Many species of ants are beneficial, killing real pests such as fleas and bedbugs, and in most cases are not disease carriers or likely to hurt you and your family. Ants tend to be driven by a desire to find food, so this should alert you to the need for careful food storage and creation of barriers that deter ants from even realizing you have goodies on offer. To rid your house of ants, here are a few ideas.

Barricade your home

Since ants are tiny, they can find thousands of tiny doorways into your residence. Some of these are easy to identify, while others will only be discovered when there’s a parade of ants marching through the chosen ant doorway.

Use caulk

Seal windows, doors and any cracks the ants crawl through with caulk. An additional benefit of doing this is better temperature control and lower energy bills. Plus, it’s one of the least risky methods when kids or pets are involved.

Line suspected entryways with deterrent substances.

Salt and talc can be spread under doors, near windows and walls with better conscience. Tailor’s chalk and baby powder usually contain talc and can be used to create a barrier for ants. Regardless of which form of talc you use, keep in mind that there are concerns about the potential carcinogenicity of talc, if you breathe it in––wear a barrier mask, if you’re concerned about occasional use

Apply scents and substances that ants don’t like

Vinegar, peppermint oil, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, whole cloves, and bay leaves are all examples that have varying claims of success. However, some of these might be harmful to pets and irritants to curious children.