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April 21, 2024

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    Looking for the best ant spray to clear out a colony lurking around your home? If we find ants, we should try to kill them and break the chemical trail to prevent others from following them.

    This article describes some of the best ant sprays to help you battle these common pests.

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    Ant Spray To Remove Ants

    There are more than 12,000 species of ants in the world. The two main categories of ants break down into sugar ants and grease ants based on their food preferences. Sugar ones are attracted to sweet foods whereas grease like protein and fat. Both can enter your house, especially the kitchen in search of food.

    Read Also: What are the top ant traps?

    Regardless of the ant you have, a decent ant spray in conjunction with ant traps and baits should be able to help reduce the infestation in and around your house

    That is… unless you have fire ants or carpenter ants. Carpenter ants and fire ants are notoriously difficult to kill, and they usually require specialized products to kill them.

    Did You Know

    Ants use pheromones to pave trails into your house, which helps other ants follow their path. Ant sprays are a great tool to disrupt these trails!

    Check out our article on the best fire ant killers if you have a fire ant problem!

    Carpenter ants are the culprits responsible for destroying wooden structures and can cause damage to your property. Fire ants on the other hand like to sting with their leaving a sensation of fire around the sting area.


    How Do You Use Ant Spray?

    Ant sprays are great tools to use for keeping ants away. Here are a couple of ideas on using the spray when you buy.

    One of the best ways to use ant sprays is to disrupt the pheromone trail ants leave behind. A spray can act as a contact killer to break up the those trails and prevent the trail from returning. You can also use ant sprays as barriers, which deter ants from crossing it’s path.

    Another of the most common uses of sprays are as barriers. Just spray the area of your house you wish to protect and that “should” keep the ants at bay.

    Personally, I’ve sprayed all of the window sills of my house and any cracks or crevices around my house. That strategy has worked out pretty well.

    I recommend using spray on a regular basis around the perimeter of their houses to stop them from coming inside.The best ant sprays tend to have long residual effects. This means that the chemical will persist for a period of time after spraying. The deterrent effect makes them more suitable for the long-term defense against ants.

    Below is a good video showing you how to apply ant spray around your house, take a look. The guy in the video was a little nervous, but he did a good job showing how protect your house.


    Should You Use Homemade Ant Sprays?

    If you’re in the market for ant sprays, you’re probably trying to decide between homemade or off the shelf product.

    Homemade sprays can be good, but remember they’re homemade, so your results may vary depending on how well you make your spray and the recipe you’re following.

    Let’s have a look at both.

    Read Also: What are the best products to kill ants outside?

    A little information about homemade ant sprays…

    There are two popular types that I’ve had experience with. The first uses a solution of washing up liquid and water at a ratio of one part to two parts of water. You put this into a container (old windex sprayer is perfect) and spray the ants. This covers them and they die from suffocation offering a great solution against those you can see.

    Another option is by mixing three parts of water to one part of lemon juice. The citric acid acts as a deterrent and keeps ants away.

    Both are good to try before you have the time to buy some of the more powerful products. But remember, they’re by no means the best ant sprays and you won’t destroy the colony.


    How To Choose Best Ant Spray?

    Most ant sprays to act as contact killers. You’ll also want to look for sprays that also provide residual effects. Some sprays are environmentally friendly and use insecticides that are extracted from natural sources. These are safer around your pets and kids, which is great.

    Others use powerful chemicals that can linger in the air and on the surface of the ants, which can spread to the others ants in the colony. The goal here is to have one ant get caught up in the poison and carry it back to his friends and spread it around.

    In order to pick the best ant spray for your needs, consider what you want to achieve. Avoid ones with long residual chemicals if you want to use it indoors, but buy those with long residual effects for outside use.

    Regardless of the spray you use, even the best ant sprays don’t offer a long-term solution. You should use them together with other methods of eradication, such as baiting and traps. If you have a serious infestation, see how much an ant exterminator costs.


    Top 5 Best Ant Sprays

    When reviewing, we looked at how effective the spray was, how long it lasted, smell, and a few other factors. Take a look!

    1. Wondercide Ant and Roach Spray
    2. Raid Ant Spray
    3. TERRO Ant Killer Aerosol Spray
    4. Eco Defense Organic Pest Control

    Wondercide Ant and Roach Spray

    Wondercide Ant and Roach Spray provides quick kill and fast knockdown of household insects, including ants. When used as directed, it provides protection and relief from a wide variety of pests, including:

    • Ants
    • Cockroaches
    • Stink bugs
    • Fleas
    • Spiders
    • Silverfish

    Use as a quick kill spray to limit foraging ants or as a residual crack and crevice treatment. There are no harsh chemicals, and it uses only natural ingredients, such as lemongrass and geraniol. Also, there are no added fragrances or artificial colors.

    Wondercide Ant and Roach Spray is easy to use, and just point and spray. In addition, it’s made in the USA from only the finest ingredients.

    Made in the USA
    Fast knockdown of household ants
    Works on several types of pests
    Made from all-natural essential oils
    Has an oily consistency

    Raid Ant Spray

    Raid is that brand we’ve all grown up with being the “go-to” choice for killing just about any bug. BUT, be aware, for most bugs (bed bugs especially) Raid falls a bit short using outdated insecticides.

    Just keep that in mind when deciding what products to choose from.

    On the bright side, Raid is an extremely easy to find spray that acts as a contact killer against different types of ants and other pests inside your house. It’s straightforward to use and is great for killing the small number that has entered your home. You can use this both indoors and outdoors.

    Cheap/Affordable
    Fast Acting Killer
    Available From Just About Anywhere
    Not A Good Long Term Ant Killing Solution
    It Leaves A Thin Film Of Residue

    TERRO Ant Killer Aerosol Spray

    TERRO uses a contact killing aerosol that you can use both indoors and outdoors. It’s more suitable for outdoors because of the powerful chemical that it uses.

    Expect to see fast results with most of the ants dead within minutes. It also has a long residual effect, which means it can kill the ants that are hiding out of sight.

    TERRO is one of the my favorite sprays that gives instant and more long-term protection against ants and other pests. Yet, it does leave behind a powerful smell and can be harmful to pets.

    Very Fast At Killing Ants
    Easy To Use
    Long Lasting Residual
    Great To Use As A Barrier Spray For Your House
    Unsafe Around Pets
    Leaves Pungent Odor
    The Nozzle Isn’y Very Durable

    Eco Defense Organic Pest Control

    Eco-Defense is an environmentally friendly contact killer.

    You can use it both indoors and outdoors against ants and other common pests. I’ve found that this is the best product for people who are worried about using chemicals around their pets and children.

    This is great if you’re a pet owner, have young children, or are sensitive to allergies. Eco-Defense is also a great spray to use indoors as it lacks any potent odors. But, it may not be the best ant spray to get rid of the colony and other products have better results for a similar price.

    Safe To Use Around Pets And Children
    Odorless Spray Making It Great For Indoor Use
    Unlikely To Trigger Allergic Reactions
    Expensive Compared To Similar Products
    Not Always An Instant Killer
    Needs To Be Re-Applied Often To Continue Working

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    Editorial Contributors
    avatar for Ed Spicer

    Ed Spicer

    Ed has been working in the pest control industry for years helping 1,000's of homeowners navigate the world of insect and rodent management.

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