How to Get Rid of Pavement Ants Naturally? (Best Ways!)

Learning how to get rid of pavement ants naturally is crucial. Those tiny, dark-colored ants are most often found foraging your premises after making their pavement nests outside.

They are generally considered a nuisance and even sting when threatened. So, how to naturally get rid of pavement ants?

To eliminate pavement ants, using a combination of baking soda and sugar is effective. Additionally, essential oils, cinnamon, cornmeal, coffee grounds, among other options, can also be used to get rid of these ants.

The Problem of Pavement Ants

 Found often on the pavement, pavement ants construct their nests in the dirt usually:

• Under rocks
• Between small cracks in the pavement
• Any other object in your yard

These ants invade homes and build nests in flooring, wall cavities, and insulation.

Fact: Pavement ants are oval-shaped and usually dark brown or black with antennae and a stinger. 

Identifying an Infestation

The colony can be more easily eradicated if an infestation is discovered in its early stages.

There may be several indications of an ant infestation, but the following are the most common: 

Look for a Trail

Worker ants leave the nest to search for food, leaving behind telltale ant trails.

An ant trail can be anywhere from a few feet to several hundred feet long and appear anywhere, including your yard and house.   

Check for Piles of Dirt

Pavement ants often leave behind piles of dirt after constructing their nests. Dirt mounds like these can show up anywhere in your house. 

How to Get Rid of Pavement Ants Naturally?

You can try many ways to get rid of pavement ants, but it is essential to stick to the most natural remedies.

Using chemicals may eradicate colonies of pavement ants, but leave you with other more pressing issues.

And, luckily, you can learn how to get rid of pavement ants in house naturally. 

Sticking with Baking Soda

Due to its expansion when combined with water, baking soda is very toxic to tiny insects like ants.

If you put baking soda near an ant trail, the ants will find it and either eat it or bring it back to the colony to share with their fellow ants.

And this will help eradicate the issue.

✅ The idea is to harm the queen with your bait, as eliminating the queen makes it much simpler to eradicate an ant colony. 

Where to Place the Bait

If you find an ant nest, add some baking soda to a small container that the ants may readily access.

Pavement ants typically nest in crevices in the pavement, but if you have plenty of trees nearby, you can try putting one near the main mound instead.

Remember that baking soda is not a repellant, so pavement ants will still flock to your bait station, so place these traps far from your home. 

Making it More Useful

Although ants may be naturally attracted to baking soda, you can increase its appeal to the colony by combining it with sugar.

Pavement ants have a highly developed sense of smell, so your baiting station will attract many.

Important Consideration

Understand that your bait station will not be effective in a single night. Getting rid of a huge colony of pavement ants may take some time. 

Additional Ways to Get Rid of Pavement Ants

Using baking soda is effective, but seeing results can take a while.

So, besides using baking soda, you can also try some other natural ways to get rid of pavement ants.

For instance: 

Diatomaceous Earth

When exposed to diatomaceous earth, pavement ants will die of dehydration, making this a safe and effective pest control method. 

What to Do?

Sprinkle a little layer of diatomaceous earth around the points of entrance and other spots where ants have been seen.

Keep in mind that diatomaceous earth can cause respiratory and skin irritation, so it is important to take precautions when working with it. 

Vinegar Spray

Sprays made from natural ingredients can eliminate pavement ants just as chemical ones.  And using vinegar is one helpful remedy.

Vinegar has a very pungent odor that is offensive to worker ants, and it also has the potential to disrupt their natural pheromones, which are used for communication. 

What to Do?

Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar, and then spray it in areas where ants are known to congregate or pass through.   

Dish Soap

If you want a more targeted and non-chemical approach to getting rid of pavement ants, try boiling water and liquid dish soap.

Remember, water would not permeate the ground to destroy the entire ant colony.

Therefore, this approach is best if you have spotted an early ant invasion. 

What to Do?

Pavement ants can be killed by bringing a pot of water to a boil and adding a few drops of liquid dish detergent.

Gently pour the sudsy water into the entrances of pavement ants outside and wait for the magic to happen. 

Coffee Grounds

If you want to avoid using pesticides but still get rid of these pests, try coffee ground.

Pavement ants can be scared away by the strong aroma of brewed coffee. As the ants walk through the coffee grounds, their legs start to burn due to the 2% nitrogen content. 

What to Do?

Simply try scattering ground coffee near your walkways and near any holes or entrances you have found to colonies.

Fact: Coffee contains chemicals that can be toxic to dogs and cats if ingested, so using coffee grounds may not be the best choice if you have either of these pets around. 

Cornmeal

Quite like many other species of ants, pavement ants usually have very poor eyesight. And they communicate with their antennae and scent trails.

Using cornmeal can help in this situation. The cornmeal won’t kill them, but their pheromone trail will be severely disrupted.

It won’t be effective immediately and may take several to stop the ants from coming near your house, so please be patient.   

Peppermint Oil

The powerful aroma of peppermint essential oil might confuse an ant’s sense of smell, discouraging it from following you inside your home.

Peppermint essential oil can be used here for the best results.

What to Do?

Simply combine at least 10 drops in a cup of water and spread it around the home.

Alternatively, peppermint essential oil applied on a cotton ball and left near ant entry points can also be effective.

✅ Do this every day until the ants are no longer a problem. 

Cinnamon

Because of its pungent aroma, cinnamon is an effective natural ant repellent that can prevent ants from entering your home. 

What to Do?

A small layer of cinnamon can be sprinkled over ant entry points and other areas where ants have been seen to help deter them.

 ✅ An alternative is mixing equal parts of water and cinnamon and transferring to a spray bottle.

Then, spray it around the doorways. Do this every day until the ants are no longer a problem. 

Borax

Borax, a common mineral, can effectively eradicate ant infestations.  To make it effective, you simply need to mix it with sugar.

Attracted to the sugar, the ants will transport it back to the colony, where it will be fatal. 

What to Do?

To deter ants, you have to mix 3 parts of sugar with 1 part of borax and sprinkle it around possible entry points of ants.

Fact: Borax should not be used carelessly to get rid of pavement ants because it might be hazardous if swallowed. 

Lemon Juice

The powerful aroma of lemon can interrupt an ant’s scent track, acting as a natural deterrent against ants entering your home. 

What to Do?

Spray a mixture of lemon juice and water around any entry points. Additionally, you can put lemon peels near ant entryways for further protection. 

Bay Leaves

 Using bay leaves is another way to repel pavement ants successfully. 

What to Do?

 Bay leaves should be placed on worktops, in cabinets, and in areas where ants have been spotted.

✅ You can also process bay leaves into a powder in a food processor and then sprinkle on top of all ant mounds.  

Fact: Using chalk may help deter pavement ants because it contains calcium carbonate, which can either cover up or eliminate their pheromone trail.   

Takeaway

Learning how to get rid of pavement ants naturally can help you avoid these annoying insects.

It is sometimes hard to resist the temptation to try chemicals to clear an infestation, but sticking to natural remedies is in your best interest.

And the good thing is that you do not have to limit yourself to a single remedy. Just try as many as you can to get better results.