The $4 ant barrier that actually works

You will need

• Bosisto's Eucalyptus Spray or white vinegar in a spray bottle · Bosisto's ~$5 at Woolies/Coles; white vinegar ~$2 at any supermarket
• Chalk or food-grade diatomaceous earth · Diatomaceous earth ~$15 at Bunnings, garden section — tiny bag goes a long way
• Ant Sand or Ant Rid liquid bait · Ant Rid liquid bait ~$6 at Bunnings or Woolies — the liquid, not spray
• Cotton buds or small brush · For applying bait precisely; any supermarket

Step 1

Find the highway

Watch a few ants for 2-3 minutes and trace them back to where they're entering — usually a gap around a window sill, the edge of the kickboard under your cabinets, or a crack near the sink. Mark it with a sticky note so you don't lose the spot. This is the only place you need to focus on.

Step 2

Wipe out the scent trail

Spray white vinegar or Bosisto's Eucalyptus along the trail they've been marching on and wipe clean with a cloth. Ants follow pheromone scent trails, and this erases the invisible road map so new ants don't follow. Do this along benchtops, floors, and around the entry point.

Step 3

Set the liquid bait right at the entry

Place a few small drops of Ant Rid liquid bait right beside the entry point — not on top of it, just next to it. The ants carry this sweet poison back to the nest and share it around, killing the colony within a few days. Don't squash ants you see near the bait; you want them to take it home.

Step 4

Dust the entry point with diatomaceous earth

Push a small pinch of diatomaceous earth into the crack or gap they're using to get in. It's a fine powder made from tiny shells that damages the ants' exoskeleton and dehydrates them — completely safe around food and pets once settled. Reapply after any cleaning or rain near that area.

Step 5

Cut off the reason they came in

Ants come inside for food or water, so check for crumbs behind the toaster, unsealed pet food, or a dripping tap they could be drinking from. Store anything sweet — honey, sugar, fruit — in sealed containers or in the fridge for the next week. Once the bait takes out the colony, a clean kitchen keeps them from coming back.

The stop point

If you see a large mound or nest inside a wall cavity, under flooring, or outside in structural timber that looks damaged or hollow — stop, do not disturb it, and call a licensed pest controller. This could indicate carpenter ants or termites, which need professional assessment.

Mendy calls tradies for you. Your first booking is free, then $3.50 a booking.

Get quotes instead