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You are here: NPIC Home Page —> Pest Control Information —> Understanding and Controlling Ants

Understanding and Controlling Ants

Ants can spoil more than a picnic. Some species can destroy wood buildings, and others can bite. Although ants play important roles in nature, they don't belong in people's homes. Fortunately, there are many simple steps you can take to resolve the problem once you know what kind of ant you are dealing with.

When controlling ants, keep these important tips in mind:

• Knowing what the ant needs is vital to making your home or yard less inviting. Some ants eat wood. Others eat people's food, and some feed on decaying plants and other insects. Check out the resources below or contact your Cooperative Extension Service for help identifying ants.
• Regularly empty and wash garbage cans and recycling bins. Clean up crumbs and spills, especially with sweet liquids like soda.
• If ants are coming inside, consider keeping food in hard, sealed containers, not cardboard boxes or paper wrappers.
• Keep vegetation around the house trimmed so that ants can't travel from shrubbery or branches to the house.
• Seal any cracks and crevices that ants may use to enter your home.
• Consider reading about how to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to prevent and control ants in and around your home.
• If you decide to use pesticides, always read and follow all label instructions carefully.
• If a potted plant has ants, consider isolating it by creating a moat to prevent the spread.

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (7:30am-3:30pm PST), or email us at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Additional Resources:

Control Methods

• Quick Tips for Ant Control - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Ants Management Guidelines - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• IPM Checklist for Ants - University of Florida Extension
• Ant Biology and Identification - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Key to Identifying Common Household Ants - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• IPM for Ants in Schools - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Information on Specific Ant Species:

• Fire Ant Identification and Control - Michigan State Cooperative Extension
• Fire Ants - Texas A & M University Extension
• Fire Ants - University of Texas
• Caribbean Crazy Ants - University of Florida
• Carpenter Ants - University of Minnesota Extension
• Carpenter Ants - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Carpenter Ants - Texas A & M University Extension
• Argentine Ants - North Carolina State University Extension