Ants commonly invade bathrooms because they offer a stable supply of food and water as well as protection from natural enemies. Numerous species of ants are attracted to your bathroom, including the Argentine ant, carpenter ant, pharaoh ant, and pavement ant. Ants in the bathroom can be annoying; however, there is no need to panic. Ants do not pose any risk to your health. Ants may look tiny and harmless but once they start their colony in your home; they can become a pain in the ass. They will appear in places you would never expect such as your bathroom sink or even your toothbrush holder! Here we will explore how you can get rid of these little critters without using any chemicals or poisons but with some easy home remedies.
How To Get Rid Of Ants In The Bathroom
1 . Stop Food Supply
The first and most important step to take in getting rid of ants from your bathroom is to stop the food supply. Ants get attracted to food and will find their way into your bathroom in search of it. There are numerous things that ants love nibbling on. You can easily prevent the ants from coming into your bathroom by keeping all food items out of reach. Watch out for crumbs, pet food left on the floor, canned foods, and sweet-smelling soaps kept in bathroom cabinets or on counters.
2 . Wash Your Toilet Brush Regularly
A toilet brush can easily attract ants due to its moist environment that is also filled with soap scum. Keep your toilet brush clean and watch out for signs of ants around it.
3 . Remove Water Moisture
Ants need water to live because they drink water to survive and keep their colony alive. Make sure you wipe up excess water drops or spills away with a paper towel or soft cloth as soon as you see them so as not to attract ants into your bathroom.
4 . Clean And Deodorize Garbage Cans
Clean up all trash as soon as possible and make sure you have a tightly sealed garbage can.
5 . Keep Your Bathroom Clean
Ants love dirt and crumbs. Keep your bathroom clean and wipe up any crumbs or dirt you see with a paper towel or cloth. Avoid leaving food on your countertop that may attract ants.
6 . Clear Out Clutter
Keep all clutter out of your bathroom to prevent the ants from finding a trail to follow to their food supply. Dirty countertops, dirty floors, and damp corners are perfect for attracting ants. Make sure you clean up any messes throughout the day for ants don’t usually wait for long periods of time before attacking their prey.
7 . Use Boric Acid Powder
The boric acid powder is one of the best solutions for killing ants without hurting them because it will melt into gelatin once it comes in contact with moisture such as your body or the floor of your bathroom thus eliminating any chance of accidental ingestion. To apply boric acid powder, sprinkle it around the baseboards, toilet area, behind faucets, and in areas where you have seen signs of ant activity. Be careful not to come into contact with it since it can irritate the skin so use gloves when applying this solution inside your home or bathroom. Check out Amazon’s best-selling boric acid powder here 8 . Using Hot Water: Hot water will force out the Ants that are already in your home and will also keep away any new ants from coming into your home. Make a habit of regularly cleaning and disinfecting the faucet and sink area with hot water.
Use Boric Acid To Get Rid Of Ants In The Bathroom
1 . Spray Ants with Soap and Water
Using your bathroom sink, spray the ants directly with a mixture of water and dish soap. You may need to do this multiple times in order to rid them from your home or bathroom. If you can find the nest, spray it directly with this same solution.
2 . Use Vinegar
Vinegar is another repellent that can be used to keep away ants. Place a small amount of vinegar in a shallow bowl and place it in areas where you have seen signs of ant activity or around windowsills and other places ants may come near. The vinegar will deter them from crossing that area again since they are not fond of the smell or taste of vinegar.
3 . Find and Wash Away Their Nest
If you can find their nest then you can use that to get rid of most if not all of the ants within your home or bathroom rather simply. Wash their nest down using boiling water three or four times a day for about two weeks in order to kill off all the individuals that live there and make sure they don’t come back again.
4 . Use Talcum Powder
The talcum powder will trap any ants that are trying to travel through your bathroom. Still, it will also kill them off as well by drying them out so make sure you wipe up any excess powder from your counters, sinks, or tub immediately after using this method so as not to attract more ants into your bathroom.
5 . Use Boric Acid Powder
Boric acid is a great product to use to kill ants that are coming in through tiny cracks or holes in your home or bathroom wherever you see them traveling. The boric acid powder can be purchased from insect control shops, many drug stores, and even pet stores. Pour the boric acid powder into the crack or hole that you have seen the ants coming through and make sure you put a small piece of tape over it so it will close off that entryway from ants and other pests. The boric acid will kill off all ants that come through this route over time without doing any harm to any other animals or humans plus it is also safe for children, pets, or plants in your home with no known side effects at all when used as directed.
Use Essential Oils To Repel Ants
1. Lemon Essential Oils
Lemon essential oils are a great way to keep ants out of your bathroom and to kill off any that you may have currently living in your bathroom. Just get a spray bottle and mix in 10 drops of lemon oil, 5 drops each of lavender, peppermint, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oils. Fill the rest with water and spray this all over the inside of your bathroom while being sure to clean it off everything immediately after spraying or else you will just be attracting more ants into your home or bathroom.
2. Eucalyptus Essential Oils
If you don’t have lemon essential oil readily available, you can also substitute it with eucalyptus since this is another great ant repellent as well. Get a spray bottle and mix in 10 drops each of lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus oils along with 5 drops of tea tree oil, filled the rest up with water then spray down the inside of your bathroom wherever there is something for them to come into contact with. You want to make sure you wipe everything off after doing so though or else more ants will come in from outside attracted by the smell.
3 . Tea Tree Essential Oils
If you don’t want something extra oily like peppermint oil getting all over your toilet seat when using it as an ant repellent, then tea tree essential oils are another option that works just as well at repelling ants. Just make sure you do not use high-quality essential oils if you want to repel ants as they are typically too pricey to waste on just repelling these bugs.
4 . Peppermint Essential Oils
If you don’t have any eucalyptus or tea tree essential oils at your disposal and want to keep your home chemical-free, then peppermint is another great natural ant repellent that you can spray down in your bathroom every couple of weeks. This will be a monthly maintenance thing, however, so don’t expect this to work as well as some of the more concentrated options above.
5 . Cedar Wood Essential Oil
One of the gentler ways to keep ants out of your bathroom is by using cedarwood essential oil with a few other ingredients that you probably already have lying around in your home. Mix ¼ cup vinegar, 15 drops each of lemon and rosemary essential oils along with 10 drops each of cinnamon and cedar wood oils in a spray bottle then spray all over the inside of your bathroom along with any other areas where these little buggers like hanging out like under sink pipes or wall voids. You don’t have to worry about cleaning this off immediately after spraying either since it doesn’t leave a residue behind so just give it time to dry before walking across the treated area.
6. Limonene
Limonene is another effective way to naturally repel ants as it smells just like lemon which these critters do not like at all. However, if you don’t want to invest in buying any actual lemon essential oil because it’s too expensive, then using lime juice is another good alternative that will work just as well at repelling these bugs from your bathroom. Add 20 drops each of lime or lemon scented pure baking soda in a bowl along with 20 drops of limonene and 20 drops of peppermint oil, fill the rest up with water then stir everything together until fully dissolved, and let sit for at least half an hour before using. Another option is using 10 tablespoons baking soda, 15 drops each peppermint and lemon/lime/orange scents (use whichever one you have) along with 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin for every 2 cups of water (1 tsp per cup).
Conclusion
Ants rarely pose a serious health threat. However, they can be destructive to your home and can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Getting rid of ants in the bathroom can be quite a challenge. You will need to take preventative steps and implement these simple home remedies to get rid of ants in your bathroom.
