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- Brew Fresh Coffee Grounds. Keep your ant infestation at bay thanks to your morning cup of Joe. After brewing your morning coffee, take the leftover coffee grounds and sprinkle them around the infected area to deter ants from the scene.
- Vinegar or Essential Oil Based Cleaning Sprays. While vinegar and essential oils shouldn't be used as repellant products in an ant situation, there is still a place for them in an all-natural ant control plan.
- Borax. To use borax to make ant bait, you'll need to mix it with something that appeals to ants as a food source. This will entice them to eat it. Identification is the first and most important step in pest control, so what you use for bait depends on the species of ants you're dealing with
- Orange Peel. Peel the rind off one of the oranges you have in your kitchen to repel ants from the area they're flocking to. If you don't have oranges, but have other citrus fruits like lemons or grapefruits, these will work as well.
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- Borax
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Glass Cleaner and Liquid Detergent
- Ground Black Or Red Pepper
- Peppermint
- Tea Tree Oil
- Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
- Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus
- White Vinegar
- Boiling Water
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Borax, or sodium tetraborate, is a powdery white substance. It’s often used as a cleaning product, emulsifier, or insect repellant. To use borax, follow these steps: 1. Put on safety gloves. 2. Make a solution of 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) borax, 8 tsp sugar, and 1 cup warm water. 3. Stir until the sugar and borax are dissolved. 4. Saturate cotton balls an...
Diatomaceous earthis made up of silica. It’s made of fossilized remains of aquatic organisms called diatoms, a type of plankton. Diatomaceous earth isn’t a poison. It kills ants and other bugs by absorbing the oilsTrusted Sourcein the exoskeletons, which dries them out. However, since it’s an irritant, avoid breathing it in or getting it on your sk...
Ants leave a scented pheromoneTrusted Sourcetrail behind when they walk. This acts as a map of food sources. Using glass cleaner may help remove the scent and deter the ants from reentering your home. Here’s how to do it: 1. Mix glass cleaning spray with liquid detergent like dish soap into a clean spray bottle. 2. Spray the mixture on areas where ...
Black or red (cayenne) pepper is a natural ant deterrent, as the insects may find the smell irritating. Sprinkle pepper around baseboards and behind appliances.
The authors of a 2020 study found that peppermint oilhelped repel the invasive European red ant, Myrmica rubra (L.). To use peppermint essential oil as an ant deterrent, complete the following steps: 1. Mix 10 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil with 2 cups water in a clean plastic spray bottle. 2. Spray the mixture around the baseboards and wi...
Tea tree oil has been shown to effectively kill fliesTrusted Source, which may indicate it could be an effective ant deterrent. To use this method, complete the following steps: 1. Mix 5 to 10 drops of tea tree essential oil with 2 cups of water in a clean plastic spray bottle. 2. Spray the mixture around the house where you typically see ants. Alt...
Oil extracted from the lemon eucalyptus tree is another natural insect repellent. It contains citronella, which is used in candles to repel mosquitoes and has been shown to repel certain types of antsTrusted Source. To use, complete the following steps: 1. Saturate cotton balls with the undiluted lemon eucalyptus essential oil. 2. Place the cotton ...
Despite their similar names, the oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)is different from lemon eucalyptus essential oil. OLE comes from the gum eucalyptus tree, which is native to Australia. It contains a chemical called p- Menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), which is an effective insect repellent. PMD is classified as a biopesticide by the Environmental Protection Ag...
White vinegar, available at all grocery stores, is a cheap and effective way to kill and repel ants. It’s also a natural cleaning agent. Try using a 1-to-1 vinegar and water mixture to clean hard surfaces, including floors and countertops, wherever ants are likely to travel. If you see ants, spray the mixture on them or wipe them up with a paper to...
If you notice ant holes near your home, pour boiling water into them. This method will effectively and immediatelyTrusted Sourcekill many of the ants inside. Anthills may appear small, but the ant colonies underneath them are vast. The boiling water won’t be enough to kill off the entire colony. For this reason, make sure to treat every ant hole yo...
Learn about 20 natural ways to kill and repel ants using household products or essential oils. Find out how to identify different types of ants and when to call a professional exterminator.
- Diatomaceous earth (DE) How it works: Diatomaceous earth (DE) is made of tiny fossils left behind by microscopic organisms called diatoms. Those fossils are too small to hurt humans, but they’re deadly to ants.
- Baking soda / Baby powder. How it works: Baking soda and baby powder both suffocate ants by clogging their spiracles, which are pores in their exoskeleton that they need to breathe.
- Boiling water. How it works: Boiling water burns ants and kills them on contact. It also destroys the inside of the nest, so any ants that survive will likely move on to somewhere new.
- Borax / Boric Acid. How it works: Borax is a powder made of boron, oxygen, and sodium. Boric acid is basically a more processed version of borax. Both contain boron as the main ingredient, and both kill ants by disrupting their digestive systems when ingested.
- Use citrus fruits — Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges are great natural ant repellents. These are toxic to certain types of fungi that ants love to feed on.
- Spray white vinegar — Mix a 50:50 solution of white vinegar to water in a spray bottle. Spray your countertops, surfaces or anywhere else you’ve spotted ants frequently.
- Mix glass cleaner and dish soap — Combine glass cleaning spray with dish soap in a clean spray bottle. Spray directly onto surfaces or areas where the ants congregate before wiping down to just leave a light residue.
- Lay down talcum powder — A layer of talcum powder in ant entryways is another safe deterrent, and it will also break down the pheromone trail. In addition, the powder gets absorbed through their skin, clogging up their airways and will banish them for good.
Mar 22, 2024 · If you’re trying to get ants out of your living space, here are some home remedies for ants that work, plus a couple that don’t. But first, limit your anti-ant campaign to inside your home, says Aaron Anderson, a pesticide program specialist with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
- Karuna Eberl
Jan 25, 2024 · Natural Ant Deterrents. Cornmeal Deterrent: To keep ants from crawling up the pole of the hummingbird feeder, sprinkle cornmeal around the base of the pole, post, or tree. Reapply as needed. Keep Shrubs In Check: Don’t plant trees or shrubs close to the house.
Aug 7, 2024 · 1. Ant Traps. One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to get rid of ants is by purchasing small plastic ant traps. Place the traps by door thresholds, window sills, and baseboards to lure the ants as soon as they enter your home.