Ants are mostly harmless unless they take residence in your house and build a large colony. When their nest becomes big they become a matter of nuisance. They start to infest your foods. Some ants like carpenter ants may damage building materials. Harvester ants and fire ants may even sting you. Their sting is painful, itchy and may also cause an allergic reaction in some people. Ants may even damage your beloved garden plants.
So, before they start creating a nuisance, why not get rid of them.
Now the question arises how to tackle the ant problem?
If you are thinking to pick up your mobile phone and call the pest control, hold on. There are so many natural home remedies for ants. My friend, who runs Columbus’s top pest control firm – gave me some valuable suggestions regarding my ant problem. Let’s have a look on them:
Home Remedies for Ants
1. Cayenne pepper- One thing ants hate most is cayenne pepper. Try to locate the source of the ant infestation and sprinkle cayenne pepper over it. To stop ants from accessing your food make a wall of cayenne pepper around it.
If you do not have cayenne pepper, black pepper will also serve the same purpose.
2. Cinnamon- The smell of the cinnamon acts as an ant repellent. Its smell is very effective in discouraging the ants that are trying to enter your kitchen. So what are you waiting for?
Take cinnamon powder and make a boundary with it at the entry points.
Alternatively, you may also add a half teaspoon of cinnamon powder to a cup of water and spray it at the places of ant infestation.
3. Lemon water to get rid of ants– Again, this is one of the effective home remedies for ant infestation. Mix lemon juice in a glass of water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it on the area of ant infestation and entry points. Repeat this for a few times in a day.
4. White vinegar- The strong smell of white vinegar masks the scent trails made by the ants. This makes them lose their way. This acts as eviction notice for the ants.
Take white vinegar and water in equal amounts and mix them. Put the solution in the spray bottle. Spray The solution at the entry point or wherever you see ants.
5. Essential oil blend- Essential oils have always been my first choice as a natural insect repellent. Their smell is not as tolerable for the insects, even mosquitoes and ants. In the case of ants essential oil masks the trail scents and ants lose their direction.
Add a few drops of lavender, peppermint and tea tree essential oil to a glass of water. Pour this solution in a spray bottle and spray it on the ants whenever you saw them.
6. Dish soap– The chemical present in the dish soap breaks the exoskeleton of the ant by damaging their protective layer. Add dish soap to the water and mix properly. Spray it on the entry points and ants nest.
As you can see from cayenne pepper to dish soap there are 6 top home remedies for ant problem. But besides them, preventing ants from infesting your house should be your first priority. For this keep following points in your mind:
- Do not keep sugary food in open as they attract ants.
- Keep kitchen sink and platform clean.
- Dispose trash every day.
- Keep the kitchen and bathrooms dry.
