Tips and ideas for how to get rid of ants in your house! DIY natural solutions including essential oils, lemon, vinegar and more.
Ants. The bane of most homes. If you’re like me and have kids and pets, using pesticides isn’t an option. Here are some other methods to get them out of your house.
Years ago my husband sent me an article about why they start streaming in the house from time to time... because they like the moisture in our houses! Oh and food... the teenagers and dementia Mom leave food, candy and all manner of things out tempting them to come in from the outside!
This post is more about having an ant problem like we do, rather than terrible ant infestation that could require pest control to kill the ants rather than natural solutions.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a very effective ant repellent. They don’t like the smell and will deter them from coming into the house. Simply add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cinnamon essential oil in a cup of water, then soak a cotton ball in the solution and wipe over the areas where they can enter.
Repeat daily until all the ants are gone. Sprinkling ground cinnamon or putting whole cloves where they can enter will work as well.
White Vinegar
White vinegar isn’t just a smell we don’t like! Even better, it masks their scent trails, keeping other ants from following them to your house. Just mix equal parts of white vinegar and water, put in a spray bottle and use your ant spray on entry points.
You can also add a drop or two of any essential oil. Also using the mixture to clean will help prevent them from coming in.
(white vinegar and essential oils is also great for a DIY kitchen counter spray or even as a carpet refresher if your doggies pee on your floors)
Lemon
Lemon deters ants with its smell and by masking their ant trails. Cut a lemon or soak a cotton ball with lemon juice and rub on door thresholds, windowsills and other possible areas where ants are getting in.
You can also put a few drops of lemon essential oil on cotton balls and leave them in cabinets and other areas as needed or scatter small slices of lemon peel around outdoor entrances.
Peppermint Essential Oils
Peppermint is a natural insect repellent. It’s strong smell also disrupts their smelling capabilities so they cannot detect food sources. Simply add 10 drops of peppermint essential oil to 1 cup of water, put in a spray bottle, shake well and spray wherever you see ants. daily, until the ants are gone completely.
Sprinkle some dried peppermint around your doors, entryways and garbage areas to repel ants. Even better, grow some in pots around doorways and other entry points. It’ll smell great and give you fresh mint whenever you need!
Getting Rid of Ants Wrapup
The best way to keep them out is to deter them in the first place. Keeping a clean home, cleaning dishes immediately, using tightly sealed food containers and use garbage cans with tight lids.
But if you live in a crazy house like mine, you have to find some coping methods. I LOVE that these are all natural and won't harm my pets or kids.
Just a few weeks ago we did the old, sticky ant bait traps by the doors... the dogs tipped it over, Mom dropped something in it and we had to scrape it off the floor.
That was when I decided that we needed to figure out how to get rid of the ants without having poison splashing all over my home!
If you have issues with carpenter ants, who love wet wood, be sure to replace water damaged materials.
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