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How to Kill Fat Ants

Fat ants belong in the genus Prenolepis imparis. They are sometimes referred to as false honey ants or winter ants because of their ability to forage in low temperatures. They are very fond of honeydew juice, drinking enough to swell their tiny abdomens like balloons. Fat ants like to nest in moist, deep soil, but they can also build their nest indoors in baseboards or countertops. They occasionally swarm indoors during the winter months, often in search of foods like cakes, breads, sugar and meats. Fat ants are valuable insect scavengers and should be left alone if possible, but you can get rid of them if they become a nuisance in and around your home.

Things You'll Need

Rubbing alcohol
Dish soap
Spray bottle
Aerosol pesticide spray
Ant bait traps
Ant glue trap

Instructions

- 1
  Create a natural insecticide solution. Mix 1 tsp. of rubbing alcohol and 1 tsp. of dish soap in a spray bottle filled with water. Shake the solution well and spray everywhere you have seen fat ant activity. This solution will kill the ants on contact.
- 2
  Spray an aerosol pesticide into the entrance of the nest. Find the nest by setting food out for the fat ants to forage on, and then watch where they go. Usually they will go back to the nest. Drench the nest with the aerosol pesticide spray. Re-treat the nest until all ants are dead.
- 3
  Place ant bait traps along baseboards, in corners, behind appliances and under sinks. These traps work by attracting the ants with a food source mixed with a slow-acting poison. Worker ants eat the bait and then take it back to other ants in the nest. Because fat ants are attracted to sweets, the best traps to buy are for sweet-eating ants. Ant bait traps act slowly and it could take weeks to eradicate the nest.
- 4
  Set ant glue traps to kill fat ants. Glue traps work by alluring the ants using either a pheromone scent or a food scent. The scent forces them to walk over the glue trap. The fat ants will get stuck and die after a few hours.
- 5
  Deter fat ants by planting spearmint, pennyroyal or tansy in large clumps around the entrance of your house. The pungent smell will deter the ants from coming into your house. You can also sprinkle powdered cloves or red pepper on ant affected surfaces. Fat ants will leave quickly because the hot spices affect their sense of smell and touch once on their feet or antennae.

Insects & Science