Is it permissible to kill ants if the people of the house are harmed by them?

The questioner: They are in the house itself; there are ants.

The Shaykh: Ants.

The questioner: Ants that harm us; is it permissible for me to kill them?

The Shaykh: We always ask this question, and the answer is as follows: If it is not possible to take a measure to drive the ants away and keep them from causing harm, removing them entirely from the house or from the place in the house where they cause harm, then if there is no means other than killing, it is permissible; otherwise, it is not. I mean, for example, I remember well that we experienced wooden houses in the Syrian lands, especially the old ones. Bedbugs, of course, you know about bedbugs, especially in the days of intense heat, would disturb the sleep of those sleeping in a very annoying way. So the custom of the people of the house was to use every possible way to prevent bedbugs from attacking the sleepers. They had several ways for this. Whoever was well-off would take a tent made of cloth with holes for air, and they would wrap this tent around all four sides of the bed so that bedbugs could not enter from any path or way. This is a path, and of course, only someone with some means can do this. Other people would take molasses and preserve the bed with it; when the bedbugs come, they get stuck in it. But what happens sometimes is a strange thing, and it is as if, glory be to Allah, a person feels that this creature also has an intelligence that helps it survive.
The student: It distinguishes some of it.

The Shaykh: No, it distinguishes its benefit here. So we sometimes felt bedbugs falling from the ceiling onto the bed, as if it turned and went around; do you know how? It knows there is danger ahead, hehe, so it went up. We really saw, like ants, sometimes how we see a line like this. Bedbugs are also a terrible thing; a person’s body feels light from them. So such means, sometimes kerosene oil is used; you call it kerosene oil.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: We add oil to it; the important thing is that this also pours a heavy smell, but this harms the bedbugs if it hits them, like the Dettol that is used today.

The questioner : Ah, yes, indeed.

The Shaykh: Yes, so these are means that we used at that time, and praise be to Allah, now these medicines have cut off the bedbugs, it seems. So if there is no means from these means or their like to prevent the harm of ants to the people of the house in their food or their drink, then in that case, it is permissible out of dire necessity.

The questioner: I mean, placing it on the place where they come out, Shaykh, some kerosene or some chemical substances that are used.

The Shaykh: This kills them or does not kill them.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: We are saying that killing and extermination is the last resort.

The questioner: Because there is no way for them to leave his house.

The Shaykh: I am not responsible whether there is or not.

The questioner: Hehehe.

The Shaykh: I am the one being asked for a ruling.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: And I give the ruling, but ... it is not on me.