Photo: Rozette Rago

’Tis the season for hot dogs, drippy popsicles, juicy fruit, and … ants. Before you go berserk on these home invaders, it’s best to proceed with some strategy in mind. If you try to kill household ants the wrong way, you can actually split the colony—and make the problem worse.

The best way to kill ants is by using bait. Ant bait contains a mixture of food and a slow-acting poison that worker ants collect and bring back to the colony to share. After interviewing experts and testing against ants in our own homes, we found the best bait. It’s easy to use, widely available, and relatively safe.

The most effective ant killer→

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Photo: Michael Hession

We spent several weeks scrubbing grease splatters, grubby fingerprints, and sticky cereal milk with eight cleaning sprays to find the best. Our favorite one is unscented, doesn’t leave streaks, and easily collects crumbs.

Keep your countertops free of inadvertent ant magnets→

The very best laptops Here’s our ultimate, updated guide to the best models you can buy, based on your needs and budget→

Engagement gifts we love Including colorful hand-blown champagne flutes→

Considering solar panels? Read this first. These are the 10 questions to ask before you buy→

Our favorite cheap sunglasses We’ve researched 180 pairs of cheap sunglasses and worn 95. Here are our seven favorites→

Photo: iStock/Janice Chen

For some people (and pets!), the booms and bangs of the Fourth of July can be a troubling source of fear and anxiety. We have some expert advice to help, including the best earplugs, headphones, and white noise machines.

For a quieter celebration→

Who runs the world? Ants.

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