How do you get rid of ants safely, without having to get a exterminator?

Use Cider Vinegar

Vinager helps. Clean the area with white vinager

I get sugar ants sometimes because of my own fault by forgetting to wipe up the counter top in the kitchen after I used the sugar for something, or forget to put a soda can outside in the recylcing, or don't rinse out a glass that I drank something sweet out of. I also have two cats that I also don't want to poison by pesticides. The first thing after an initial attack of ants is, get out the old vacuum cleaner and suck em up! You can basically track them back to where they are coming from into the house. You may have to vacuum up some left over ants for a few days after, the stagglers. Clean up any area that they were congregating around. Then, if you must use a pesticide, put the cat in the bathroom with food and water for a few hours, and spray the point of entry of the ants and wait until the pesticide is dry before letting the cat out. Generally, the cat will not even be curious about the area sprayed because it's usually in a corner or crack in a room somewhere, also they don't like the smell of it and will generally stay away from it altogether. Not sure about the vinegar idea, although I have heard that it is a natural bug repellant...I haven't tried it because I don't like the smell of it. Best bet is the vacuum cleaner to suck up the ants and generally keep everything tidy and clean!