Search
Close this search box.

6 Best Ant Killers of 2023

Do you have an ant problem? These pests come in a variety of species and can infest your home. The good news is that there are ways to kill them. Here, I suggest the best ant killer products from different brands. Look at the links next to each product’s title for additional information. This comparison list shows the main ingredients, consistency, and places to use these killers.

Best Ant Killer Products

IMAGEPRODUCT
Terro II The Liquid Ant Killer
  • Type: Gel
  • Active Ingredient: Borax
  • Locations: Indoor
Check Price

Raid Ant Killer Spray
  • Type: Spray
  • Active Ingredient: Imiprothrin, Cypermethrin
  • Locations: Indoor
Check Price

Combat Max Source Kill Gel for Ants & the Colony
  • Type: Gel
  • Active Ingredient: Fipronil
  • Locations: Indoor/ Outdoor
Check Price
AMDRO Ant Block Home Perimeter Ant Bait Granules
  • Type: Granules
  • Active Ingredient: Hydramethylnon
  • Locations: Outdoor
Check Price
TERRO T300B Liquid Ant Baits
  • Type: Liquid Bait (Tray)
  • Active Ingredient: Borax
  • Locations: Indoor/ Outdoor
Check Price
Advion Ant Gel Bait
  • Type: Gel
  • Active Ingredient: Indoxacarb
  • Locations: Indoor/ Outdoor
Check Price

What is the Best Ant Killer – Buyer’s Guide

Many different kinds of pests can wreak havoc on your home or property. Insects can burrow, invade, and spread like wildfire in no time, making getting rid of them just one more annoying thing on your to-do list.

One such insect we see regularly is ants. These creatures are social, meaning that they interact with each other, work together, and group together. Thankfully, we have a way to get rid of them, not just one or two, but the entire colony.

The Basics of Killing Ants

Ants come in and out of their colony through an underground tunnel system that makes up the entire colony. These systems can be large and sometimes go as deep as 25 feet. The colony’s queen lives far inside the system to protect her from invaders. All ants live to serve her and the colony as a whole. To get rid of the ants, you must destroy the entire colony, including its queen, or the entire thing will be rebuilt again. Let’s take a look at the different ways you can do this in order to find the best ant killer.

Baby powder: Ants, like many insects, do not breathe through the use of lungs but take in Oxygen through their abdomen. The idea is that when an ant tries to crawl through a substance like baby powder, the fine particles will clog up those openings the ants use to breathe, suffocating them to death. Another way baby power works to kill ants is through scent. If you sprinkle a mound of it where the ants enter your home, the powder’s smell will throw off their scent trail, and the ants will be lost, not knowing how to return to the colony. They will soon die as a result. To use baby powder as an ant killer, simply pour a barrier between their colony and their entrance to your home.

Bleach in bottle

Bleach: Using bleach to kill ants has shown to be effective, but be careful – it can also harm humans. Make sure the area you’re in is well-ventilated before using bleach on ants in the home. The corrosive nature of bleach will kill the ants, and its powerful smell will conceal the scent of food in your home that’s drawing them in. Mix two parts bleach with one part water into a spray bottle and spray into the places ants enter your home.

Diatomaceous Earth by Food Grade

Diatomaceous Earth: This substance is non-chemical and non-toxic to humans, greatly benefiting you and the environment. Diatomaceous Earth is made up of finely ground remains of marine phytoplankton. These tiny particles make an off-white powder that is sharp on a microscopic level. When it gets on any insect, like an ant, with an exoskeleton, the particles get inside the shell, cutting them up inside. It also causes the ant to lose moisture and dry out until they die rapidly. Since the method of death is mechanical instead of chemical, Diatomaceous Earth is safe for humans to consume. To get rid of ants, sprinkle it on and inside the anthill and around the area you find them entering your home.

Ammonia: Ammonia is a common ingredient in some home cleaners. You can use a spray cleaner with pure ammonia or just ammonia. The substance is highly acidic and can cause burns to your skin, so be careful. To use against ants, put in a spray bottle and apply wherever you find ants, along with their trail, and especially where they enter your home. A substantial amount of ammonia will kill ants quickly but will not kill off the entire colony.

Ants come in different varieties. One such type is red ants. They can be larger, bite more, and be difficult overall. If you’re wondering how to get rid of red ants, click here.

Best 2 Liquid Ant Killers Reviewed

The materials used to kill ants don’t have to be made up of only one type of substance. Along with powders, there are also liquids used as pest control:

Our vote for best ant killer is the Terro II Liquid Ant Killer. This product is used as bait for ants, using Borax as the main ingredient. Borax interferes with the ant’s digestive system, slowly destroying it until death results. A slow death is required because of the purpose of baiting. 

Using a small cardboard square loaded with Terro Ant Killer, the ants will be drawn to it and feast on the liquid inside the cardboard. They will then take that liquid back to their colony to share it.

 Terro lets the ants live just long enough to share the poison with other ants before dying. This way, an entire colony can be killed throughout a couple of weeks, getting rid of your ant problem for good.

This pesticide uses many different chemicals as its ingredients that are potent killers against ants.

Coming in a can, you spray the liquid all along any ant trails you may find, along with their entrance into your home. Not only does it kill ants quickly, but its residual effects will continue to kill ants for weeks afterward.

Methods like bleach and Diatomaceous Earth effectively kill ants but won’t kill the colony where thousands of other ants live. To ensure your ant problem is finished for good, combining these methods with others that reach the colony and its queen may be a good idea.

A poisonous ant killer can pose a threat to your pets. There are options to choose from that aren’t toxic and harmful. Go here for more information on pet safe ant killer.

Is There an Option Proven to be Most Effective?

When it comes to killing ants, you want to get rid of the insects and their source – the colony. If you’re going to get rid of a colony of thousands of ants, bait will be your best bet.

Besides the Terro system, Combat Source Killing Max A2 Ant Killing Gel also works as a bait system and is another one of the best ant killers.

This thick gel is sweet, attracting ants, which they eat and carry back to their colony.

It has a syringe to place the gel in the ants’ path. Once they carry the gel to the colony, other ants, including the Queen, will eat it.

The slow death is critical here – worker ants must stay alive long enough to carry the poison back to all the other ants. Although it may take days or a couple of weeks to eliminate the entire colony, baiting is the most effective way to destroy the root of your ant problem.

I Need Something That Will Kill the Ants Instantly

Sometimes, you need ants out of the way quickly. If you’re looking to eliminate those annoying ants immediately, there is more than one way. However, remember – this method may not eliminate the colony itself.

Ant colonies can sometimes house hundreds of thousands of ants.

Heinz vinegar ants tips

Vinegar: This can be a good insect killer if you’re looking for something natural and non-toxic. Use two parts water to one part vinegar and put them into a spray bottle. Apply all along ant trails and pour into an ant hill. The creatures will die almost immediately.

Chemical dangerous

Chemical products: Brands such as Raid carry products designed to kill ants on contact. The ingredients in them are corrosive, destroying the ants’ shells and suffocating and poisoning them.

All over the internet, you’ll find recipes for ant killer you can make at home. Products you already have in your pantry or garage are easy to throw together for some homemade ant killer. Go here for more information.

Using Cornmeal to Exterminate Ants

Corneal is one method that doesn’t use any chemical or harsh ingredients. Yes, that may sound funny and odd, but it’s become an often-used way of getting rid of ants.

There are two ways in which you can use cornmeal as a best ant killer:

Cornmeal in spoon

Sprinkle the cornmeal near ant trails. The insects will pick pieces and return them to their colony for everyone to feast on. While it may taste good, ants cannot digest cornmeal as humans can. Also, once they ingest liquid, the cornmeal will expand and burst their stomachs apart, killing them.

One effective way to use cornmeal is to mix it with a pesticide. Ants can return pieces of it to the colony just like a regular solid. Not only will the cornmeal do its job, but the poison will also ensure that all ants in the colony die.

When using an ant killer that contains chemical poisons and pesticides, be very careful to keep it away from children and pets. And not just the bottle or box – the actual bait or liquid you set out can leave residual particles that an animal could lick or that a child could get on their fingers and into their eyes. It’s best to set the poison in places far less likely for anyone to get to.

3 Best Ant Killers with Different Types of Pesticides and Poisons

When looking for the best ant killer; sometimes, pesticides or poison are the most efficient way. Remember to employ caution when using these products around children and pets, as they can be harmful.

Ingredients for these products include Borax, Hydramethylnon, Avermectin, Indoxacarb, and Fipronil.

This killer is made up of poisonous Hydromethylnon granules that ants eagerly take back to their colony. Fellow ants eat the granules and die quickly.

These baits look like small little traps that ants crawl into. Inside is a liquid that may taste good to them, but is actually poison, as it contains Borax. The worker ants then transport it back to the colony to share, slowly eliminating all of them.

You can learn more about the best ant traps from my review, and you can choose the right one for you.

This product uses a powerful insecticide, Indoxacarb, mixed in a sweet gel to kill ants. The ants are attracted to the sugary taste, then take it back to their colony.

Conclusion

If you’ve spotted ants in or around your home, look no further than your kitchen or the grocery store for the best ant killer. Not only are there at-home ways to combat these pests, but there are also plenty of poisons at your fingertips as well. Ants don’t have to plague you for long, and with the right products, their entire colony can be destroyed in no time.

RELATED POSTS