Ants can be a nuisance when they invade your home. Seeing a trail of ants marching through your kitchen or bathroom is annoying and unsanitary. While ants perform important ecological roles outdoors (there are plenty of species that eat ants, including birds, insects, and other small animals), inside the home, they’re unwelcome guests.
Getting rid of indoor ants takes persistence and patience. Ants are social insects that communicate with members of their colony.
Eliminating the scout ants that first find their way into your home is only a temporary solution. More ants will soon follow unless you take steps to block their entry points and remove food sources.
Here’s how to handle and repel ants from your home using a common household spice: chili powder.
An Effective, Natural Ant Repellent: Chili Powder
A natural, low-cost home remedy for battling ants is chili powder. The potent spices in chili powder — cayenne, capsaicin, and others — are irritating to ants. Sprinkling a line of chili powder across ant trails or around potential entry points discourages ants from crossing.
When ants come into contact with chili powder, it irritates their feet and sensory organs. They are deterred by the spicy powder and turn away from treated areas. Chili powder doesn’t kill ants but acts as a strong repellent, so they avoid treated zones. It interrupts the trailing behaviors that can lead them into your home.
How to Use Chili Powder to Repel Ants
Using chili powder to control ants takes only a few steps:
- Find the ants. Locate areas where ants are entering your home, traveling across countertops, crawling up walls, or gathering in crevices and corners.
- Apply chili powder. Sprinkle a thin line of standard chili powder across these areas. The line should be narrow so ants can’t easily get around it. Reapply more chili powder as needed if the line gets thin or patchy.
- Leave it, then wipe it. Chili powder can be left in place for several hours until ant trails dissipate. Then, simply wipe it up with a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner.
- Keep up with the application. Reapply chili powder in problem areas every few days until ant trails are eliminated. Pay close attention to common entry points, like window sills and door frames.
- Consider the severity. For severe ant infestations, chili powder alone may not be sufficient. Combining it with other natural methods, like ant bait traps, can boost control efforts. If you already have a full-blown ant infestation in your home, it may be time to call an exterminator in addition to applying chili powder in the meantime.
Why Chili Powder Is a Smart First Choice for Battling Ants
There are numerous reasons why chili powder is a great pick for combating ants. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Natural and non-toxic: Chili powder won’t harm family members or pets, as it’s not a chemical or insecticide.
- Easy to find: Chili powder for cooking is inexpensive and easy to find in any grocery store spice aisle.
- Simple to apply: Just sprinkle chili powder from the container in a thin line without a mess or any complicated steps.
- Provides quick results: Ants soon learn to avoid treated areas, and the powder can be cleaned up in a few hours.
- Versatile: Apply chili powder anywhere ants enter the home, travel across surfaces, or congregate.
- Long-lasting effects: Ant trails disrupted with chili powder may hesitate to return.
Other DIY Methods Beyond Chili Powder
While chili powder is very effective, there are some other homemade options to try against ants:
- Sugar and baking soda: Combine equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar, then sprinkle this mixture around ant hills, windowsills, and other areas ants frequent. The sugar attracts ants, while the baking soda kills them.
- Lemon juice: Pour a perimeter of lemon juice around areas where you see ants to deter them with its strong smell. You can also soak cotton balls in lemon juice and leave them in problem areas.
- Peppermint oil: Use a spray bottle filled with water, peppermint essential oil, and a small amount of dish soap to spray on ant trails. This natural insect repellent disrupts scent trails.
- Boric acid: Sprinkle boric acid in cracks and crevices where ants are spotted — it has natural insecticidal properties.
- Vinegar: Spray a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water directly onto ant trails or around windows and doors to deter ants.
- Bay leaves, citrus peels, cinnamon, and cloves: Place bay leaves, peeled citrus fruit peels, cinnamon, or cloves around areas with ants, as the strong smells repel ants.
Combine Chili Powder With Other Tactics for Best Results
Although chili powder is a handy natural deterrent, it probably won’t completely solve an ant problem alone. Combine it with additional tactics to fully get rid of home-invading ants:
- Inspect and seal any cracks or gaps ants use to enter from outdoors, caulking and weatherstripping as needed. Look along baseboards, around pipes, and near doors and windows where ants may find access into your home from outside.
- Eliminate food sources that attract ants by keeping counters and floors free of crumbs and spills. Store food in sealed containers.
- Wash any surfaces where ants travel with soapy water to erase pheromone trails.
- Place ant bait traps along baseboards and under appliances to poison ants after entry.
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in entry areas to deter ants through abrasion and dehydration.
- Try sprays containing peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus essential oils, or the other ingredients mentioned in the section above, which may repel ants.
Remember, contact a pest control professional if you can’t get an ant infestation under control through DIY methods.
So, Here’s Why You Should Give Chili Powder a Try
If ants are marching through your kitchen or congregating in bathrooms, chili powder is a simple, natural option. The pungent household spice makes areas temporarily unpleasant for ants, encouraging them to avoid treated zones and disrupting their trails.
Combine chili powder with proper sanitation and exclusion tactics to fully rid your home of ants. Its versatility, ease of use, safety, and availability make it a go-to tool for ant control.
Another great option to use to get rid of ants (especially if you have children or pets in the house) is Safer’s All-Natural Insect Killer. However, if your DIY tactics aren’t working, it may be time to contact a professional pest control company to resolve the underlying issues causing your infestation.
You may also find these additional DIY guides on eliminating ants from certain areas of your home or ridding your space of certain species of ants helpful:
- How to Get Rid of Ants Around the Kitchen Sink
- How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Dishwasher
- How to Get Rid of Ants in the Bedroom
- How to Get Rid of Ants in Carpet
- How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
- How to Get Rid of Leaf Cutter Ants
- How to Get Rid of Flying Ants
 FAQs About Using Chili Powder Against Ants
How long will chili powder deter ants?
A thin line of chili powder can discourage ants for several hours, often long enough to break their trailing and allow you to eliminate food sources. It then can be easily cleaned up. Reapply every few days as needed.
Are there safety concerns when using chili powder?
Standard chili powder is non-toxic and safe for use around children and pets when applied lightly. Avoid getting it in eyes or breathing it in. Simple precautions like wearing gloves and a mask minimize irritation.
Can ants get used to chili powder if used continuously?
There is some risk ants might become desensitized to chili powder if used exclusively long-term. Rotate chili powder with other natural remedies like ant baits or traps.
Where is the best place to apply chili powder against ants?
Focus on applying thin lines of chili powder across ant trails and around entry points like windows, doors, or wall cracks ants use to enter your home initially.
