Experts estimate that ants outnumber humans by a ratio of about 140,000 to 1. When you multiply that number by the estimated 7.6 billion people alive today, you get a number that will make your head spin. And not only are these diminutive, ubiquitous insects innumerable, they are also the ultimate survivors.
The long story short? Ants are a fact of life. But that doesn't mean they need to be a part of daily life inside your home. With a few basic precautionary measures in place and a few reactionary ant-prevention and destruction products on hand, your home, business, shop, or any other location can be kept virtually ant-free.
The best way to deal with ants is to remove anything that would attract them in the first place. Keep the food in your kitchen properly sealed, clean the counters, shelves, and drawers to remove crumbs and spills, and make sure you never leave dirty plates sitting out or foodstuffs in the garbage for more than a day. Also ensure that your home (or other property) is properly sealed and without gaps around windows, under doors, in the floors, and so forth.
Ants can and will make use of any possible point of entry if they are attracted by the scent of something edible, so this two-pronged approach of removing the attraction and barring the way is the best approach to keeping insects away.
If your property is already dealing with an ant infestation, then you have two basic avenues to follow as you respond: deterrence or destruction. We're featuring several products designed to shoo insects away from your residence or business alongside others meant to kill the insects outright. Sometimes these products can be used in concert, but sometimes you have to choose one approach or the other, as using both will put you at cross-purposes.
Here are the best ant killer, traps, and repellents:Prices and links are current as of 6/10/20. We also added a selection of related buying guides.