Asked on Aug 15, 2023

How to make homemade ant poison?

I've been diving into the world of DIY solutions lately and stumbled upon homemade ant killers. I'm curious to know if any of you have tried making your own homemade ant poison and how successful they were.


I have a bit of an ant problem at the moment and would love to try a natural homemade pest repellent.


Thank you

Homemade ant poison

  16 answers
  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Aug 15, 2023

    They love sweet and sugary things, here's a recipe I have used:


    1/4 cup corn syrup

    1 teaspoon of boric acid (20 Mule Team borax or boric acid from the dollar store)


    Put a few drops on waxed paper or waxed cardboard (so it won't sink into the base), refresh it as often as needed. Place this in the ant's path, they will feed on it and take it back to the colony.


    Another suggestion is to pour boiling water on the colony.

    In the past I have used Terro from the diy stores, the liquid. Same procedure as above with the drops.

  • I always use Terro, but vinegar will repel and kill them.

    • Lori Lori on Aug 18, 2023

      Yes apple cider vinegar and water poured right on the ant nest kills them.

  • Indoors use Terro liquid bait traps and outdoors use diatomaceous earth. They both work near instantly and the latter is all natural and pet safe.

  • Betsy Betsy on Aug 15, 2023

    Hello Rivka: I use a 50/50 mix of baking soda and powdered sugar. Sprinkle it around where the ants are. This is safe for everyone and everything except the ants. It has always worked for me. If you are looking for something else, try these sites:


    Good luck

  • Dee Dee on Aug 15, 2023

    Outdoors use boiling hot water with Dawn dishwashing soap and Epsome salt.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Aug 17, 2023

    You have 2quite a few great suggestions here but I would highly recommend Diatomaceous earth if they are inside or Sevin granules on mounds outside. Less mess than any homemade remedy that involves sticky sweeteners to attract them.

  • Every year they make their way into my home and I place a trail of cornstarch mixed with powdered sugar where I think they're coming in and they disappear within a few days for the rest of the summer.

  • Annie Annie on Aug 21, 2023

    Here's a quick video that should help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHK-K5VK2gU

  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on Aug 23, 2023

    Yeah I agree with boric acid, I mix it with a little powdered sugar and they gobble it up and go away lol.

  • A Life Adjacent A Life Adjacent on Aug 25, 2023

    We second the Diatomaceous earth recommendation. We sprinkled it around our front porch as they were getting in our house. It took care of the issue in less than 2 weeks but it's not always instantaneous. We also had luck with spraying the area with a mixture of vinegar, two tablespoons of dish soap and two tablespoons of baking soda. You have to add the baking soda slowly. We haven't seen any ants hanging around in weeks now. Good luck!

  • Hey there, Rivka! You can watch this video for more information regarding your concern. Hope this helps!


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHK-K5VK2gU

  • Deb K Deb K on Sep 02, 2023

    Hello Rivka, hope this helps you out.


    Natural items like boiling water, vinegar, and baking soda to get rid of these ants and Diatomaceous Earth are effective in dealing with fire ants. Diatomaceous Earth is one of the most effective ant-killers out there, and placing them in the ant entryways can solve the problem of “how to get rid of ants permanently”.

  • Rivka Hellendall Rivka Hellendall on Sep 06, 2023

    Brilliant information, you are all very clever😀

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on May 22, 2024

    Corn meal is supposed to work


  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on May 22, 2024

    Terro works really well.

    Available in the garden section of diy stores. Follow directions.