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Ants are pests, whether indoors or out. They can ruin a picnic, damage wood support beams and protect the pesky aphid in your garden. Fortunately, they're easy to control, once you learn their habits, hiding places and favorite foods.

Before you start trying to eliminate ants, identify the type you're dealing with. Ants are attracted to different foods (sugar, proteins, wood, etc.). Carpenter ants, the most destructive variety, live in wood and can destroy support beams much like termites. Most common, though, is the small, brown Argentine ant which nests outdoors and is drawn to sweets. The light yellow or reddish pharaoh ant nests inside of buildings and isn't picky in its choice of foods. Other ant species include the reddish thief ant, attracted to meats and grease, and the brown or black pavement ant, which can nest in foundations.

Step 1: Prevent them from entering your home.

The easiest remedy for household infestations is prevention: deprive ants of entry to your home and access to any food or water in it. Seal food and sugar in airtight containers, wipe crumbs and sticky residues off counters, wash dishes immediately, keep your garbage and recycling bins tightly sealed and fix any leaking taps.

When you first notice a trail of ants in your house, follow it to its entry point and caulk all holes and cracks around it. In areas that can't be sealed, leave a small, low wattage night light on for a few nights in the area of most ant activity. The change in light can disrupt and discourage their foraging patterns.

If the ant colonies are in your home, vacuum them up! Add some cornstarch to the vacuum bag to suffocate them, and make sure you are using a HEPA filter. Dispose of the bag immediately to prevent living ants from finding their way out.

Step 2: Make your own ant bait.
Lots of ingredients already in your kitchen can act as natural ant deterrents. Set any of the following at an ant's entry point in a small line that ants won't cross: citrus oil (can be soaked into a piece of string), lemon juice, coffee grounds, cucumber peels, mint tea bags or dried mint leaves, cloves, cinnamon or cayenne pepper.