Yes, I use ant traps in the kitchen whenever I have an infestation, which seems to happen every spring. For the safest option, I recommend using borax-based ant traps, as borax is generally harmless to humans and pets in the small doses contained in an ant trap.

Now, let’s address two myths about ants in the kitchen. Firstly, having ants in your kitchen does not indicate an unsanitary or dirty environment. Ants are attracted to water, and your sink is a prime source of water. Once they discover a water source, that’s all it takes for them to come in.

Secondly, ants are not intelligent creatures. They simply follow a scent trail left by other ants, which signals, “I found water this way.” They don’t comprehend that they are in a kitchen; they are driven solely by instinct. Their instinct tells them that where there is water, there might be food. So they continue their hunt, even if they find nothing. Ants are like tiny robots, following programmed paths and patiently searching for any crumbs or spills. Even the cleanest kitchen can still have an occasional crumb, and ants, with their incredible sense of smell and endless patience, will find it. Once they find it, they’ll keep coming back, following the established trail.

While wiping down the kitchen daily with bleach water can help remove the pheromone trails, the key to permanently stopping them is finding their entry points, caulking them closed, and using bait strategically. Bait alone won’t completely solve the problem. If you’re fortunate enough to kill the queen, they may disappear for a while, but new queens can hatch from eggs, and ant colonies can contain hundreds of thousands of ants, along with a significant number of eggs. It would require large quantities of bait to eliminate all the ants in the vicinity. Instead, it’s better to focus on preventing their entry by sealing off access points rather than attempting to eradicate a massive ant population.

Remember, these are general suggestions, and if you have a persistent ant problem, it may be best to consult with a professional pest control service for tailored advice.