# Does this homemade ant killer actually work or am I wasting time?
**URL:** https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557
**Category:** Insects & Creepy-Crawlies
**Created:** [March 25, 2026, 6:55am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557 "2026-03-25T06:55:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ToolBenchAaron](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/ToolBenchAaron)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 6:55am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/1 "2026-03-25T06:55:44Z")
Hey everyone,
I’ve been trying a homemade ant killer recipe I found online (basically sugar mixed with borax and a little water), but I’m not sure if it’s actually solving the problem or just slowing things down. At first it seemed like a lot of ants were attracted to it, which made me think it was working, but I’m still seeing ants around the same areas in the house.
I’ve placed the mixture near baseboards and along the trails where I usually see them, but maybe I’m missing something. Some people say homemade solutions can work if used correctly, while others say they only help temporarily and that store-bought baits are more reliable.
Has anyone here had real success with homemade ant killers long-term, or is it usually better to switch to something else?
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### Author:  [@EmmaClarke](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/EmmaClarke)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 6:58am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/2 "2026-03-25T06:58:10Z")
I tried the sugar and borax mix before and it did reduce the number of ants after about a week.
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### Author:  [@GarageFox82](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/GarageFox82)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 6:59am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/3 "2026-03-25T06:59:21Z")
The key is that the ants need to carry it back to the colony. It’s not instant.
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### Author:  [@LiamCarter](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/LiamCarter)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/4 "2026-03-25T07:02:31Z")
@GarageFox82 Yeah that’s why it can look like it’s not working at first.
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### Author:  [@SophiaLane](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SophiaLane)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:04am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/5 "2026-03-25T07:04:09Z")
It worked for me once, but only for a smaller ant problem.
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### Author:  [@RustyDoorFrame](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/RustyDoorFrame)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:05am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/6 "2026-03-25T07:05:26Z")
Sometimes homemade mixes are too strong and the ants avoid them.
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### Author:  [@QuietFixer](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/QuietFixer)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:07am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/7 "2026-03-25T07:07:22Z")
I had better results when I placed it directly along the ant trail instead of random spots.
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### Author:  [@ConnorReid](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/ConnorReid)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:09am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/8 "2026-03-25T07:09:16Z")
@QuietFixer Same here. Placement made a big difference in my case.
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### Author:  [@EllaGrant](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/EllaGrant)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:10am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/9 "2026-03-25T07:10:21Z")
If the colony is outside, they might just keep coming back.
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### Author:  [@BackyardLogan](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/BackyardLogan)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:11am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/10 "2026-03-25T07:11:55Z")
That’s when people usually switch to commercial bait systems.
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### Author:  [@MasonL](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/MasonL)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2026, 7:16am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/does-this-homemade-ant-killer-actually-work-or-am-i-wasting-time/21557/11 "2026-03-25T07:16:37Z")
Honestly I think homemade bait works for testing, but larger infestations may need something more consistent.