How to get rid of ants?

Bait is dramatically more effective than spray for one reason: the goal is killing the colony, not individual ants. Borax-based liquid baits like Terro attract worker ants who carry the slow-acting poison back to the nest and share it with others, including the queen. Without the queen, the colony collapses. Place bait stations along ant trails and leave them alone for 3–7 days.

Critical mistake: don't use insecticide sprays near your bait stations. Pesticides repel ants from the bait, preventing them from taking it back to the nest. If you've been spraying, wait 48 hours before placing bait to let the repellent effect dissipate. Once bait is placed, resist the urge to spray the ants you see — those are exactly the ants you want carrying bait home.

Seal entry points to prevent future invasions. Ants enter through cracks in foundation, gaps around windows and doors, holes where pipes and cables enter, and under door thresholds. Use caulk for cracks. Replace worn door sweeps. Outside, trim tree branches touching your house — branches are ant highways to your roof.

Ants follow pheromone trails — invisible scent paths previous scouts laid down. Wipe down surfaces where you've seen ants with white vinegar or a soap-and-water solution. This erases the trail and disrupts navigation. Do this after the bait has been collected (not before, or you'll repel ants from the bait).

Carpenter ants (large, black, often near wood or moisture) require different treatment than odorous house ants or pavement ants. Carpenter ants don't eat wood — they excavate it to nest, which can compromise wooden structures. If you see large black ants indoors, especially near windows or wood, call a professional exterminator. DIY bait works well for small nuisance ants but may not address carpenter ant satellite nests inside walls.