Hi. I’m Jack Bastide. If you are wondering how to get rid of ants in a restaurant, you have come to the right place.

In this article, we will provide you with various methods to eliminate ants and guide you on preventing them from entering your restaurant.

We will also share some information on other pests you might encounter.

Table of Contents

How to Get Rid of Ants in a Restaurant?

How to Get Rid of Ants in a Restaurant? To repel them, you can use natural methods such as white vinegar, peppermint, cayenne pepper, or tea tree oil. You can also use commercial products such as Terro Liquid Ant Baits. Make sure to be careful around food. Or you can hire an exterminator.

Managing Ant Infestations in Restaurants: Key Impacts

An ant infestation may wreak havoc on your restaurant business and cause the following:

Negative Reviews

Have you ever visited a restaurant for the first time and seen ants?

I don’t know about you, but it would be a huge turnoff for me.

Even if the food were delicious, I probably wouldn’t return. Ants can drive your customers away and result in negative reviews on social media.

Food Waste

Ants are known for their chewing capacity. If they get into your food you will have to discard it. And that can be very expensive.

Luckily, there are several warning indicators that you’re going to be invaded by ants.

You may have seen those symptoms but ignored them, but it’s not too late since this article will teach you all you need to know about how to get rid of ants in a restaurant.

The following can be an indication of ants in your restaurant

Ant frass

As a restaurant owner or an employee, you may have noticed a mound of sawdust in the corners of your restaurant, or it may be dropping around like dust. This indicates that carpenter ants are already consuming your restaurant’s furnishings.

Minor sounds

Pay attention to minor noises you notice even when everything is quiet. Yes, sometimes you can hear ants.

Observing one or two ants

Observing one or two ants around your restaurant indicates the presence of a colony. Ants are known to migrate in groups, so spotting two suggests there are more around.

What Methods Do Restaurants Use To Keep Ants Away?

Maintain a clean eatery.

Ants are known to like sweet foods. Have you ever wondered how they always determine where you put your chocolate? They are always drawn to anything oily, sweet, or protein-rich.

Keep all stored wood out of the restaurant.

Carpenter ants lived inside dry woods and received their name because they damaged wood and furniture.

Keeping stored wood near the restaurant may attract carpenter ants to your furniture, which will not end well since they will burrow it.

Plant ant-repellent flowers around your restaurant – this is a guaranteed method to keep ants away. Mint plants are among those that might help you keep these pests at bay.

What is the Fastest Way to Get Rid of Ants in The Kitchen?

The fastest way to eliminate ants in a kitchen is using white vinegar. Vinegar is a very effective control measure to eliminate these pests in your kitchen.

Why Am I Suddenly Getting Ants in My Restaurant Kitchen?

Many of us have asked this question, and the answer is straightforward.

Ants are pests, meaning they only come when they have something to eat. The following are reasons why you’re getting ants in your commercial kitchen.

Your kitchen isn’t neat enough.

There’s no way you won’t spill greasy things in your kitchen, but cleaning them up will save you a lot of trouble.

You don’t have monthly pest control services.

A monthly pest control service can help you reduce the loss that insects or pests may cause in many ways. You should have a good and constant pest control service.

There are breaches in your restaurant.

The availability of any breaches in your restaurant can give room for ants in your commercial kitchen. You should check out for breaches and seal them up.

How can I Permanently Get Rid of Ants?

Here are some of the best ways to permanently eliminate ants in your commercial kitchen. Most of these items are obtainable in any store.

Diatomaceous earth (silicon dioxide)
Glass cleaner and liquid detergent.
Ground black or red pepper.
Peppermint.
Tea tree oil.
Lemon eucalyptus oil.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE).
White vinegar.

Why Do Ants Suddenly Appear?

If you suddenly see ants entering your restaurant, it’s because there is food for them somewhere.

Ants are attracted to food; you won’t notice them moving about if they have nothing to eat.

If this is the case, the first thing to do is find out where that food is and get rid of it, then take some control measures.

What Smell Do Ants Hate?

Some of the smells ants can’t cope with include the following:

Vinegar
Citrus smell
Spices

Does Vinegar Keep Ants Away?

Yes, Vinegar is a very good ant repellent that can be useful in many ways.

You can spray a mixture of vinegar and water to chase away ants from your restaurant.

You can get vinegar in any grocery store. You should mix the vinegar and water in a ratio of 1:1 for effective use.

How to Get Rid of Ants in a Restaurant with Borax

Is Borax Toxic to Ants?

Yes, borax is so poisonous to ants that it kills them by destroying their digestive organs. You may also use this to get rid of ants.

Another benefit of borax is that it acts slowly. This permits the surviving ants to bring them inside their colony, culminating in mass death.

Does Baking Soda Keep Ants Away?

Yes, baking soda is known to keep ants away because, for one reason or another, ants avoid baking soda.

To make good use of this, you can add some baking soda in every corner of your restaurant or any small holes they can come in through.

Why Do Ants Keep Coming Back?

If you had previously exterminated ants and subsequently noticed that they have returned, there are two reasons. Food and Water.

This might happen if there is too much moisture in your restaurant. Ants like cool locations where they can acquire food and water.

What is The Best Ant Killer?

These Top 5 Ant Killers will get the job done.

Best Liquid Bait: Terro Liquid Ant Baits.
Most Versatile: Raid Multi Insect Killer.
Best Dust: Terro Ant Dust.
Best Non-Toxic Killer: Mighty Mint Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil.
Best For Lawns: Ortho BugClear Insect Killer.

In general, ants are averse to vinegar, citrus scents, spices, pepper, and baby powder, which they find unpleasant.

Ants will flee even if you make a nice cup of coffee in the morning and they smell it.

What Naturally Keeps Ants Away?

The following are what naturally keeps ants away.

Salt
Baby powder
lemon juice
Vinegar
Cinnamon
Peppermint.

All of those above, closing up holes, and moisturizing openings will keep ants at bay.

How Do You Get Rid of Tiny Black Ants?

Tiny black ants are among the most hazardous ants to deal with since their stings may harm humans. It’s also difficult to find them due to their body color and form.

The following are ways you can get rid of tiny black ants.

Locate the colony

The first step is to locate the colony. You can only accomplish this via baiting.

Leaving candies, sugar, or cakes out in the open for a few minutes will entice the ants to leave their hiding place.

Once they come in contact with the bait, You may use this to determine where they’re coming from.

Get rid of the colony.

When dealing with small black ants, getting rid of the colony is the best solution. You may accomplish this by using various control tactics such as spraying vinegar, pesticides, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

What does lemon do to ants?

Lemon is an effective ant repellant due to its acidic soil, which is harmful to ants. To utilize this, sprinkle some lemon juice or lay the peel anywhere you believe the ants may enter.

Does bleach get rid of ants?

The answer is yes. Because it kills ants on contact, bleach is an excellent approach to eliminate them.

But, if you’re searching for an effective strategy to manage ants, this isn’t the greatest choice because it can’t influence the whole colony.

What spray kills ants?

Ants can be a nuisance, but there are many ways to eliminate them. One of the most popular and effective methods is to use a mixture of vinegar and water.

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water, which can be found at any grocery store, and spray the solution on any areas where ants are present.

The mixture will quickly eliminate the ants and help keep your home ant-free.

Where can I spray for ants?

Spraying for ants can be done in many ways, depending on your use. You can follow this procedure using a detergent and glass cleaning spray.

Combine a spray bottle, glass cleaning spray, and detergent in a mixing bowl.

Examine the area where the ants are active and spray it immediately.

After a few minutes, wipe off the area.

How Do You Control Ants?

Controlling ants may be difficult, which is why avoiding them from entering at all is preferable. You may use herbal leaves like mint, spray vinegar, water, detergent, and lemon juice.

Does Dried Mint Repel Ants?

Using dried mint leaves in various ways, such as planting them around or crushing and distributing them, can repel ants in your restaurant.

CONCLUSION

Your restaurant may have an ant issue. Therefore, it’s important to address it as soon as possible. The advice above will help you remove them permanently. However, preventing them from entering is preferable to attempting to eliminate them. If all else fails, hire a pest control company.

Jack Bastide is a Restaurant Consultant focusing on Restaurant POS technology. Check out our world-famous restaurant resources page for a comprehensive offering of hand-picked resources and tools to help your business. You can also check out some of our other restaurant business articles.