How to Get Rid of Ants in Bathroom (2023 Guide)

Have you found small ants in the bathroom and want to get rid of them quickly?

Ants like dark and humid places so they are attracted towards bathroom. Clogged drains, water puddles, toothpaste, scent of perfumes, lotions, soaps, and bath salts makes it a favorite place for ants.

Once they make homes in your bathroom, it will be difficult to get them out. Luckily, the methods that are used to remove ants from your space are not so costly. And, many solutions are already available in your kitchen which can get them out effectively.

In this article, we will study effective ways to get rid of ants in bathrooms.

 

Method to Get Rid of Black Ants in Bathroom

1. Find the Source

First of all, search for the location from where the ants are coming to your bathroom.

2. Observe the Tracks

Ants always follow a particular pattern, so if you will quickly find their source by looking their track. So, you will know that from where they are coming you your bathroom.

3. Recognize the Attraction

Now, look around in your bathroom that which thing has attracted those ants and try to remove them like if there are any cracks in the tiles or grouts fill them immediately where they might have found their food.

4. Remove the Attracting Factors

When you have observed carefully which things are attracting those ants in my bathroom, try to remove them all. Begin from the Dust bin of your bathroom, throw all the garbage from it and wash it thoroughly so that all the particles get cleaned which are attracting ants.

Always wipe the tiles after every use and keep everything dry in the bathroom and clean all the drains over there.

Getting Rid of Ants in Bathroom

1. Using a Vacuum

Vacuuming them is one of the best ways to control the black ants. Attach the crevice tool with the vacuum and start picking them. You have to use a vacuum that have powerful suction system.

While sucking the ants if they are escaping, you can do the following things to get rid of this problem:

• Take the vacuum tank out and empty it as soon as possible so that they don’t enter any other area of your home.
• You can add a little quantity of water into the tank of the vacuum and add a few drops of bleach. In this way the ants will trap into the tank and they will die before coming out.
• You can also put some boric powder in the bottom of the tank. The ants will not come out of the tank and they will die.

2. Use Powerful Sprays

Using the solution of water and bleach is the best way to get rid of ants. You can also use aerosol spray to kill them; this spray is made for indoor use.

Do not mix chemicals with your sprays. If you mix bleach in the ant spray, the chlorine will not mix with the insect killer so the solution will not work. If you want to remove the residues of insect repellent, use mild soapy water.

3. Disinfection

Various types of insect killers are available in the market but all of them contain the same active ingredient cypermethrin.

All these sprays are strong and whenever you have to use them, it is very necessary to leave the room and you should not enter the room for 2 – 3 hours. Furthermore, its important to clean the oily residues of these sprays and dead ants on the space.

You should use these powerful sprays in most serious cases like if your bathroom is covered with ants and you think milder methods will not work. If the situation is not much worst, try to remove them using milder methods.

4. Natural Sprays

There are many sprays made of natural ingredients which you can use to get rid of ants in your bathroom. They can be made of different essential oils such as:

• Tea tree oil
• Lemongrass
• Citronella
• Peppermint oil
• Eucalyptus

The sprays made of these oils provide you with long-term solutions. Moreover, they remove ants without using chemicals so they are best for the environment and for your health.

5. Granular Bait

Granular baits are products that are used to kill ants. Experts have mixed ingredients in these products which attract ants. Before using them, you must read the instructions that this product is for which kind of ants. Try to use them in small amounts.

If you have to control Argentina ants, pour ¼ ounce of this product behind the toilet. As a result, the sweet smell of this powder will attract the ants and they will leave all the other parts of the bathroom.

When all the ants will eat the poison, they all will be died and you bathroom will be free of ants. This product is best in its performance because it does not need a dry place to work and it can still work in wet areas.

6. Bait Gels

These are also products which is used to get rid of ants by killing them. These are made of poison mixed with the ant’s favorite food. Put this gel in small intervals throughout the bathroom for good results.

You have to insert the applicator tip to use a bait gel and fill all the cracks and gaps of the space. For Examples, the gaps between the floor and the bottom of the toilet, loose baseboards, entry points of the pipes, cracks in the tiles and grout, and other gaps.

Remember, all the species of ants have their unique choice for food so before purchasing the bait gels you should read its manual carefully that which type of ants can kill this product.

7. Bait Stations

Bait stations are made of a plastic disk which is filled by a solid material of ant killer. In the station, two entry points are available so ants freely enters by this way and eat the bait without any disturbance.

They also carry some of the substance to their homes, in this way the whole colony of the ants die. The formula applied in these stations are specially made to get rid of Pharaoh ants because these ants feed on the plant’s nector.

Bait stations are available in small plastic tube which are easy to activate and set. They can work for 3 – 4 months and if you use them in moistureless climates they are prone to drying.

8. Things that Won’t Work

Most of the homeowners make such traps that use baking soda, peanut butter, borax, and coffee residues. However, it is not proved scientifically that these ingredients kill ants.

If you are uncertain, you can take help from a professional or a pest control company. So, you will have an experienced expert who will solve the problem for you.

Reasons for Ants in Bathroom

Plumbing Leaks

Ants move towards the motionless water which is occurred by the plumbing leaks. So you must not allow the water to stand still and look for ways to repair the leakage of your plumbing.

Easy Entrance to Your Home

Ants look for an abundant source of water by following pipes into your house. So, you must use foam or steel wool to seal the pipes entry points completely.

Perfumes

The strong perfumes of shampoos and soap attract ants so you must install cabinets with tightly closed doors to store these products. Hence, the ants and other insects will not access them.

Available Food Sources

A smalles particle of candy or soda can attract the ants to come. In such cases, it would be best to keep these ingredients away from affected areas.

Messy Bathroom

Ants are more attracted towards a messy bathroom compared to a kitchen. The buildup in your drains is also their favorite food and the dirty area behind the toilet is their favorite place to live.

The warm, darker, dimmer, or moist environment of the bathroom makes a paradise for them. So, you should keep each and every corner of your bathroom clean to get rid of them.

Ants Types in Bathroom

There are more than 12000 different species of ants living on our earth. Your bathroom will occupy a few types of them. To get rid of them most efficiently, you must learn the types of ants.

Moisture Ants

The ants that like to live in humid and darker places are yellowish and longer. If you found such type of ant in your bathroom be sure that you have a plumbing issue somewhere from where the water is leaking.

Carpenter Ants

These types of ant like to live in the walls, tiles, and dividers of your bathroom. They make their homes in the holes of these areas with the shelter of moisture.

Argentine Ants

These ants are bigger in size and they make their homes in humid places. Their favorite place to live is the toilet and they like to eat sweet food.

Ghost Ants

Ghost ants appear in the bathroom unexpectedly and disappear after some time. They are white in color and the bathroom is their favorite place to live because they find food here for their homes.

Flying Ants

They are called reproductive ants because they appear in the breeding season. These ants have wings and fly in groups mostly in the summer or spring season. Sometimes you may have noticed them flying near the ceiling or around the light source.

The presence of these ants shows the huge number of ants around your bathroom or they may enter through a window or other entrances.

Best Remedies for Ants in Bathroom

1. Vinegar

When you notice ants in your bathroom, first of all, you make a solution of an equal amounts of water and vinegar and mix them. Now, pour this solution into a spray bottle and clean all the tiles, countertops, and cupboards with this spray.

The entry points from where ants enter the bathroom should also be applied vinegar. However, if you have marble, granite, or quartz in your bathroom, it would be better to look for another remedy because vinegar damages the surface of the stone.

2. Baby Powder or Chalk

Sprinkle baby powder or draw a line with chalk in front of the entry points of the ants. This is a simple method but 100% effective because it works as a barrier for them and they never want to cross this border.

Scientists didn’t find the reason why ants don’t go near these materials. Maybe they don’t want to stand near calcium carbonate or whatever the reason could be but it’s an effective method.

3. Borax

When ants eat borax it gradually damages its digestive system and skeleton, so at last, it kills them. As ants like to eat sugar so it’s a good idea to mix borax in sweet items such as:

1. Combine one part of borax with three parts of peanut butter and make smalls balls from this materials. Now place them in the area where there are huge number of ants.
2. Blend quarter cup of borax with one cup of honey and keep it in the ants homes and all their colonies. This remedy will kill ants in all the stages of their development.
3. Mix borax with sweet syrup of jelly and keep this plate near the entry point of the ants.
4. Make a mixture of one part of borax and three parts of sugar place it near the ants colonies. But this recipe is harmful for kids and pets so be careful.

4. Boric Acid

Pour boric acid on all the areas where ants have made their colonies or mix it with water and sugar to make a solution. Apply it on all the paths of ants.

Boric acid is highly poisonous and its hazardous for kids and pets so be careful while using it.

5. Coffee Residues

After finishing your cup of coffee, pour the residues on all the entrances of ants. This is 100% effective method because coffee grounds are superb ant-repellent and it will not allow ants from coming to your home.

6. Peels of Oranges or Cucumber

Peels of cucumber, oranges, or any citrus food is 100% ant-repellent. They are poisonous to fungi and its important to kill fungi in order to get rid of ants. Alternatively, you can purchase citreous cleaners and clean all the surfaces of your bathroom with it.

7. Spices and Herbs

Pour black pepper, cayenne pepper, mint, cinnamon, or garlic cloves into all the corners where ants are located. The smell of herbs and spices will repel the ants for a short time.

8. Essential Oils

Ants can’t bear the strong smell of essential oils and can’t stand near them. The most powerful repellent you can make by combining the tea tree and peppermint oils. Eucalyptus, citrus, and cinnamon oils are also effective.

You can apply the oils on the paths of ants with cotton balls or using a spray. You can repeat this procedure after 3 – 4 days so that ants don’t come again.

If there is a huge number of ants you can combine cayenne pepper powder, water, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil and apply this mixture.

9. Ant Traps

It’s a good idea to kill the entire colony of ants to get rid of them completely. The usage of traps is best for this purpose.

• Using bait stations
• Gels

10. Safe Ant-Killer Sprays

Ant killer sprays are available in the market which kills the current ants present in the bathroom but be careful while selecting ant killer sprays. Always pick one with safe ingredients and keep the windows of the toilet open.

If there are no windows and the bathroom is smaller, you should be extra careful while using it.

11. Insect Repellents

These sprays kills the ants effectively and quickly but they are not safe for the environment and are very poisonous. Natural remedies will get rid of ants slowly but these killers will work quickly if you are looking for a quick solution.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

How to Remove Ants from Bathroom Permanently?

Vinegar is effective in killing ants as well as safe for the environment. Clean all the spaces of your bathroom with vinegar and water solution once in a week. Pour this solution in the entry point of the ants as well. So you will permanently get rid of ants.

What is the Reason Behind the Occurrence of Ants in My Bathroom?

The bathroom is the most common place where ants like to live. The humidity, hair buildup, and chemical odors from your drains and toilets make a perfect place for ants to enter.

How to Get Rid of Ants from Bathroom Using Home Remedies?

Vinegar is the best homemade cleaner to remove ants. Besides this baby powder, chalk, essential oils, and citrus fruit peels are also good at removing ants from any space.

Why Black Ants Appear in My Bathroom?

Black ants enter your bathroom through pipes, widows, cracks, or other holes. The odor of motionless water and washing agents also become a reason of ants’ entrance.

Are the Ants Able to Come up Through the Drains?

Ants always live in groups this is the reason they are called social insects. They live together in drains and can come up through the drains by making groups.

Final Thoughts

Colonies of ants look very annoying in the bathroom or everywhere at home but luckily getting rid of them is not a difficult task. It’s good to use homemade ways to get rid of them because they are safe and environmental friendly.

Try to close the entry points of the ants from where they find their way to come to the bathroom. If there are any cracks and holes in the tiles, grout, or anywhere fill them immediately. If there is any leakage in the pipes, repair them soon.