In addition to warmer temperatures, the spring and summer also means the return of ants. If not dealt with, ants will infest a home if they can find a food or water source inside. Fortunately, you have some great natural options to keep ants out of your home and outdoors where they belong.
Here are some natural methods for keeping ants out of your home.
Vaseline
Vaseline represents a quick and easy way to keep ants out of your home. All you need to do is find where the ants are entering your home and then apply some Vaseline to the area. The sticky texture of the Vaseline should keep any ants at bay.
Baking Soda
Another way to rid your household of ants is to mix some sugar and baking soda, as well as a few drops of essential oil. Simply place the mixture near where they are coming into your home. The sugar should lure the ants in and the baking soda should kill them outright. Then it is a matter of cleaning up the mess.
Lemon Juice
The citrus smell of lemon juice works great in keeping ants out of your home. In addition, the acidic nature of the lemon juice should mask the scent markers that some ants leave behind. Soak a cotton ball in lemon juice or lemon essential oil and leave them near the areas where the ants are coming in to your home.
Baby Powder
Ants actually hate baby powder, which makes it great for keeping them out of your home. Sprinkle it in the area where they are coming in and it should keep them away. In addition to keeping ants out, the smell of the baby powder should block the scent trail of the ants already in your home, meaning they will get lost and die.
Chalk
If you have ants, draw a line of chalk blocking off the entry point they are using to get into your home. The chalk disrupts the chemical scent the ants use to communicate. As a result, the ants will avoid crossing the chalk line.
Boiling Water
Another way to get rid of ants naturally is kill them at the source. Simply follow their trail back to their mound, if possible, and pour boiling water directly onto the ant hill. Just avoid getting the boiling water on your surrounding lawn or it will kill your plants and grass too.
Tansies
If you like tansies, then you are in luck if you are trying to get rid of ants. Ants absolutely hate the yellow flower. You can place tansies near the entrance of your home or place dried tansies on your window sill to keep ants out.
Diatomaceous Earth
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your home to keep ants out. Make sure to use the food-grade variety, which is not toxic to humans. The diatomaceous earth works as a natural ant repellant without contaminating anything edible within your home, making it great for use in the kitchen.
Tea Tree Oil
Using tea tree oil, you can make an easy to use non-toxic ant spray. Simply put a few drops of the essential oil into a spray bottle with water and spray in the areas where the ants are getting in. Alternatively, use a Q-tip to apply the tea tree oil to where the ants are coming into your home.
Coffee Grounds
Used coffee grounds work great at creating a barrier that ants won’t cross. Spread the coffee ground around where the ants enter you home to keep them out. The smell of the coffee grounds blocks the scent trails that ants leave behind.
Peppermint
Like many essential oils, peppermint oil is great at keeping ants away from your home as it disrupts their ability to communicate by blocking the scent trails the ants leave behind. Mix 10 drops of peppermint essential oil with water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture around where the ants are coming in or directly on the line of ants for best results.
White Vinegar
For an easy to use ant deterrent spray, mix 2/3 cup of white vinegar with 1/3 cup of water, 20 drops of both clove and tea tree essential oil, and 1 teaspoon of liquid castile soap in a spray bottle. After mixing well, spray the repellant on the ants and their entry point to get rid of the ants quickly.
Cornmeal
For a chemical-free ant deterrent option, use cornmeal. Spread the cornmeal near the entry point into your home and watch the destruction. The ants, which love cornmeal, will quickly die since the ants digestive system cannot digest the cornmeal very well, causing their bodies to burst. Gross, yes, but also very effective.
Cinnamon
Ants also hate the smell of cinnamon and will go out of their way to avoid areas where the spice is located. With this in mind, sprinkle cinnamon in the areas where you notice ants, especially around entry points. The ants should avoid the cinnamon and stay out of your home.
Borax
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
To create a borax trap to kill your little, uninvited guests, mix 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of borax is a container with a plastic lid. Poke holes into the lid and place where you notice ants. Sprinkle a little sugar around the container to lure the ants in, where the mixture in the container should further draw them in to their death.
