Keurig coffee makers make life simple. It only takes a few steps before you can have a fresh cup of coffee in your hands. The problem with some Keurig models is ants. They can quickly infest your coffee maker! If you need help finding out what to do, let's discuss.
The first thing you want to do is clean the Keurig entirely. Run a descaling cycle to flush out all the ants. Run the Keurig with regular water a few times afterward.
From here, you will have to stop the problem from the source.
Ants are pests that are hard to control. Once you see one, there will be many more following behind. They infest your Keurig because they see it as an adequate habitat for the colony.
We need to prevent them from finding it to stop this problem. To learn more, keep reading!
Why Do Keurigs Attract Ants?
Before we get to the specifics, let's establish a few details. One concern that comes to mind is why Kuerigs attract ants. Some Keurig owners found that they appear nowhere else but in the coffee maker.
So, what gives? There could be many reasons ants manage to make their way into the Keurig. Some suggest it's because the coffee maker provides habitable conditions.
Keurigs are moist and damp. It also provides a heat source for them. In addition, the Keurig you use is most likely on a kitchen countertop. Therefore, they're not far away from a food source.
Others suggest ants love the insulation Keurigs use. But, ants also infest other brands of coffee makers. Thus, this reasoning is tougher to justify.
The most reasonable idea is the environment a Keurig provides. Now we know why ants inhabit your Keurig. Let's go over what to do to kick them out.
How To Deep Clean A Keurig
Once you see one ant, there are many more to come. They will typically leave pheromone trails that signal other ants to come along. If you see one outside the Keurig, others are already inside the machine.
So, the first step is to flush the Keurig. Cleaning up the outside alone is not enough. You wouldn't want to end up with a surprise in your coffee cup.
To start the process, clean out the tank and inner reservoir. Remove any coffee grounds, beans, or pods too. From here, you have two options.
You can take the Keurig, put it in a bag, and throw it in a freezer. After four to five days, the ants should become inactive. They won't be dead necessarily. But, it won't be a hassle to remove them.
Taking The Machine Apart
The other approach is to disassemble the Keurig. Take them apart and rinse them under soap and water. Then, dry the components and reassemble the Keurig.
Descaling the Keurig
Finally, we'll need to descale the machine. This way, you can flush out any ants in crevices we can't reach.Â
See this Keurig descaling kit on Amazon.
You can use Keurig's descaling solution or a white vinegar solution. Before running the cycle, remove the filter in the water reservoir. Then, fill it up with a descaling solution or white vinegar.
Use the large cup setting. Run the Keurig until it indicates it needs more water. Now let the Keurig run idle for a while. If you're in a rush, wait at least 15-30 minutes to let the vinegar do its job.
Remove any leftover vinegar from the water reservoir. Then, fill it up with water. You'll want to run the Keurig on the large cup setting for two reservoirs worth of water.
Once you finish the cycle, the Keurig should be clear of ants. To conclude the job, dry the entire machine. Dry the reservoir too.
As a temporary solution, place the Keurig away from its current location. We'll need to figure out the ant problem before using it in the same area again.
Otherwise, the ant cleaning will become a standard routine.
Explaining Ant Behavior
As mentioned, ants inhabit your Keurig because they find it habitable. There are food sources nearby. And, they can navigate inside your machine, which provides a heat source for them.
Lastly, you regularly put water into the machine. Therefore, Keurig provides a water source. It's no wonder why they keep coming back to it. However, you won't find a queen ant inside the machine.
Therefore, it's not a permanent home. It's a satellite nest. The parent nest will usually be outside of your home. However, they can also be near a water leak or other sources of moisture.
Ants build satellite nests in wall cavities, wood, insulation, and coffee makers. After cleaning the Keurig, ants will likely return because they leave scent trails. It won't take long for them to find the Keurig again.
How To Prevent Ants From Returning To A Keurig
There are a few options to consider to stop this ant problem. Our easiest choice to make is to throw out the machine. Ants will likely keep coming back. So, cleaning it will be a daily occurrence.
Our other option is to deal with the ant problem at hand. The immediate action to take is to relocate the Keurig. In addition, clean the machine extensively after each use.
In other words, clear out the coffee grounds and dry the machine entirely. This way, you remove the water and food sources from the ants.
Make Your Keurig Hard To Reach
Some people have found success by making the Keurig hard for the ants to reach. You don't need much to do this. The first step is to find a platform for the machine.
Since Keurigs use K-cups, now might be a good time to invest in coffee pod drawers.
See this coffee pod drawer on Amazon.
Place the Keurig on top of your chosen platform. It will give the ants fewer crawling points to access the machine. Now we need a way to create disinterest for the ants. This way, they will avoid coming here.
Fortunately, there's a natural way to do this. Ants hate cinnamon. Sprinkle a fine layer of cinnamon under the platform. The bonus to this solution is the added cinnamon scent in your kitchen.
Call An Exterminator
If you want to keep the Keurig on the kitchen counter, you'll need to find the parent nest. Once you find it, you or an exterminator will have to flush it out. Of course, ants don't appear from thin air.
Entry points allow them to travel inside your kitchen or office. Since they travel in packs, it won't be hard to follow their trail. Seal these entryways to prevent them from coming back.
You could also follow their trail to observe the severity of the problem. Maybe the ants are inhabiting some part of your walls. So, they could lead you to a leak somewhere.
Remove Food Sources
You never want to give an ant colony reasons to come back. If it's a persistent problem, you'll need to do more. More specifically, cleanliness needs to be a focal point of your office or kitchen.
Never leave drinks or snacks on the counter. Clean up food spills and crumbs quickly. Additionally, keep the area dry.
Ants love moisture. If you remove that from them, they won't see your kitchen or office as a suitable satellite home. Lastly, throw out the garbage routinely and seal the garbage can as best as you can.
This way, you eliminate water and food sources. The Keurig's motor can still provide a heat source. But, that isn't enough for an ant colony to see it as a home.
Are Ants Attracted To Coffee?
As we've learned, there are many reasons why ants infest a coffee maker. In some situations, the coffee maker is the only area they will overrun. Why is that?
Some would guess they're attracted to the coffee. However, that's not the case. Ants can't ingest coffee grounds.
They're sensitive to caffeine. It's toxic for ants. Instead, they're attracted to the sugars that Keurigs can leave behind. Any additives near the Keurig, like honey, attract ants too.
For this reason, cleaning is essential. Even the smallest drop of sugar or honey will attract ants. So, if you spill anything, clean it up quickly.
Otherwise, you might be leaving bait for ants to consume. You can use this to your advantage by setting up glue traps nearby.
In Closing
Nothing's better than starting your day with a fresh cup of coffee. However, no one likes a surprise. Ants love your Keurig too. But, they have other reasons to love it. We hope you found this informative.
Before you go, do you have other areas with a pest problem? Are you finding dead bugs in the fridge? To learn more on this topic, check out:
Little Dead Bugs In Fridge? Here Is What To Do
Are bugs infesting your pantry? We can help you find ways to stop this. For more information, check out:
How To Get Rid Of Pantry Bugs Naturally [5 Crucial Tips]
