I had excellent results last Spring when my house had sugar ants by using Pledge Orange Scent (it has to be orange scent even if it's a different product line than Pledge brand) oil based furniture polish.
First of all, ants hate any orange scent, so that repels them. Second, the oil base makes them stick to the oil and it kills them. This way they can't "message" the other ants to a source of food. They are looking for sugar and protein.
First I made sure I found their point of entry, which were several places at the corners of the baseboards. (We have esrthquakes and it's compromised the foundations) I even found one in the laundry room. Then I sprayed the heck out of that area and caulked it, along with spraying the line of ants. Then I sprayed a thin line of this spray all around the baseboards, making sure not to get any on the walls because it is oil based and will show up as a stain in the walls.
Then , I cleaned the kitchen really well (though I thought it was clean) and scrubbed the floor. Then I put thin THIN coat of this orange scented oil polish spray on the kitchen tile floor to shine it up and smell good.. Make sure you don't use too much or people will slip on it.
I also used it on my counters which are granite and the tile backsplash. I also used it on the cabinet doors to shine them up at the same time.
I haven't seen an ant since. Everytime I saw a trail of ants, I approached it this way. I use it to shine my bathroom up after I have cleaned it too, which keeps ants away. (I live out in the country).
You can lay dried orange peels outside around the perimeter of your home or inside your home behind refrigerator or stove and such, but find their point of entry in the bedroom. If you can't find it, spray all around the base of the walls and closet .
Make sure nothing is ever eaten outside the kitchen. If you have to hire someone to do a thorough house cleaning, do so, and then do this procedure I wrote about for the ants.
Don't even waste your money on an exterminator. All they do is spray some ant killer here and there and the ants are back in a few days. Some have really good luck with any traps but I didn't even bother because I wanted a more immediate result.
If it's a different brand such as Old English, just make sure it's the pump spray and orange scented.
