To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more
- Best ant killer: At a glance
- 1. Home Defence Ant Stop! Bait Station: Best ant killer bait station
- 2. Best powder ant killer: Nippon Ant Powder (300g)
- 3. Best spray-based ant killer: NOPE! CP Ant Killer Spray (500ml)
- 4. Best budget ant killer: Zero In Ant Killer Powder (300g)
- 5. Best humane and environmentally friendly ant killer: Nemasys No Ant
- How to choose the best ant killer for you

April to September in the UK is ant season. The little blighters can get everywhere, contaminating food, biting and, most serious of all ant-based concerns, potentially playing havoc with your homes foundations.
Youll know when youve got them. You may notice fresh cracks in concrete outside your home; you may notice that flagstones in the garden have become uneven; or you may spot one tracing across the floor of your kitchen. But theres never just one.
In the majority of cases, colonies will consist of just a few dozen predatory ants, although they can form colonies in which millions of ants exist. But dont panic if you had a million-strong colony on your hands, you would know about it by now.
Fortunately, removing ants from your property can be very simple and requires very little effort on your part. Indeed, by using individual methods of ant elimination or a combination, you can be ant-free in next to no time. The only question is: what method suits you best?
Best ant killer: At a glance
Best bait station | Home Defence Ant Stop! | |
Best powder ant killer | Nippon Ant Powder (300g) | |
Best spray-based ant killer | NOPE! CP Ant Killer Spray (500ml) |
1. Home Defence Ant Stop! Bait Station: Best ant killer bait station
Price when reviewed: £18 | Check price at Amazon

The Ant Stop! Bait Station from Home Defence is a top seller; it also happens to be the very solution I use in my occasionally ant-prone home. If properly applied and maintained, its both incredibly effective and gets results within three to six days. With repeated applications, you can wipe out an entire colony in a matter of months.
Each bait station is small and lightweight. You break off the four plastic spurs, place in problem areas and wait for the ants to carry the preloaded poisonous bait back to the nest, which should kill the entire colony, including the queen.
The bait stations must be kept dry, so they need to be covered with a tile or brick for outside use. Also, be sure to regularly check whether all the bait has been used and, as with all insecticides, handle with care and dispose of any leftover bait with care.
Key specs Product type: Bait station; Usage: Indoor/outdoor
2. Best powder ant killer: Nippon Ant Powder (300g)
Price when reviewed: £7.94 | Check price at B&Q

A highly effective solution to ridding your home of an ant infestation, Nippon Ant Powder has 50 years of success to recommend it. The active component is the insecticide permethrin, and the powder-based formula kills ants and many other unwanted insect variants on contact.
Safe to use both indoors and out, the best method is to trace your way to the nest by following the ants themselves. Then its essential to give the whole area a liberal dusting, ensuring it gets into any cracks and therefore the nest itself. If getting the powder into the nest isnt possible, ensure to cover the entrance completely.
Offering six months of ant control, naturally care should be taken not to use Nippon Ant Powder in food prep or storage areas, and you should also keep it away from soft furnishings.
Key specs Product type: Powder; Usage: Indoor/outdoor
3. Best spray-based ant killer: NOPE! CP Ant Killer Spray (500ml)
Price when reviewed: £13 | Check price at Amazon

NOPE! is a professional-quality ant killer that has been approved for use in household environments by the Health and Safety Executive.
The formula contains cypermethrin (CP), which is used as an insecticide in large-scale commercial agricultural applications, and as a result NOPE! CP behaves as a fast-acting neurotoxin in insects, eliminating your ant problem with almost immediate effect.
NOPE! CP is ideal for spot treatment of ants, as in addition to killing ants on contact, it also wipes out their eggs, larvae and pupae, therefore wiping out the entire infestation cycle. Once applied, the odourless formulation stays active for up to three months.
The most effective method of application is to spray NOPE! CP directly onto the routes ants take in the home and also the entrance and exit points this ensures maximum contact and spread among the colony.
Key specs Product type: Spray; Usage: Indoor/outdoor
4. Best budget ant killer: Zero In Ant Killer Powder (300g)
Price when reviewed: £3.48 | Check price at Toolstation

While most of the ant elimination methods weve looked at here are hardly expensive, Zero In is a great option for dealing with an ant infestation on a tight budget.
The powder and puffer package is effective against ants, woodlice, cockroaches, earwigs and other crawly interlopers, and the 300g pack gives a sizable 15m² of coverage both inside and outside the home and garden. The puffer action of the bottle allows you to blow the ant powder inside deep into cracks and crevices to permeate deep into the nest.
The secure, child-resistant cap is a welcome sight, but its worth bearing in mind that like most ant-killer solutions the Zero In Ant Killer Powder is incredibly toxic to aquatic life, so its essential to use it away from garden ponds. And naturally, ensure that you dispose of any waste powder and the empty packaging carefully.
Key spec Product type: Powder; Usage: Indoor/outdoor
5. Best humane and environmentally friendly ant killer: Nemasys No Ant
Price when reviewed: £12 | Check price at Gardening-Naturally

Nemasys No Ant offers an unconventional approach for dealing with ant colony infestations. This chemical-free treatment doesnt actually kill ants instead, it uses microscopic nematodes to repel the most common varieties of UK ants, including the flying type.
Rather than poison the pests, Nemasys unique formulation harmlessly irritates ants to the degree that they abandon the nest and move away to a different area.
Nemasys No Ant needs to be kept refrigerated from delivery until use, at which point it should be diluted in water (follow the instructions on the packaging to ensure the correct mix) and applied directly on top of ant activity outdoors using a watering can with a coarse rose. This should be repeated to keep the area moist for a minimum of two weeks.
Naturally, the formula is harmless to pets, people, other wildlife and the environment, too. If you want to be rid of ants without the killing, Nemasys No Ant is the obvious solution.
Key specs Product type: Concentrated liquid; Usage: Outdoor
How to choose the best ant killer for you
Why have I got ants in my home?
Its likely that youve done something (or rather not done something) to attract them. Leaving food out or not clearing up crumbs in the kitchen is an open invitation to ants, or you might just have too many tasty treats in your cupboards. While ants are a problem, it pays to keep all food areas spotlessly clean, and to tidy away potentially enticing foods into sealed containers.
How do I get rid of the ants I have?
There are options aplenty here. First, there are the natural remedies that ants are said to detest, such as cinnamon, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and garlic. Also, a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water can help to repel ants. But if you want to be absolutely certain of ridding your house or garden of ants, one of the professional products on the market will offer a more foolproof solution.
What kind of ant killer is right for me?
The answer to that really depends on your individual situation. There are highly effective ant powders that can be used both inside and outside the house and once the entrance is located deployed into the nest itself to kill off every ant inside.
There are also neurotoxic sprays that also disinfect as they kill, and bait stations that you simply place in areas of ant activity these are filled with a poisonous bait that ants find so irresistible they carry it back to the nest with them, killing them in the process.
For absolute peace of mind, we recommend a blend of bait stations and powders or sprays, just to make absolutely sure that you get every last ant, egg, larvae and pupae in one fell swoop, saving you having to repeat the process in the not too distant future.
If you dont want to kill them, then there are some humane options that seek to irritate the ants into moving home. Nemasys No Ant is just one such product, so may be worth trying if youd rather avoid products that kill ants (and often other insects) outright.
Anything else?
Ant killers should be handled directly as little as possible they routinely contain chemicals that, while not always particularly harmful to people and pets, can cause allergies and irritation.
Also, it goes without saying that you want to make sure that neither animals nor children can ingest them. Make sure you handle products with care, follow the instructions to the letter, and always lock them safely away after use.