How to Control and Get Rid of Ants
Ants are social insects that invade homes in search of food, water, and shelter, often forming trails from their colony to food sources. Ant invasions can be tricky, as they require a combination of cleaning, on-the-spot treatment, baits, and barriers to help control ants in and around your home.
Powered by the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science® and Family Health.
Last updated on: 5/18/2026
Ants 101
The SC Johnson Center for Insect Science® and Family Health has spent 70 years in insect science research. Read below to find advice from our experts on ways to manage unwanted pests in your home.
Curious How to Get Rid of Ants? Here Are Some Tips
- Kill visible ants. Spray ants with Raid® Ant & Roach Killer 26 to kill on contact and to keep them from coming back for up to 13 weeks.*
- Place ant baits to destroy the colony. Position Raid Max® Liquid Ant Baits near ant trails and entry points. Ants carry the bait back to the nest, killing the queen and the entire colony within 24 hours.* Bait should not be placed where insecticide has been sprayed If placing baits in the same area where insecticide has been sprayed, wipe the insecticide away.
- Apply perimeter protection to prevent re-entry. Use Raid® Perimeter Protection around doors, windows, and your home's foundation to help reduce the likelihood of ants entering the home.
Following these steps will help control the ants already in your home and help reduce additional ants from making their way in. However, it’s also important to know how different Raid® pest control products work together and what you can do to make your home less ant-friendly.
Important:
Do not spray insecticides near or on ant baits, as sprays kill ants, preventing the bait from being carried back to the colony.
*Excluding fire ants, carpenter ants, harvester ants, and pharaoh ants.
Help Prevent Ants by Keeping Your Home Clean
One way to help control ants is to eliminate the things that attract them, such as spills, stray crumbs, dirty dishes, and exposed food.
- Clean up food and drink spills.
- Store food in sealed, air-tight containers.
- Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
- Wipe down sticky jars filled with sweet things like honey and jam before placing them in the pantry.
- Regularly sweep and mop floors, especially in rooms where food is eaten.
- Ants are attracted to water, so keep surfaces in your home dry, including sinks.
- Seal cracks and crevices to help reduce entry points.
- Use a bug barrier product like Raid Max® Perimeter Protection around doors, windows, and along your home's foundation to help keep ants out.
Ants love your pet’s food
Because ants may feast on pet food, keep kibble in pet dishes only while pets are eating it.
Smart use of ant baits will kill the ant colony
Ants are attracted to food, which means indoor ants are often found in the kitchen.
Place ant baits near the kitchen, pantry, dining areas, and places where ants are seen. Ant baits aren't designed to trap ants, they’re designed to let ants feed on them.
After the ants feed on the bait, they return to their nest and transfer the bait to the queen and others, killing the colony.
So if you see ants crawling around the bait, don't kill them before they return to the colony!
What’s the Best Way to Keep Ants Out of Your Home?
One of the best ways to keep ants out is to prevent them from entering in the first place. Seal windows, doors, and cracks in your home’s foundation with caulk to keep ants from marching in.
Common ant entry points
- Cracks and crevices in walls.
- Gaps around windows and doors, including the door undercut.
- Openings around pipes and vents.
The lifespan of an ant vs an ant colony
While the average life span of an ant is only a few weeks, the ant colony it belongs to will live for generations, with their numbers continually replenishing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Raid® Ant & Roach Killer 26 kills ants on contact (within 30 seconds).
Not usually. Sprays can kill ants you see, but ant baits are designed to kill the colony by having ants carry bait back to the queen/nest.
Depending upon the product and conditions, ant baits can kill a colony within 24 hours. For instance, Raid Max® Liquid Ant Baits kill ants in 24 hours*.
*excluding fire ants, carpenter ants, harvester ants, and pharaoh ants.
Place bait stations where you see ants: Along kitchen baseboards, in corners of rooms and cabinets, under appliances, on windowsills, near plumbing fixtures, and around waste receptacles. Always place them in areas out of reach of children and pets.
Insecticide sprays kill ants,preventing the bait from being carried back to the colony.
Find more solutions to help get rid of ants
Explore our family of products designed to help you toughen up in the fight against ants and keep them from invading your home.
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