“Ants in bathroom sink” would be a big problem for some of you. Imagine when you have a guest over and suddenly these ants decide to show up in your bathroom sink.
There are reasons for this ants invasion and solutions. In this article I am going to discuss those reasons, solutions and prevention methods for this ants problem.
Why are ants coming out of my bathroom sink?
They usually go to these places in search of water and food. Hence why you can commonly find ants in bathrooms , kitchens etc.
In fact, you can most commonly spot the ants in the kitchens and the second most common spot they would occupy would be the bathrooms.
Ants are quite attractive towards the odors they get from the hygiene products ( soaps, perfumes, lotions, toothpastes), decaying hair and the dead skin. Further, Ants are quite fond of places such as the bathroom as they can gain water as well as food.
Ants are attracted to warm, moist places, so they would not hesitate to invade your bathroom as they feel welcome there.
There are natural ways as well as chemical ways to overcome them.
However no matter what, It is crucial that you act fast to overcome them as if not they will settle in your bathroom sinks and it would be somewhat difficult to get rid of them.
Above all, you will find them quite unpleasant as well. Some might think spotting ants in a bathroom as a sign of poor hygiene.
How do I get rid of ants in the bathroom sink?
Before trying to get rid of the ants in the bathroom sinks, what is important is to keep your bathroom clean.
Ensure that you cut their source of water so that they cannot stay longer. Further you need to fill the cracks and holes as well.
Keep wiping water regularly and properly. Make sure you mob the tiles and keep a garbage bag to put all the decaying dirt.
That will make your bathroom un-appalling for the ants and appealing for human. Look for entry points where the ants can sneak through to your space and seal all those areas.
01. Vinegar
You may simply use white vinegar and wipe the bathroom sinks.
To do that,you can make a water solution with white vinegar and use it for this purpose. That will help you to get rid of these nasty creatures and help to keep the bathroom clean.
Ensure that you spray all the entry points with this solution. However, do not use them if the bathroom sink is made of natural stone, granite.
02. Coffee ground
You can simply use coffee grounds and sprinkle them on the bathroom sink. It would act as a great ant repellent. It would avoid the ants entering your bathroom.
03. Citrus peel
You may also place citrus peels or cucumber peels in your bathroom so that it would repel the ants. These peels are quite poisonous for the fungi where the ants mainly depend on.
Once you remove their food source, they will start to leave. Moreover, you may also purchase citrus scented cleaners so that those odors would repel the ants.
Further these are toxic for ants as well. Citrus peels consist of d limonene which is a botanical insecticide and that is what causes the toxicity.
You can make a citrus peel mixture by soaking these peels in vinegar and then by boiling it. Next let the mixture rest.
After that you need to spray the liquid on the trails as well as on their nests’. What is good about this method is that it will not kill the ants on the spots, but it will badly affect their pheromone trails. So, eventually they will find it difficult to find their food sources.
04. Herb and spices
You could simply sprinkle cayenne pepper, cinnamon, garlic cloves, mint black pepper right in the corner of your bathroom.
They release a strong scent which will act as a repellent for a shorter time. Once the ants sense these smells, they would not bother to reach those places.
05. Essential oils
The strong scent of the essential oil is something which ants hate. They simply can’t stand that strong smell.
A combination of peppermint and tea tree oil would be a strong contender when it comes to repelling the ants. Having said that you may also use citrus, cinnamon, and eucalyptus oil too.
Once you choose a particular oil type, you simply have to apply it on the cotton balls and spray it on the suspect paths of the ants.
Make sure that you continue doing this for a few days. If the infestation is heavy, you may make a mixture of peppermint oil, tea tree oil, cayenne pepper powder and water and use it.
06. Diatomaceous earth
You may simply use the Diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it on the ants spotted place. Next, don’t forget to vacuum the suspected area so that any hidden ants can also come out.
When you complete vacuuming, you need to clean the vacuum cleaner properly as well.It will stop any other remaining insects also coming back to your house.
However, when you dispose of them, it is very likely that all ants are dead. Further, ensure that you clean the ants’ trails with soapy water or with a vinegar mixture as explained in the above.
07. Peppermint
If the ant’s infestation is severe in your bathroom sink, you can use a natural ant spray and get rid of them faster and efficiently.
You need to simply mix peppermint oil along with some tree oil and with some cayenne pepper in a bottle. You may place this in a spray bottle and apply it on the bathroom sinks and every nook and corner in your bathroom.
When the ants reach this bait solution, they would end up perishing immediately. However, once they are dead, you need to clean the bathroom well and get rid of the dead ants.
Make sure that you wash the residue so that the bathroom would be entirely clean. You may place this solution in their pathways as well.
08. Tea tree oil
If you wish to use the tea tree oil to get rid of the ants, you can simply spray a mixture of 5-10 drops of essential oil along with water.
Keep in mind that cats do not prefer this mixture either. Further it will protect your bathroom from the ants’ trails as well.
09. Boiling water
You can pour boiling water into the ants’ colonies and it is an effective way of getting rid of the ants.
If you spot any tiny hole where you spot one or two ants moving in and out, chances are that it could be a huge colony there. So, you can simply pour the boiled water down the hole.
One might think it as an inhumane way as it could sometimes kill the ants. Hence make sure that you do not kill the ants by burning, not even accidently.
10. Salt
If you think of a natural killer for ants, salt would be the ideal choice.
To make it further effective, you can mix it with hot water and let the mixture cool. Next you can pour the mixture or even spray it on the spots where you find the ants.
11. Cornstarch
Using cornstarch to get rid of the ants is very easy. You simply have to sprinkle it around the ant nests and on the entry points.
It’s worthy to note here that cornstarch would not kill the ants. Instead, they would repel them naturally.
12. Neem oil
You may use undiluted neem oil also for this purpose. It will safeguard the bathroom by interrupting the ant’s scent trails.
13. Chalk
Using chalk is a simple way of preventing any potential ant invasion. You need to simply draw a line right before their entry point by using chalk.
You may also use baby powder instead of chalk. It would be more like a barrier where the ants will not cross at any cost.
Some people assume that ants cannot simply take the calcium carbonate. This is one of the most commonly used and effective ways of getting rid of the ants.
14. Liquid detergent
You have the option of using a commercial liquid spray and leaving it around the bathroom sink so that it will kill the ants. Further it would also stop any new ants coming in too.
15. Borax
Borax is something which could be poisonous for the ants. Literally if they consume this, it will badly affect the outer skeletons, digestive systems of the ants.
Ultimately it would kill them as well. As you may already know, ants are big fans of sweets. So, you can simply mix borax with peanut butter and use it to get rid of them.
If you wish to use it along with peanut butter, you simply have to combine borax at a ratio of 1:3. Next place it on the ants’ trails.
You may also use borax with honey as well. To do that you have to mix a cup of honey with a quarter cup of borax and place it along the ants’ trails.
This is something which could be fatal for the ants in all development stages.
Besides these, you may use syrup or jelly with borax as well. Simply you need to mix equal parts of syrup or jelly along with borax and place it along the passages.
Needless to mention, you may use sugar also for this purpose. Simply you have to mix borax with solid sugar at a ratio of 1:3.
Next apply it on the trails so that it would bring harmful effects for the ants. However, do not leave your pets or kids to get in contact with this solution as it would be harmful for them as well.
Hence practice caution when applying this method.
16. Boric acid
Boric acid could also be used to get rid of the ants. However, keep in mind these could be poisonous for both kids and for humans.
You may simply sprinkle the boric acid along the door as well as on the window edges to overcome them. Moreover, you may also make a water solution of boric acid and sugar as explained in the above.
17. Ant traps
You may consider having ant traps to kill the entire colony so that it would prevent this menace recurring. So, when considering this, the best choice would be to use bait stations for this purpose.
This is one simple way of controlling them. These bait stations have a strong scent of the pre-filed traps.
Ants are quite interested in this smell and once they sense it they would tend to bring them to their nests.
These bait stations have toxic liquids, and they would create a fatal impact on the ants.
However, keep in mind that this could be poisonous for your kids and for pets as well. So be mindful when you are applying this method.
Apart from the bait stations, you could apply gels on the entry points of the ants including all cracks.
Here, ants will bring the gels also to their colony which will ultimately kill the queen of the ant colony. When the queen perishes it will remove the entire colony.
18. Non Toxic spray
If you wish to get rid of existing ants faster, consider going ahead with the nontoxic sprays as it would kill the ants in your bathroom.
Further it will avoid other ants also coming in. Best is to use a nontoxic spray given that the bathroom is small and if there is poor ventilation.
19. Insecticides /chemicals
If you are looking for a quicker way of getting rid of the ants, I recommend using the insecticides to do it.
Having said that, keep in mind that it will not be the best option if you are looking for an ecofriendly way of getting rid of the ants.
In fact, they are not eco friendly. Furthermore, they are toxic as well. These are much more effective than using some of the natural ways of repelling the ants. Besides, they would bring you instant results as well.
You may find so many insecticides which could overcome the ant’s menace. However, when using them, ensure that you are adhering to the professional instructions.
I recommend using an insecticide and spray them carefully on the suspected areas where you assume the ants are present.
It would avoid them coming in too. However, once you apply these chemicals ensure that you do not touch them or consume food right after you finish dealing with them.
They could be dangerous for you as well as for your family. Hence be careful when dealing with these.
Be very careful if there are kids around your home as if they get in contact with these it would create unnecessary results.
20. Call a professionals
If none of these methods work, you can get in touch with an exterminator and get rid of these nasty little creatures.
This method could be done if you could only afford doing that. Further keep in mind that they would also use harmful and strong chemicals to overcome this.
Can ants come up through the sink?
Ants can come up through the skin as they usually live in colonies.
Ants are also social insects. So they would tend to occupy various places including your bathroom sinks. They will find it easy to come up through the sinks especially when they are dry.
How do I find where ants are coming from?
As aforesaid, ants feel welcome towards moist areas. You need to first see whether they are coming from your bathrooms or from your kitchen.
Use the flashlight and follow the ant trail. They would like to hide under refrigerators, stoves, micro ways, sinks etc. Further they tend to occupy around the floor drains, cracks and even in crevices too.
These are opportunist creatures which literally means they can nest anywhere. So, you need to check around the firewood pile, electrical and utility boxes and in other places where you suspect the ants could be present.
Can ants live in water pipes?
Ants can live in water pipes as there would be constant supplies of food as well as water. There will be food and grease stores in the pipes and ants would find them very useful for their survival.
Conclusion
Trust now you are very much confident in overcoming this menace in the bathroom. As mentioned, ants’ second most favorite place at your home is the bathroom as they will have the required moisture and the food sources there.
As you may already understand, it is very important that you act immediately to get rid of them so that they cannot create any severe damage.
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