Homemade Ant Trap To Keep Them Away From Your Home

Overview: Homemade Ant Trap

• DIY homemade ant traps using simple, natural ingredients like borax, peanut butter, and diatomaceous earth can effectively manage ant invasions.
• Borax and sugar traps are great for sugar ants, while peanut butter and borax attract grease ants.
• Diatomaceous earth offers a pet-safe solution, working by dehydrating ants upon contact.
• Results typically show within 24–72 hours, with ants carrying the bait back to the colony.
• Always take safety precautions when handling ingredients, especially with borax and diatomaceous earth.

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DIY Homemade Ant Traps That Work: Sweet & Protein Baits + Safe Solutions

Ants can be stubborn guests in your kitchen, garden, or homestead, but store-bought traps aren’t your only option. In this guide, you’ll learn easy DIY ant traps that actually work,  from sweet borax baits to protein-luring peanut butter and even pet-safe diatomaceous earth sprays. We’ll also help you figure out which trap works best for the ants you’re dealing with and how soon you’ll see a difference. Whether you’re dealing with sugar ants or grease ants, we’ve got the solutions you need.

1. Simple Poisonous Borax-Sugar Bait

The idea behind this borax-sugar poison is to attract ants with the strong scent of sugar and then kill them with borax.

Smaller ants will faint upon consumption. Meanwhile, it might take a while for the poison to take effect on larger ants.

Whatever the case, once the ants bring a sample of the poison back to their home, the borax poison will spread throughout their colony. It’s a smart way to kill ants from the inside.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. borax
• Paper or cardboard (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
2. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. This should take about three minutes.
3. Wait for the mixture to thicken as it cools down. After a few minutes, it should have a thick, paste-like consistency.

How to Use:

Spread the paste-like mixture on the floor, window sills, or garden soil. Basically, you spread the ant poison anywhere there are ants.

If you’re going to spread the paste on tiles or wood, make sure to use a piece of cardboard. Otherwise, the borax mixture might leave a mark on the surface.

2. Peanut Butter and Borax Paper Trap

The sugar-borax trap is great, but it might not work on ants that choose fats and protein over sweets. So if you notice an abundance of thief ants, pharaoh ants, and fire ants in your living space, opt for this ant trap instead.

Basically, the peanut butter will lure the ants, and the borax will poison them. Smaller ants might get stuck and die immediately, while the bigger ones might survive even after consuming the poison.

But again, even if they do survive, it will only be a matter of time for the poison to circulate through the system. Plus, the bait they bring home will poison the colony as well.

What You’ll Need:

• Peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. borax
• Paper or cardboard

Instructions:

1. Mix the two ingredients in a small mixing bowl until they form a thick, sticky paste-like substance.
2. Spread the mixture on a piece of paper, and you’re good to go.

How to Use:

Set the trap somewhere ants often visit. In this case, you can set it on sensitive surfaces such as tile countertops or wooden floors because the mixture won’t leave a stain.

Check on your homemade ant trap every now and then because the ants will eventually accumulate. Once that happens, you’ll need to set a new trap.

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3. Jam and Borax Ant Poison

For homeowners having trouble with sweet-loving ants, use jam instead of peanut butter. The idea here is to lure them into eating the jam stuffed with borax.

Note that jam is very thick and dense, so do not use too much of it. Otherwise, it might overpower the poisoning effects of the borax.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 Tbsp. borax
• Jelly
• Paper or cardboard

Instructions:

1. Mix the jam and borax to make a thick paste.
2. Spread the paste-like consistency on the piece of paper or cardboard.

How to Use:

Leave the cardboard with the jam-borax poison on the floors, window sills, or garden. Leave the ants to gather and feed on the poison.

Jam isn’t as sticky as peanut butter, but ants will still stick to your trap, so make sure to replace it now and then.

Pro Tip: Are the ants getting fatter instead of dying? You might be using too much jam. Keep in mind that the jam will only act as a bait to lure ants into eating the borax.

4. Oil and Dish Soap Water Trap

Are you not sure what kind of ants are terrorizing your homestead? Then this one’s perfect for you!

Unlike the other traps on this list, this poison spray does not use any kind of bait. Instead of luring the ants, you’ll be coming straight to their territory to attack them.

It’s a fast, simple, and straightforward way to get rid of ant infestations.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 tsp. cooking oil
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp. dishwashing soap
• Spray bottle

Instructions:

1. Mix the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
2. Transfer to a clean spray bottle.
3. Shake well before using.

How to Use:

Spray the dishwashing soap-oil poison directly on the ants. The goal isn’t just to poison them, but to completely stop them in their tracks and drown them.

Perhaps the only downside here is that there won’t be any bait for ants to bring home and poison the colony. However, you can spray the mixture directly on the anthill.

5. Diatomaceous Earth Spray Solution

If you’re looking for a more scientific approach to killing ants, try out this diatomaceous earth spray solution. It is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock crumbled into fine powder.

This powder contains billions of microscopic particles sharp enough to rip the fragile joints of ants when ingested. They can also dehydrate them by absorbing body fats and oils.

Generally, however, diatomaceous earth is harmless to mammals, so they is safe to use around small kids and pets.

What You’ll Need:

• 6 Tbsp. diatomaceous earth
• 1 cup water

Instructions:

1. Mix the two ingredients and then pour into a clean spray bottle.
2. Shake the mixture well before using it.

How to Use:

Spray the solution directly on the ants or on their trail. The goal is to coat these pests with your diatomaceous earth solution.

If you know the location of their colony, spray the solution directly on it.

How to Choose the Best Trap for Your Ants

When deciding which ant trap to use, it’s important to consider what kind of ants you’re dealing with. Here’s a quick guide:

• Sugar Ants: These ants are most attracted to sweet baits, such as sugar and borax mixtures. Use the borax and sugar trap for the best results.
• Grease Ants: These ants are more likely to go for protein-based baits like peanut butter. The peanut butter and borax trap works wonders for these pests.
• General Pests: If you’re dealing with a mix of ants or want something safer for pets, diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic option that works for all kinds of ants.

How Soon Will You See Results?

Depending on the size of the infestation, you should start to see fewer ants within 24–72 hours. The ants will carry the bait back to their colony, and it will take a couple of days for the bait to spread throughout.

Safety Reminders

While these homemade ant traps are effective, always take precautions to keep them safe. Here’s a quick safety checklist:

• Keep out of reach of children and pets, especially when using borax.
• Wear gloves when handling borax or diatomaceous earth to avoid irritation.
• Use food-grade diatomaceous earth if you’re concerned about pet safety.
• Ventilate the area when using diatomaceous earth to avoid inhalation of dust.

Check out gregthegardener’s homemade ant trap:

Keep Ants at Bay with These Easy DIY Methods

Homemade ant traps are a great, eco-friendly way to handle ant invasions around your homestead. From sweet sugar baits to protein-packed peanut butter traps, there’s a solution that will fit your needs. Plus, with careful precautions, these traps are safe for both your home and the environment. No more worrying about harmful chemicals, just simple, effective solutions that you can feel good about. So gather your ingredients, set your traps, and say goodbye to ants!

Feel free to modify this homemade ant trap any way you want. You can use alternatives if the ingredients mentioned above are not available.

Overall, the goal is to lure them using something sweet-smelling. Once they are in one location, it’ll be easy to trap them and ensure they never cause trouble again.

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FAQ: Homemade Ant Traps