The Popular DIY Solution That Might Not Solve Your Ant Problem

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Most everyone is aware that despite their diminutive size, ants can be a big problem. Whether you need to stop ants from damaging your plants' roots or you simply want to avoid being bitten by a dangerous type of ant, finding a safe way to be rid of these pests is always a priority. That, in turn, often leads people to try unconventional solutions. One popular home remedy people cling to is using cornmeal as an eco-friendly ant control. However, you can add this to the list of household and lawn care DIY myths you can stop believing, as cornmeal alone will not solve your ant problem.

Contrary to this persistent myth, cornmeal is not lethal for ants. So why would anyone believe cornmeal would kill ants in the first place? In a word, digestion. Because corn and corn products are difficult for the human body to digest, many assume it would be so taxing on a body the size of an ant that it would kill them. However, many insects and pests, including ants, have no issue eating corn. In fact, YouTuber Cody the Car Guy tested pouring cornmeal directly onto an anthill, as some people suggest. He found that, not only did cornmeal not kill off the ants, they had laid many new eggs and, "if anything, they look bigger than the last time." Interestingly, he tried grits (coarsely ground corn) on a separate hill, and the ants simply carried the unappetizing breakfast food off the anthill, piece by piece, till it was out of their way. And no ant fatalities.

With that in mind, if you go about sprinkling cornmeal throughout your house and garden, the ants will not only die, but they will likely relish the free food source. The fact is, ants are attracted to cornmeal, something people on both sides of the argument agree. However, that attraction won't prove deadly, unless it's mixed with a more lethal substance. To that end, cornmeal can serve a vital function in pest control as bait, rather than as pesticide.

This is similar to the eco-friendly ant control method involving orange oil and molasses. In that situation, the molasses does not kill the ants — though it can feed antagonistic microbes that could eventually kill the hungry ants — it simply draws them to the substance that will (the orange oil). Cornmeal can be used in much the same way. Mixing cornmeal with an actual insecticide or a household products that serve as an insecticide, such as Borax, can draw ants to their death. Just keep in mind that unless it's used in conjunction with either natural or chemical insecticides, cornmeal will do nothing to get rid of ants. In fact, it may end up drawing in even more.