How to Get Rid of Small Ants in an Apartment

Have you found a trail of tiny ants marching across your kitchen counter? You’re not alone. All too many renters have come across this nightmare. Unfortunately, small ants in an apartment might seem harmless from the get-go, but they can escalate more than you’d think. That’s why it’s so important that you have a proactive strategy in place. In this article, we’ll help you get there. We’ll lay out the biggest tips and tricks you need in your arsenal to nip an impending infestation in the bud. Read below to learn more!

Main Takeaways

DIY Natural Remedies for Small Ants in an Apartment

Before we get into the natural DIY remedies for small ants in an apartment, we need to mention one huge detail. If you try a DIY solution that alters or impacts the property in any way without your landlord’s permission, you could be violating your lease. So, home rental management companies in Texas like us always recommend that you get your landlord’s written approval before moving forward with these tips.

Also, it’s critical to say that these DIY tips can likely lessen the problem while you wait for a professional solution but not fix it altogether. They may remove the ants you see, but not the whole colony buried deep in your building. In the end, you likely need to reach out to your landlord to have them definitively address it.

Remedy	Application & Caution
White Vinegar & Water	Mix 50/50 white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Then, spray it directly on the ants to kill them on contact. Also, you can use it to wipe down the counters and ant trails. Caution: Avoid using white vinegar on natural stone (like granite or marble), since the white vinegar’s acid can corrode the surface over time.
Essential Oils (Peppermint, Tea Tree)	Mix 10-20 drops of a strong essential oil (peppermint or tea tree are effective) with water in a spray bottle. Spray around entry points (windowsills, door frames). The strong scent disrupts the ants’ pheromone trails. Caution: According to the ASPCA, essential oils can be deadly to pets, especially cats and dogs. So, you should always consult with a veterinarian before you use them.
Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade)	This fine powder is a natural, non-toxic killer that dehydrates the ants upon contact. Lightly sprinkle a very thin layer along cracks, behind appliances, and in wall voids if accessible. Caution: It only works when dry. While food-grade is usually non-toxic, you should always check and avoid inhaling the fine dust.
Baking Soda & Powdered Sugar	Mix equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar. Place a small amount in a jar lid near ant trails. The sugar attracts them, and the baking soda is lethal to them when ingested. Caution: Keep out of reach of children and pets.

When to Contact Your Landlord for Small Ants in Your Apartment

As frustrating as it is to say, small ants in an apartment typically will require more than just DIY solutions. You likely will need to get your landlord and possibly even contractors involved. Here are some signs it’s time to contact them:

• It’s In Your Lease: Most leases and state laws require landlords to address pest control issues. For example, landlords typically are responsible for pest control in Texas unless the lease says otherwise or you played a role in causing the problem. So, you should immediately act once you see more than just a stray ant here or there. The landlord should take it from there. To boot, if you don’t contact them to fix the issue as soon as possible, they could find this to mean you let it worsen through inaction. Then, they might penalize you for negligence. On another note, to maintain a paper trail, we recommend you always notify your landlord or property manager in writing.
• The Ants Keep Returning, No Matter What You Do: If the ants keep coming back despite your best cleaning efforts and initial DIY treatments, they are most likely nested in a shared space you cannot access or treat by yourself. For example, they could be wall void or across the way to a neighbor’s unit. You can’t exactly weasel your way in there easily.
• If You Have Carpenter Ants: If you think you have carpenter ants or any sign of structural damage, whip out your phone and call your landlord immediately. They can chew through wood and irreparably damage a property’s structure. Needless to say, your landlord needs to get this resolved before the ants make your home outright dangerous to live in.
• If You Have Pharaoh Ants: Pharaoh ants are tiny ants that are known to be especially hard to get rid of. They tend to set up nests in hard-to-reach places, and they can spread throughout an entire building easily. The more you time you give them to multiply, the more time you’re letting them slither their way into every crook and cranny. So, this is where professional pest control needs to step in, and quickly. They’ll have specialized methods formulated to attack these specific ants.

If you have additional pest problems, like roaches in your apartment, then you should look at guidance for those specific problems separately.

Preventing Ants from Coming Back

Once you have the small ants in your apartment under control, you should proactively prevent this from happening again. Here’s some of the key steps you should take:

1. Eliminate Their Access to Your Food: This is the most critical step of keeping small ants in an apartment away. Be sure to put your dry goods, like sugar, cereals, pasta, and pet food, into airtight containers. This way, they can’t chew through the original packaging. Wipe up all food remnants in your home, rinse your cans and containers, and don’t leave dishes dirty, laying out for ants to find. Finally, take out the trash frequently. All this helps you reduce your home’s attractiveness to ants.
2. Seal All the Entry Points: Conduct a thorough inspection of your unit, from top to bottom. With silicone caulk and your landlord’s permission, seal cracks where walls meet the floor and where the utility pipes or cables enter the walls. Also, you could install or repair some weatherstripping around the bottom of your apartment’s doors and windows.
3. Control the Moisture: Have your landlord repair any leaky faucets or dripping pipes immediately. Dry out wet areas, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. Additionally, use a dehumidifier if you find that your home continually has excess moisture.
4. Work Together with the Building’s Management: Since small ants in an apartment travel between units, your best bet is to report them to management as soon as you see something awry. They can get at the root of the problem before it spirals out of control.

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