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Sugar ants, brown ants, black ants, winged ants, fire ants – they’re all the same and they belong outdoors and not in your bed. But if you find yourself with an ant infestation in the bedroom or worse, find ants crawling all over your bed (and you), get off the bed immediately and read on to find out how to get rid of ants in the bedroom once and for all.
How to get rid of ants in your bed and bedroom
It’s pretty simple really. Ants go where there is food. And by food we also mean food crumbs, food stains, food spills – even just a rogue candy bar wrapper under your pillow is enough to attract ants.
The following are the best ways to get rid of ants and by rid we mean kill ants. These methods will also work for other infestations like carpet beetles in your mattress. If you are looking for more humane ways to get rid of ants, then you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Before anything else, you have to make sure that you have eliminated any food sources, because no matter what you do – even if you do everything on our list – the ants will just keep coming back.
Wash your bedding
Strip off all the bedding from your bed and throw them into the wash in the hottest cycle your bedding can take (these are usually stated on the care instructions on the label). Use a gentle, color-safe bleach along with your detergent to get rid of any food stains. If you are using a mattress protector (which you should) and/or your mattress comes with a removable cover, throw them into the wash as well. If you have any dirty clothes around your bedroom that might also house a few ants, chuck those in there as well.
While your bedding is in the wash, take the time to thoroughly clean your mattress. If your mattress does not come with a removable cover, spot clean any stains and spills with a mixture of detergent and lukewarm water, dish soap will even do in a pinch. Allow to dry. These steps are similar to the steps for getting rid of bed worms.
Once the areas where you spot cleaned your mattress are dry, sprinkle baking soda liberally all over your mattress and let it sit for a good hour or two. Doing this not only cleans your mattress but it helps keep it fresh by absorbing any odors caused by food spills, odorous house ants and bodily fluids. Simply vacuum up all the baking soda once done. Bonus: doing the baking soda trick also helps keep bed bugs at bay.
Spray with vinegar or store-bought solution
If your an infestation is localized in one area of your bed and you are sure there aren’t any more ants elsewhere, you can get rid of ants by spraying the area with a vinegar and water solution or a specialized ant spray which can be bought in home improvement stores like depot. Don’t spray your mattress with alcohol.
Both the homemade vinegar solution and store-bought solution work well in getting rid of ants. The only caveat with the homemade vinegar spray is that the vinegar smell can linger for a little while whereas store-bought ant sprays tend to be a bit more pleasant smelling. But, you can add a few drops of essential oil to your vinegar solution to help mask the strong smell of vinegar. Some essential oils, such as peppermint, citrus and tea tree oil, even help repel ants.
To make your vinegar spray, all you would need is a spray bottle, vinegar (white vinegar works best – no spiced or specialty vinegars please and definitely NOT balsamic vinegar), essential oil (we prefer peppermint essential oil) if you are using. Mix two parts water with one part vinegar and around 5-10 drops of essential oil in the spray bottle and shake to mix thoroughly. Spray on any areas with all the ants. Allow to dry and spot clean if needed. Use the same spray and clean method if using store-bought ant killer spray.
A few things to look out for: vinegar can bleach the wood or paint finish of your bed frame should you get any spray on it. Also, some essentials oils can stain your bedding or mattress so please watch out for that.
Create ant bait with sugar and boric acid
Ant baits are a way to stop ants if your ant problem has permeated the entire house, not only your bedroom. Ant baits attract all types of ants and worker ants can bring back the “food” to their entire colony, thus indirectly extinguishing their own ant nests.
While you can buy ready-made ant baits in any most home improvement stores, you can make your own by mixing boric acid, sugar and some form of sweet foods.
To do this you need to mix equal parts powdered boric acid and a mixture of sugar, corn syrup and a sweet food like peanut butter. Mix with a tiny amount of water until it forms a paste, ensuring that the solution is not too liquidy – you want the ants to be able to carry some back to their main nest. This solution kills most ant species, including ghost ants and flying ants. Once you are sure you have infiltrated the ant colony, throw out any remaining ant bait.
A word of caution: while boric acid is found to have low toxicity when it comes in contact with bare skin, it can still be irritating to the skin and the eyes. It can also seep into any cuts or wounds you may have which is when it can become toxic. Using gloves when handling boric acid and washing your hands thoroughly after making your ant killer bait ensures safety.
Make an ant well
This can work for both bed frame legs and table legs. Basically an ant well is a mixture of dish detergent, bleach and water that surrounds the legs (or foot really) of your bed frame. You would also need a small container or cup to hold the liquid solution. Doing this keeps the ants from crawling up your bed. Bear in mind that ant wells will not work if you have a solid frame that does not have any legs.
Method: Take four cups or containers large enough to fit the feet of each leg of your bed frame. Pour in equal amounts of detergent and water with a few drops of color-safe bleach. Once dry, add more to help keep ants at bay. Do not use this method if you have toddlers in the house.
Call professional exterminators
If you have exhausted all possible ways to get rid of ants in your bedroom (or house), yet they’re still there and/or you have no time to do it yourself, it would be best to call in a professional. Professional exterminators can get rid of your ant infestation completely, as well as other creepy crawlies your house might be harboring. Some ant species such as winged carpenter ants and pharaoh ants can be a little difficult to get rid of and calling in a professional may be your best bet.
Bear in mind that the solutions they may be using are industrial strength and you and your family may have to be outside the house as they do their job. It is best to discuss the methods and processes they would use before booking.
Ways to prevent ants from crawling into your bed
Ants in your bedroom can only mean one thing: you’ve got food somewhere in there. Whether it’s a few cookie crumbs on the sheets or forgotten dirty plates under the bed, ants will keep coming unless you eliminate their food source.
Clean your bedroom thoroughly
This should be a no-brainer. To ensure you’ve covered all the bases, a complete and thorough deep clean must be done. This means, changing the sheets and all the bedding, cleaning your mattress, picking up any dirty plates or dirty clothes, throwing out any uneaten pet food (if you keep your pet’s food bowl in your room), checking bags for any forgotten food and a top to bottom vacuum.
While you’re at it, you might want to change your curtains as well just to make sure there aren’t any rogue ants crawling on them, especially if one of their access points is through your window. If one of their access points is through your window, you might want to do it wipe down with the vinegar and water solution mentioned above (or any anti-ant spray you prefer) to wipe away any traces of the ants’ pheromones which is how ants signal to each other which in turn keep ants coming.
Don’t eat in bed
Eating in bed is sometimes unavoidable or just supremely tempting but this is how ants and other insects (like bedbugs) find their way into your bed. Not to mention, spills and accidents can shorten the lifespan of your mattress and damage your bedding. Just don’t do it.
But if you really must eat in bed, then keep your food in insect-proof containers. Clean up immediately once you are done and spot clean any spills immediately.
Find and seal access points
Ants inside the house means they have found a way to get in or you might have a nearby colony. As mentioned previously, ants follow each other via pheromones they release, basically leaving a trail – this is why ants travel in a nearly uniform line. Find the source and seal any holes and other access points with putty.
However, if you find an actual nest or colony (usually within the walls for certain types of ants), please call a professional.
Natural methods for getting rid of ant infestations
Natural remedies of getting rid of ant infestations means no toxic chemicals are used but some of these methods can still kill ants. Again, if you are looking for more humane ways to get rid of ants, this is not it.
- Vinegar and water spray – Method and recipe above.
- Using diatomaceous earth – Naturally occurring, diatomaceous earth has long been used as a form of pest control. It not only gets rid of ants, it also helps keep other bugs away such as roaches. Sprinkle liberally on any ant population you find around the house. Vacuum or wipe down once done. Be careful, some people experience allergic reactions when their skin comes in contact with it.
- Check your spice cabinet – Cinnamon and black pepper are two things that can help repel ants. Sprinkle liberally no ants or include cinnamon oil in your homemade ant spray.
- Essential oil spray – If you have the smell of vinegar, you can do a little ant-repellent spray with a mixture of vodka or water and essential oils. Most ants are repelled by the scent of peppermint, lavender, citrus, tea tree and cinnamon.
Conclusion
Ants are the enemy. They carry foodborne bacteria, give painful and even allergy-inducing bites and are an overall nuisance when inside the house, especially on your bed.
Get rid of ants and prevent an infestation by eliminating their food source and keeping a clean and tidy house. A massive ant infestation which requires calling in professional exterminators and spending a lot can be avoided by dealing with any ant problems as soon as you see them.
Next step: Learn more about copper-infused mattresses. Copper is naturally antimicrobial and is a great way to help keep your mattress clean. We rounded up the top 5 mattress brands that contain copper so you can decide for yourself which one is best.
Michelline loves nothing more than a cozy bed, with a stack of books at her side. She loves getting lost when she travels, can bake an entire British afternoon tea from scratch, is obsessed with all things analogue and does calligraphy on the side. She currently suffers from mild insomnia and is more than happy to be your guinea pig, so you won’t have to go through all the trouble of finding out what works best for you.
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