A bathroom is an attractive place for ants since they enjoy moist and dark spaces. The scent of perfumes, bath salts, soaps, lotions, and toothpaste in your bathroom, combined with clogged drains and water puddles, is an excellent base for a permanent ant infestation.
Once they settle your toilet, it will be hard to get them out. Fortunately, you won’t need to spend a lot of money to get rid of ants in the bathroom. In fact, you have probably had the most efficient natural agents in your kitchen. Let’s see.
The Types of Ants in Bathroom
Believe it or not, more than 12,000 known species of ants live on our planet. A few types can invade your bathroom, so you should learn how to determine ants and find the most efficient way to destroy them.
- Moisture ants – It is not naive seeing these yellowish, long ants that like making nests in the areas with high humidity. Once you spot them in your bathroom, be sure that you have an issue with plumbing leaks in your drainage system.
- Carpenter ants – You can find these creatures inside the dividers, walls, and tiles in your bathroom. The moisture provides adequate shelter for their nests there.
- Argentine ants – These big ants make their nests in damp areas, especially around your toilet. Keep in mind that they enjoy sugar-based food.
- Ghost ants – These white creatures appear and disappear in your bathroom suddenly. They prefer this environment since this room is a source of food for their nest.
Necessary Steps in a Case of Ant Infestation
Step 1. Find the cause
The first thing you need to do is to find the place ants nested in your bathroom come from.
Step 2. Find the trails
Since ants always follow particular patterns, you can quickly find a path they have used to access your bathroom.
Step 3. Identify the attraction
The next step is to find and eliminate the source of water by fixing cracks and solving the cause of leaking.
Step 4. Eliminate the attracting factors
Once you determine the factors that attract ants, you should eliminate them. Start with emptying and washing your dirty trash can. Then, keep the bathroom dry, inspect the medicine cabinet, and clean the drain thoroughly. Also, take care to wipe off water droplets from tiles, shower walls, and sink after using them.
Ways to Eliminate Ants
Keep the bathroom clean
The primary thing you can do to eliminate ants from your bathroom is to keep it clean. Once you cut their wellspring of water, they won’t stay there longer.
Fill in all the cracks and holes, wipe water regularly, and mop the tiles behind the toilet bowl. Also, take care to wash a garbage bin regularly and remove hair, food, and dirt from the drains.
Seal cracks
Ants usually use cracks occurring in walls and tiles to invade the space. One of the most efficient ways to get rid of these menaces is to seal the entry holes and replace the damaged caulk.
Replace broken tiles
Replace cracked or broken tiles on time to prevent ant invasion. Since these places are moist, they are a perfect environment for nests. Regular maintenance will prevent the colony from spreading throughout your home.
De-humidify the bathroom
As I have already mentioned, ants choose humid areas for nesting. Therefore, you should keep your bathroom dry by opening the window after taking a shower. Also, a quality vent system will help you get rid of steam and prevent forming the stagnant puddles of water on the walls and floor.
Get rid of stagnant water
Never let the puddles of water stay on the floor after taking a bath. By wiping it with an old cloth, you can prevent ants from using your bathroom as a breeding ground. Don’t forget to wash a bathroom mat regularly and replace it every couple of months.
Fix the plumbing
Dripping pipes and leaking faucets cause forming the water puddles. Since puddles are an ideal place for ants to nest, you should solve plumbing issues as soon as possible.
Unclog drains
After taking a shower daily, you can expect bathroom drains to clog with hair and skin debris. That sediment is a perfect location for ants to make a nest. Therefore, regular cleaning and unclogging drains will help you get rid of ants and prevent them from reappearing.
Ensure proper drainage
If you notice any drainage problem in your shower cabin, call a plumber, and get the problem fixed. That way, you can solve the ant issue in the most practical way possible.
Best Remedies to Get Rid of Ants
1. White vinegar
Once you spot ants, the first thing to do is to wipe cupboards, countertops, and walls with a water solution of white vinegar. That way, you will get rid of these creatures and keep your bathroom clean.
Don’t forget to spray all entry points where ants use to come inside your space with this solution. Keep in mind that you can’t use vinegar if you have countertops made of natural stone, such as granite, quartz, and marble.
2. Chalk or baby powder
The simplest way to prevent ant invasion is to draw a line of chalk or baby powder in front of their entering point. It will act as an excellent barrier, which ants won’t want to cross. The reason why this works is unknown. Maybe the chalk line interrupts the scent trails, or ants can’t stand the calcium carbonate. In any case, this method is effective.
3. Borax
Once ants consume borax, it will damage its outer skeletons and digestive systems, which will eventually kill them. Since these insects like sweets, the most efficient way of using borax is to mix it with:
- Peanut butter – Combine borax with peanut in a 1:3 ratio and put it on the ant’s trails.
- Honey – Mix a cup of honey in a quarter cup of borax and apply it along the ant’s trails. This combination will kill insects in all development stages.
- Syrup or jelly – Mix equal parts of syrup or jelly with borax and put the plate with it along passages.
- Sugar – After mixing borax and solid sugar in a 1: 3 ratio, you should apply it to the trails to determine ants at all stages of their lifecycle. Keep in mind that this mixture is harmful to kids and pets, so be careful if you choose this option.
4. Boric acid
This natural ant killer is slightly toxic to kids and pets, so you should be careful when using it. Sprinkle the boric acid along the door and window edges or make a water solution of boric acid and sugar and apply it along the ant’s paths.
5. Coffee grounds
Use coffee grounds after finishing your cup of coffee to sprinkle on the driveways of your home. It is an excellent ant repellent, which will prevent ants from entering your bathroom.
6. Cucumber or citrus peels
Put citrus or cucumber peels in your bathroom to repel ants. They are toxic to fungi that ants use as food. Another solution is to purchase citrus-scented cleaners, but those scented with synthetic fragrances won’t have the same effect.
7. Herbs and spices
Sprinkle cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves of garlic, mint, or black pepper in the corner of your bathroom. These herbs have a strong scent that will repel ants for a short time.
8. Essential oils
Ants are quite sensitive to essential oils and can’t stand their strong scent. One of the most efficient is the combination of peppermint and tea tree oil. However, you can use citrus, cinnamon, and eucalyptus oil, as well.
Apply the chosen oil on the cotton balls or spray it directly to the ant’s paths. Repeat the process after a few days to maximize its effect. For heavy infestation, make a mix of peppermint oil, tea tree oil, water, and cayenne pepper powder. Soak the cotton ball into this solution and place it to the ant’s paths.
9. Ant traps
To prevent ants from coming back, you should kill the entire colony. The best choice is to use traps for this purpose.
- Bait stations – It is one of the simplest solutions you can use against ants. The smell of these pre-filled traps attracts ants, and they take them into the nest. Since these stations contain a toxic liquid, they will kill insect quickly. Be careful since this liquid is also poisonous for kids and pets.
- Gels – Apply them directly to cracks and hard to reach corners. Ants will bring them to the colony and cause the death of the queen. Once it dies, the whole settlement will be quickly destroyed.
10. Nontoxic sprays
Sprays are an excellent solution to kill existing ants in your bathroom and to deter others from entering. Always pick out a nontoxic spray, especially if your toilet is smaller and without a window. Keep in mind that these agents can’t solve your problem with ants completely.
11. Insecticides
Using insecticides is the quickest way to destroy ants, but they are an environment-unfriendly and toxic option. Unlike natural methods, these chemicals will remove ants from your bathroom effectively and instantly.
12. Call an exterminator
If other methods fail, it is time to call an exterminator. It is an expensive solution. Plus, these professionals use harsh and harmful chemicals to kill ants.
