottle.

Step 9: Now you’re all done and ready to use this homemade ant killer around your house!

This pet safe ant killer can be sprayed directly on the ant’s trails and their home base if you can figure out where they are coming in. Expect results in minutes and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with using a natural ant killer instead of chemicals. Be sure to shake well before each use!

Indoor Ant Killer Tips

If your homemade ant spray keeps getting clogged here are a few options to help:

• Make sure you’re using powdered black pepper. Ground pepper flakes are pictured and worked fine for me but I’ve received multiple comments from users who experienced a stopped-up spray bottle when using the flakes.
• If you’re still getting clogs, try switching to a larger spray bottle. Dollar Tree carries spray bottles that are more of the standard cleaning spray size. You can still make a small batch but the spray hose will be larger in diameter with the bigger bottle
• If all else fails, try using some black pepper essential oil.

You can create larger quantities of this natural ant killer, just make sure that you follow the same ratio for the mixture.

If you like this DIY ant killer you might also like my homemade fly trap or my post about getting rid of gnats in the house.