Nobody wants a trail of ants living in their home, especially in the kitchen.
Not only because they surely are feeding in on something but they may also contaminate your edibles.
Although they are hard-working and likable insects on many kid songs, they can be quite the opposite in real life.
Homes are for humans and definitely not for ants.
For someone who loves their home clean and organized, getting rid of ants can be one of the toughest tasks to do.
It is simply because they often hang around in the kitchen (where they can smell food). Irradicating ants by spraying them with insecticides while they’re there might be a bad idea.
But thanks to these tips shared by DIY Everywehere, we are now one step closer to keeping them away and even to the point of exterminating them completely.
Go organic and go safe.
The steps listed below are not just proven effective but also safe. All of these homemade remedies just require things that can be easily found in the kitchen.
Having non-toxic ways also makes everything safer for families with kids because they’ll not be exposed to harmful chemicals.
Are you ready to have a cleaner and safer kitchen? Then let’s get things started.
1. Cinnamon or cinnamon oil
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or 10 to 15 drops of cinnamon oil
- 1 cup of water
- Cotton balls
Cinnamon has that sweet scent and it can make anyone think about some rolls or cakes. However, the smell of cinnamon does the opposite to ants.
Mix cinnamon or cinnamon essential oil with water. Then dip some cotton balls in the mixture, wait until they absorb it completely. Once the cotton balls dry up the mixture, use them to wipe the areas where you usually see the ants wander. If they are coming from a certain spot or hole, put a cotton ball in that area.
2. Baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
That powdered sugar might be causing you confusion right now because sugar is one of the things ants love the most. This combination, however, doesn’t just shoo ants away but kills them without them even knowing.
Combining powdered sugar and baking soda gives them an inviting ant-killing mixture. Ants will sure come because of the sugar but little do they know baking soda is also waiting for them.
The baking soda in their system will eventually kill them.
3. Lemon
- Lemon (juiced)
- 1/4 cup of water
- 10 drops of essential oil
This has to be the nicest-smelling ant-repellant on the list. The mixture of these ingredients doesn’t only keep ants away but also leave your home citrus-smelling. The citrus smell irritates ants and should give them a red flag.
You just have to make sure to re-apply once the scent goes away.
4. Vinegar
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1/4 cup of white vinegar
- 10 drops of essential oil
Ants hate the smell of acid which is the dominant chemical in vinegar. If you don’t want to welcome ants inside your home ever again, you just have to mix these 3 ingredients. Apply or spray the mixture on areas where ants usually hang out.
Apply regularly to maintain the strong scent. You wouldn’t worry about ants ever again if you do this.
Ants on the other side of the coin.
Seeing ants where they don’t belong is sure annoying. However, ants also has an important part in our lives, especially on the food web/chain.
According to Pet World For Kids:
“Although ants are frustrating when they get into your home or when you’re having a picnic, ants do help the environment. They are social insects, which means they live in large colonies or groups. Depending on the species, ant colonies can consist of millions of ants.”
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