- Blog
50 Myths About Getting Rid of Ants in the Home
Ants in the house have a way of turning calm, sensible people into experimental scientists overnight. Sugar, borax, cinnamon, chalk, vinegar, essential oils, moats, sprays, chants… the internet (and Facebook) is overflowing with advice.
Some of it works a bit. Some of it works temporarily. A lot of it is pure myth.
Below are 50 of the most common ant-control myths, many inspired directly by real Facebook comments, plus an explanation of why people believe them and why they don’t reliably solve an ant problem
1. “Just clean your house and the ants will leave”
Cleaning helps, but ants forage far beyond visible crumbs. Once a trail is established, they’ll keep coming back.
2. “Ants only come because you’re messy”
Ants also come for moisture, warmth, and nesting sites – often inside walls or under floors.
3. “Put sugar in the fridge and ants disappear forever”
This protects one item, not the dozens of other food and scent sources ants can find.
4. “Sprinkle cinnamon and ants hate the smell”
Cinnamon can disrupt trails temporarily, but it doesn’t affect the nest or queen.
5. “Cinnamon sticks along the wall solve the problem”
Same issue: repels briefly, doesn’t eliminate the colony.
6. “Chili powder stops ants at the entrance”
Strong spices may deter ants for a short time, until they simply find another route.
7. “Salt kills ants instantly”
Salt can kill individual ants but does nothing to stop the colony reproducing.
8. “Draw a line with oil and ants will turn around”
This can break a trail temporarily, but ants will reroute within hours or days.
9. “Sidewalk chalk creates an ant force field”
Chalk interferes with scent trails; but only until humidity, cleaning, or traffic removes it.
10. “Vinegar cleaning kills the problem”
Vinegar removes scent trails, which helps, but doesn’t address where ants are nesting.
11. “Spraying Windex solves it”
This kills ants you see, not the thousands you don’t.
12. “Bleach wipes fix ant infestations”
Again, surface-level control only.
13. “Ants come up through drains, so just clear the pipes”
Ants may explore drains, but they’re rarely nesting there.
14. “Put bay leaves in cupboards”
Bay leaves have minimal repellent effect and won’t stop determined foragers.
15. “Essential oils repel ants permanently”
Peppermint, rosemary, and spearmint smell strong – but require constant reapplication.
16. “Peppermint oil alone solves everything”
It’s a repellent, not a solution.
17. “Baking soda makes ants explode”
This myth is popular – and exaggerated. Results are inconsistent and slow.
18. “Baking soda and sugar always works”
It may kill some ants, but colonies often survive.
19. “Cornmeal kills ants”
Ants don’t explode from cornmeal – it’s an old wives’ tale.
20. “Borax and sugar is totally safe and fool-proof”
It can work as bait, but it’s still toxic and risky around pets and children.
21. “Food-grade diatomaceous earth is harmless to everything”
It’s safer than many chemicals but still irritating if inhaled.
22. “DE wipes out colonies instantly”
DE works slowly and only where ants physically contact it.
23. “DE is edible so pets can sniff it safely”
Even food-grade DE can irritate lungs.
24. “Put a moat of water around food bowls”
Effective for that bowl only – not the house.
25. “Lead ants somewhere else and they’ll stay there”
Ants don’t relocate colonies because you’re polite.
26. “If you kill the ants you see, the problem is solved”
Those ants are disposable workers.
27. “Ant traps are just a ‘band-aid’ solution”
Poorly used traps are. Correct baiting targets the colony.
28. “You must kill the queen directly”
Most homeowners never find the queen – and don’t need to.
29. “Ants only appear in spring”
They forage year-round indoors if conditions are right – all they need is food and water.
30. “Once gone, they’re gone for good”
Colonies can re-establish if conditions remain favourable.
31. “Spray daily for a week and they’re gone forever”
Surface sprays often cause ants to split into multiple colonies.
32. “Hot water fixes outdoor nests permanently”
It may kill one nest, but nearby colonies move in.
33. “Kerosene is a solution”
Dangerous, toxic, and not suitable for homes. Ever.
34. “Change landscaping and ants disappear”
Helpful outside, limited impact indoors.
35. “Store everything in plastic bags and ants stop”
Ants can chew thin plastic and still forage elsewhere.
36. “Ants won’t cross baking soda lines”
They usually will.
37. “Gel bait works instantly”
Good bait takes days – and often looks worse before it gets better.
38. “More bait means faster results”
Over-baiting can repel ants.
39. “Disturb ants while baiting them”
This often makes control less effective.
40. “Natural always means effective”
Natural methods often repel but don’t eliminate.
41. “Chemical always means dangerous”
Modern ant baits are targeted and low-risk when used correctly.
42. “Ants are a sign of bad luck”
They’re a sign of food, moisture, or access – not fate.
43. “Ants warn of disaster”
Interesting folklore. Not pest control.
44. “You have to move house”
No, you don’t.
45. “Hire an exterminator or nothing works”
Professional help is useful, but most infestations are manageable.
46. “Ants are harmless so ignore them”
Some species contaminate food and damage property.
47. “Repellents stop ants permanently”
They usually just change the route.
48. “One method fits all ants”
Different species respond differently.
49. “Ants are impossible to get rid of”
They’re persistent, not invincible.
50. “Killing ants is the only option”
Effective control is about breaking the colony cycle, not just killing what you see.
The Truth About Ant Control
Most myths focus on what you can see. Real ant control focuses on what you can’t – the nest, the queen, and the scent trails that keep ants coming back.
Repellents may make your kitchen smell nice. Cleaning removes temptation. But unless the colony itself is dealt with, ants almost always return.
If ants keep coming back year after year, it’s not because you didn’t sprinkle enough cinnamon.
It’s because the colony is still thriving.
