Crushing Ants? You Might Be Making It Worse—Here’s Why

Few things unsettle homeowners more than a trail of ants invading the kitchen, but crushing them may only make things worse.

Ryan Smith, entomologist and owner of Ant & Garden Organic Pest Control, explains, “When an ant is crushed, it releases alarm pheromones that signal danger to other ants nearby." As ants arrive to remove dead ant bodies to another area, this prevents them from contaminating the rest of the colony, and this is how the ant colonies keep themselves safe from disease. "They're essentially sending a distress signal to alert the nearby colony that there's a perceived threat,” Louisa Messenger, a medical entomologist and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told The Spruce.

Besides alarm pheromones, ants constantly lay scent trails to communicate the location of food sources. Crushing ants along these trails can disrupt these chemical pathways, but not in a way that resolves the issue. Instead, there is a risk of confusing the trail network, which sometimes leads ants to spread into new parts of the home.

So now what can we do instead of squishing them?

Seal Entry Points

Use caulk or weather-stripping around doors, windows, foundations, pipes, and wiring to block their access routes.

Eliminate Food Sources

Store all food and eatables in airtight containers to eliminate tempting targets and prevent future infestations. Keep your kitchen clean, take your trash out regularly, and fully clean up any small food crumbs or sugary drink spills around the house.

If you have crushed an ant, make sure to wipe the surfaces with a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar to remove the pheromones.

Use Natural Repellents

There are also other DIY natural solutions — especially if you don't want to use harsh chemicals. You can use diluted essential oils such as peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, spearmint, and cinnamon oil to give off strong scents to repel ants.

What other ways can you think of to outwit these tiny intruders?

References

1. Tom’s Guide. “Pest Experts Warn You Should Never Squash Ants in Your Home—Here’s Why.” Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.tomsguide.com/home/pest-experts-warn-you-should-never-squash-ants-in-your-home-heres-why.

2. The Spruce. “Why You Shouldn’t Squish Ants.” Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.thespruce.com/why-you-shouldnt-squish-ants-11740876.

3. Pest Defence. “What Attracts Ants and How Do I Get Rid of Them?” Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.pestdefence.co.uk/news/what-attracts-ants-and-how-do-i-get-rid/.

4. MSN. “Pest Experts Warn Why You Should Never Squash Ants in Your Home—And What to Do Instead.” Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/pest-experts-warn-why-you-should-never-squash-ants-in-your-home-and-what-to-do-instead/ar-AA1H4uI4.

(Rehash/Dr. Haripriya R. Nair/MSM)