7 Best Ant Killers (2023 Guide)

All ant killers have the same function: to get rid of ants in your home and make it infestation-free. Depending on where you live, if you have pets or children, and where the infestation is, a certain killer may work best for you.

To help you comb through these factors and more, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best ant killers on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations, followed by a guide to walk you through the purchasing process.

Top 7 Ant Killers

• Best Liquid Bait: Terro Liquid Ant Baits
• Most Versatile: Raid Multi Insect Killer
• Best Dust: Terro Ant Dust
• Best Non-Toxic Killer: Mighty Mint Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil
• Best For Lawns: Ortho BugClear Insect Killer
• Best For Fire Ants: Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer
• Best For Organic Gardens: Sunday Ant Adios Insect & Ant Killer

Compare Top Ant Killers

Best Liquid Bait: Terro Liquid Ant Baits

Pros and Cons

✔ Comes in pre-filled bait stations that require minimal setup
✔ Can be used with or without provided stakes
✔ Doesn’t dry out in the elements

✘ Reservoir is on the smaller side, meaning each station may run out quickly
✘ Some customers found the bait stations difficult to open

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who liked these stations said that they were easy to use, collected a lot of ants, and prevented ants from returning once they were eradicated. However, those who were unhappy with this ant killer said that the stations leaked on occasion, and others said that the concoction didn’t always kill ants.

Most Versatile: Raid Multi Insect Killer

Pros and Cons

✔ Kills bugs on contact
✔ Works on a wide variety of insects
✔ Has an orange breeze scent

✘ Not safe to use around pets
✘ Can take a while to become effective

What Customers Are Saying

Satisfied customers liked that this ant spray didn’t have an overbearing odor, was effective at killing multiple types of insects, and worked quickly. However, some customers claimed that they had to spray a lot of the product to kill pests. Even then, it sometimes struggled to kill large bugs.

Best Dust: Terro Ant Dust

Pros and Cons

✔ Works on multiple types of ants, including fire ants, worker ants, and carpenter ants
✔ Has a waterproof formula that won’t wash away in the rain
✔ Can kill pests for up to 8 months

✘ Can cause significant cleanup
✘ Has a highly toxic formula

What Customers Are Saying

Those who liked this product said that it was simple to use, kept bugs away for a long time, and showed results quickly. However, those who didn’t like this ant killer claimed that it was ineffective against fire ants and was a hassle to clean up.

Best Non-Toxic Killer: Mighty Mint Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil

Pros and Cons

✔ Has a pleasant smell
✔ Is safe to use around children and pets due to its use of essential oils
✔ Spray hose can be challenging to use

✘ Is harmful to some plant life
✘ Some customers felt bottle was awkward to operate

What Customers Are Saying

Happy customers said that this killer worked instantly, didn’t have an overpowering scent, and also removed spiders. However, those who were unhappy with this spray claimed that the sprayer was difficult to operate and that ants sometimes returned once the smell died down.

Best For Lawns: Ortho BugClear Insect Killer

Pros and Cons

✔ Prevents return of ants for up to 6 months
✔ Can provide coverage for over 5,000 square feet of lawn
✔ Kills 235 different bug types

✘ Can be harmful to use around animals
✘ Some customers said it was prone to leaks

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who liked this insect killer said that it offered easy application, was odorless and worked on a wide variety of pests. However, those who were less pleased said that the spray didn’t cover as much ground as advertised and that the sprayer was poorly designed.

Best Liquid Bait: Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer

Pros and Cons

✔ Kills mounds in as little as 15 minutes
✔ Helps prevent new mounds from forming
✔ Comes in a large bag

✘ Not safe to use around pets
✘ Some customers said it had an intense smell

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who were happy with this product liked that it took effect quickly, was also helpful at killing roaches and had easy-to-follow instructions. However, others found that it had an overwhelming smell, and some said that it didn’t last as long as they were expecting.

Best for Organic Gardens: Sunday Ant Adios Insect & Ant Killer

Pros and Cons

✔ Uses organic ingredients
✔ Kills a wide variety of harmful bugs
✔ Comes in a convenient open-and-shake bag

✘ May wash away in inclement weather
✘ Can damage drains

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who liked this product liked how easy it was to use, that it killed a variety of different ant types and that it set quickly. However, some others found it to be ineffective on fire ants, while others said it didn’t last as long as they were hoping, leading the ants returning.

Buyer’s Guide

To ensure you’re helping to control the ant activity in your home, make sure you’re keeping these factors in mind before choosing the ant killer that’s best for you.

Type of Ant Killer

Ant killers can be divided into two categories—bait and kill-on-contact.

• Baits: These products slowly poison ants. By the time they take their full effect, the ant has already returned to its colony and spread the poison to other ants.
• Kill-on-contact: This type of ant killer eliminates ants right away. While kill-on-contact works quickly, it can’t tackle widespread infestations.

Depending on the size and severity of your infestation, you’ll want to choose your ant killer wisely. Larger infestations will likely call for bait, while just a few ants can often be treated by kill-on-contact methods.

Type of Insect

Most ant killers target several ant species as well as other household pests. It’s not uncommon for a single product to kill:

• Carpenter ants
• Cockroaches
• Fire ants
• Flies
• Gnats
• Mosquitoes
• Pavement ants
• Spiders
• Ticks
• Wasps
• Other crawling and flying insects

Toxicity

Many ant killers can’t be used around pets or children because of their poisonous formula. This is especially true for baits because they’re placed on the ground where they can be easily accessed.

If you have pets or children, put your ant traps in hard-to-reach places, or use a non-toxic spray.

Application

The form an ant killer comes in affects how it’s applied. Popular forms include various forms of bait and topical pesticides. The most common types are:

• Dust-based insecticide
• Gel bait
• Granular bait
• Liquid bait
• Spray-based insecticide

Types of Ants

To understand how to get rid of ants, you must first understand what types of ants you’re dealing with. The four species of ants you will likely see around your home are house, carpenter, pavement, and fire ants. House ants are typically active in the summer and drawn by sugary foods. Carpenter ants are active near wood, while pavement ants are found near concrete. Bright red fire ants are the most threatening type of ant. If they feel that they’re in danger, they will sting you, leaving you with a spot that burns, swells, and itches.

If you can identify the type of ant that’s causing your infestation, make sure that the ant killer you choose targets this species.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do Ants Get in My House?

How did your infestation start? All homes have holes, cracks, and gaps that ants are adept at finding and climbing through if they have the motivation. You can try to seal these gaps, though this is likely a losing battle. Instead, focus on taking measures to prevent your home from being attractive to ants. The following tips will help you do this.

• Clean counters and floors to eliminate particles that could be a food source.
• Empty your trash regularly.
• Keep food sealed in your pantry, cabinet, or fridge.
• Ensure gutters move rainwater away from your home.

How do you use an ant killer?

It depends on what type you have. For baits, set them in the corner of a room where you have seen ants. For sprays, simply spray the killer directly onto an infested area or onto an insect itself. Be sure to read your killer’s use instructions, as the manufacturer will provide you with more details that pertain to your specific product.

What’s the best way to get rid of ants in my kitchen?

To get rid of ants in the kitchen and keep them from coming back, you need to target the entire ant colony. The best way to do this is with bait, as this gets carried back to the rest of the ants.

When should I contact an exterminator?

You should be able to eliminate even larger ant infestations with frequent use of the right ant killer. However, if your ant problem isn’t going away, it may be best to let the professionals handle it.

Related Articles

For more on pest control, see our guides on:

• How to get rid of gnats
• How to get rid of wasps
• How to get rid of carpenter ants
• Best mosquito repellants
• Best bug zappers

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Who This Ant Killer Guide Is For

If you’re a first-time homeowner, a seasoned homeowner, or somewhere in between, the right insecticide can be key to returning a bug-infested corner to a space to be lived in and enjoyed. Our Reviews Team considered a variety of ant killers, from edible baits to topical solutions.

How We Selected the Best Ant Killers

To provide our readers with the best ant killer recommendations possible, we rely on several key sources of information to help guide our selection process.

Initial Research: Our research process began by generating a list of ant baits and pesticides with a significant number of verified-buyer reviews and an average customer review rating of 4–5 stars. We looked at positive and negative reviews alike, focusing on information from both satisfied and critical buyers. 

Expert Insights: Through our years of experience, we’ve learned that listening to what others have to say is key to building accurate, well-rounded articles. To complement our in-house expertise, our team looked at reviews from trusted publications and drew insights from subject matter experts.

Final Product Selection: We then pared the list down further by comparing each product’s benefits as well as drawbacks and then selecting the best options for a variety of buyers, budgets, and scenarios.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners and DIY-ers for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement advice in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content. 

The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content. To date, we’ve published over 1,600 reviews on products in the home space, from doorbell cameras and backyard fencing to pool vacuums and snow blowers.

Once we conclude our research, we craft a comprehensive, user-friendly article of recommended products and additional information to help our readers make the right purchase.

Questions or Comments?

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.