Does Cream of Wheat Kill Ants? (Myth Or Truth)

Ants may be very tiny insects but they can definitely wreak havoc if they infest in our houses.

Getting rid of the ants is very important because they can spoil foods, chew through and make holes in the wooden parts, and even bite and sting pets and humans. 

In addition, the ants are a source of food to many other pests. So, the presence of ants draws attention to many other harmful pests to your house.

As much as getting rid of them is necessary, a lot of people search and find it on the internet and wonder if the cream of wheat is a good way to kill the ants.

Well, there are far too many theories on this topic. However, cream of wheat is a cheap, safe, and easy way to control the ants, and trying it out for once couldn’t really hurt.

But if it doesn’t work for you then still there is no need for you to worry because we have listed down a lot of practical ways for you to get rid of the ants for good. 

So, without wasting any time let’s get down to business:

Does Cream of Wheat Kill Ants? 

Interestingly, people have both positive and negative experiences on this cream of wheat. For some people, cream of wheat has proven to be a successful way of killing the ants.

On the other hand, some gardeners were not able to control the ants effectively with this cream of wheat.

However, this one is still a popular method of killing ants in a cheap way when you have a number of ants here and there.

Also, it’s one of the safest ways to remove ants when you have kids and pet animals in your home.

But when there is a severe infestation the cream of wheat may not be very effective and you may have to look for some other way to tackle them. 

How Does Cream of Wheat Kill the Ants?

Ants are highly attracted to sweet things and a mixture of cream of wheat is one of them. Some people say ants see the cream of wheat as a source of food but their stomachs cannot digest it. 

As the cream of wheat enters through the stomach of the ants, it starts to expand there very quickly and swells up the entire stomach. As a result, the ants are killed because of the over-expansion of their stomach.

Though we don’t have any clear proof of stomach explosion, this method has an appeal to the people as a secure and quick home remedy. 

How to Use Cream of Wheat?

Some gardeners have had excellent success in killing ants by using the cream of wheat.

They recommend using a small portion of dried cream of wheat and mixing it with some water and sugar. The sugar will work as an attractant to quickly lure the ants into eating the cereal. 

After mixing, spread the mixture around the ant colony. You can also sprinkle some cornmeal for the same results because the ants are attracted to it and cannot digest it too.

How Can I Kill the Ants If Cream of Wheat Fails?

You can definitely use a good ant control spray to make sure there are no ants on your premises.

Spray this directly on the ant trails and the chemical will kill the ants as soon as it makes contact. In addition, the spray will also prevent the ants from coming back for a long time. 

If you want to make your own natural and homemade ant control spray then you can follow the given recipe below:

Recipe 1: DIY Ant Control Spray

Ingredients:

  • 150 ml of vinegar
  • 75 ml of water
  • 2 ml or 30 drops of tea tree oil
  • 1 teaspoon of  castile soap (or any other liquid soap will also work)
  •  A few grams of sugar (to attract ants)

Steps:

  • Mix all the ingredients one by one and use an electric blender to mix them very well
  • Pour it on the sprayer and spray it directly over the ant-infested areas 
  • Shake the mixture occasionally to prevent the solution from sitting out
  • Make sure you keep the mixture away from cats and dogs because the tea tree oil is harmful to them.
  • Also, avoid spraying around the pets too in order to avoid physical contact with the spray.

What Other Ways Are There to Kill the Ants?

There are many ways you can effectively get rid of the ant populations even if the cream of wheat fails to kill them for you.

If you are not particularly inclined to use chemical sprays then you can make a temporary solution for now with these home remedies

The methods are completely organic and an amazing way of destroying the ant colony without using any harmful chemicals. Here are a number of very effective methods for you–

Method 1: Baking Soda

Baking soda is an excellent choice because it is very toxic to ants. just sprinkle the baking soda around the house and especially near the areas where ants are found and it will do the trick. 

Method 2: Vinegar

Vinegar kills ants by its acidic nature. So, you can mix vinegar with water in 1:1 ratio and spray it on the ants and over the anthills.

Method 3: Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a very popular household pesticide that works organically and kills ants by dehydration.

This one is actually a powdered form of fossils of small marine creatures called diatoms. It works by puncturing the ant’s exoskeleton which leads to their death of them through dehydration.

To use it, you have to sprinkle the powder, especially over the cracks where the ants live.

Besides, you can mix this powder with some honey or sugar and set it as a trap near the ant colony. The ants will eat this mixture and eventually die.

Method 4: Boric Acid

Mix boric acid with some honey or any other sweet dish and the ants will be attracted to it. As soon as the ants eat it, the boric acid will enter their stomach and quickly show its action.

Method 5: Essential Oil

This method will help you to repel the ants rather than kill them. Mix a few drops of essential oils of lavender or peppermint and make a line pouring the water where you don’t want the ants to come.

The strong scent of the essential oils will repel the ants and also will prevent them from crossing the line. 

Method 6: Soapy Water

Make a solution of strong soapy water and pour it over the ant hills and cracks where ants could live. The concentrated soap will kill the ants in no time.

Method 7: Crushed Garlic Cloves

To keep some of your kitchen areas protected, especially the areas that are used to store foods, you can put some crushed garlic cloves nearby and the strong aroma of garlic will prevent the ants from coming near the food.

You can also use ground cinnamon powder and chalk powder to make a line around the ant hills. As long as the line stays intact the ants will not be able to cross it.

Method 8: Epsom Salt Spray

Epsom salt is very effective against ants. So, mix the Epsom salt with some water and pour it over the ant trail. You can also use it as a spray. This method also comes in very handy to kill an outdoor garden full of ants.

And as a last resort, you can contact the professionals for pest control services that will completely get rid of the ant problems along with all other pests.

It might be a little expensive but it will prevent the pests from infesting again for a certain number of years.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Should You Kill the Fire Ants?

The best time for killing fire ants is during the hot and dry summer days. As the ants dig deep below the soil you have to make sure that the insecticide reaches a certain depth. 

Because ants make tunnels inside the soil there is a chance the chemicals will not reach every one of them. In this case, you can disturb the soil and immediately pour the insecticide to make sure the ants come in contact with it.

How Hot Does Water Have to Be to Kill the Ants?

The water has to be boiling hot and you have to pour the water in bulk about 2-3 gallons on the ant mound. If the water is not hot enough then the ants might even survive. But if the water is very hot and reaches to their tunnels then most of the ants will be killed.

Will Vaseline Keep Ants Away?

Well, vaseline or any other petroleum-based creams are not very effective against ants. However, it can work for some extent because ants are not very good at climbing over smooth surfaces. But this method will cost you a lot more than the other methods and won’t even keep the ants away.

Conclusion

I hope this article has answered all your questions about does cream of wheat kill ants. You can definitely give it a try and if you are lucky this method can turn out to be a very effective one for you.

But if it doesn’t work out don’t worry! Because you still have a handful of methods to choose from that will help you to get rid of the ants very effectively.

You can obviously use store-bought insecticides and also try the organic homemade methods whichever feels the easiest and most convenient for you.

TAYLOR GALLA
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