Ants are everywhere except Antarctica. But that doesn’t mean you should be okay with them creeping and crawling all over the house.
If you encounter one little, harmless ant today, there’s a good chance you’ll see more tomorrow and a colony in the coming weeks. No wonder they are known as social insects!
You might not mind seeing a few of them here and there by your garden; however, it is only a matter of time before you have a few in your kitchen counter, bookshelves, food racks, and let’s face it, everywhere! In a handful of days, your house will be heavily infested with these pesky insects.
If you have never confronted ant-problems, you might even say they are harmless and common creatures. But worry not, someday (hopefully never!) you will exactly understand what we’re talking about.
Many of us are skeptical about using insecticides and pesticides to get rid of ants. They don’t just affect the ecosystem but the environment and human health too. First, they don’t just end up getting rid of the ant rather kill them on a large scale. Secondly, all the chemical compounds used in insecticides are diffused in the environment and into our respiratory system.
There are several harmless and chemical-free ways you can eliminate the ant colonies. On the brighter side, you won’t have to kill these innocent but not so considerate creatures.
If you are looking for an all-natural resolution to get rid of the infestation, you have come to the right place. Below is a list of some natural techniques to get rid of ants and avoid future infestations.
And, in case you don’t already have similar issues, it is always best to be familiar with practical ways to get rid of the insects without giving yourself a headache.
Table of Contents
1. Citrus fruits
You might love those lemons and oranges, but the ants don’t! And why not use this to our benefit?
You can save your orange and lemon peels and scatter them around your house. Specifically, focus on the areas of entry such as windows and other outlets in your home.
You can go ahead and experiment by dropping a lemon peel just beside an ant colony. See the results for yourself!
2. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is a kind of silica composed of fossilized remains of Aquatic organisms known as diatoms. It is not precisely poisonous, but insects avoid contact as it dries them out by drawing out the oil.
Therefore, go ahead and spray those ant-prone locations with some diatomaceous earth.
Make sure not to touch diatomaceous earth with bare hands as it can be highly irritating.
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a good old remedy for almost every household concern ranging from upset stomach to insect infestation. This readily available kitchen spice will make sure that you never see another ant in your apartment ever again.
You can either use an entire cinnamon stick or cinnamon essential oil and place it around your doors, windows, and floor to create a barrier line. Ants hate the smell of cinnamon because it is strong enough to kill them.
4. Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most traditional home remedies for uncontrollable bug infestations, ranging from ants to cockroaches. Most insects have potent sensory taste buds on their feet, and white vinegar’s strong taste and odor keep them at bay!
You can pour half a cup of vinegar into your mopping water and clean your entire house. The solution will not only keep your home squeaky clean but also get rid of ants and bacteria.
5. Cornflour
Cornflour is yet another readily available ingredient in our homes. If you happen to stumble upon an ant colony, grab a handful of cornflour and spray it all over the ants. The slippery texture of cornflour will prevent the ants from spreading for some time.
Meanwhile, get your vacuum cleaner and vacuum the entire area. Remember not to let your vacuum cleaner sit in the room without emptying the trash bag. The ants inside the vacuum cleaner are not dead.
Make sure to empty the bag in an outdoor bin. Now the poor tiny ants will have to find another home.
6. Coffee grounds
Ants hate the feeling of coffee grounds on their feet. Coffee grounds are yet another brilliant and inexpensive way to address the severe ant infestation that might have gone out of control.
After you brew that morning coffee, use the remaining coffee grounds to sprinkle around the doors and windows. And if there are any other specifications where you commonly see the ants, make sure to spread there as well.
7. Cayenne Pepper or Black Pepper
Just as citrus and vinegar, ants hate the smell of cayenne peppers and black peppers. They contain a specific compound known as Capsaicin, which creates heat and acts as a deterrent for most insects.
Create a tiny line of pepper powder along your doors and windows to prevent the ants from entering your house.
Or, create your anti-ant mixture by mixing pepper with water. Spray this mixture around the corners of your house and inside the dark cupboards.
8. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE)
Do not confuse OLE with a regular Eucalyptus oil. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE) comes from Australian eucalyptus trees and comprises PMD, a bio-pesticides compound. Hence, it works as an excellent insect repellent.
9. Neem oil
Neem oil is extracted from the Neem trees that are native to India. They are one of the most effective natural insecticides and pesticides for eradicating the majority of bugs.
It’s also one of the most effective natural ant repellents that have been used for ages worldwide. Soak some neem oil into a cotton pad and place it in various locations of your house. Sure to go inside every nook and cranny and to cover any ant-prone sites.
10. Chalk
Ants don’t like lines made up of chalk. As they communicate primarily through scents, the line of chalk tends to disrupt their scent trail. Therefore, create some lines using chalk on the areas where you want them to stop entering.
The line might not be the permanent solution; however, it is one of the most effective.
11. Peppermint oil
If you are looking forward to giving that fresh aroma to your living space and getting rid of the ants in a single go, make sure to get yourself peppermint oil.
Dab some peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place it in different corners of your house, including the bathroom and kitchen. You can even place these peppermint-soaked cotton balls on your patio just before lunch.
Peppermint oil is one of the best remedies to get rid of ants as they hate this fiery and robust scent.
12. Tea tree oil
Another most effective insect repellent oil is tea tree. Many bugs do not enjoy the smell of the tree and refrain from them in all possible ways.
Soak a few cotton balls or tissues with tea tree oil and place them in insect-prone locations around the house. With this trick, you will repel the ants and various other kinds of bugs in the house.
You can also mix ten drops of tea tree oil into half a cup of water and pour it into a spray bottle. We can spray this combination over our windows and doors.
13. Hand soap and Glass cleaners
You can also use hand soap and glass cleaners to eliminate ants by eliminating their trail scent. When ants cannot get the aromas of their group members, they tend to lose communication and get lost.
Therefore, they will avoid going to any locations without their trail scents. Regular hand soap and glass cleaners do the job by removing the smell of ant pheromones.
14. Boiling water
Boiling water might be the most effective way to get rid of the entire ant family in a single go. However, it is always best to try getting rid of them more humanely.
But just in case you have tried every other remedy, and yet you are suffering continuous re-infestation, boiling water might be the only solution.
Trace the colony of ants back to the hole and pour in some boiling water over the holes. You will not only terminate the ants, but you will also damage their eggs and habitat.
To Conclude
Ants are harmless to people, and there are over 12,000 kinds of ants all around the globe. But that doesn’t mean you should be ready to share the house. After all, they don’t just lurk in to steal your food but bring along numerous bacteria and diseases.
Hence, it is always best to make sure there are no ant colonies in your living space. And if you happen to find some, make sure to trace their location and go forth with the necessary treatment.
I am pretty confident that the methods mentioned above will help you get rid of even the most severe forms of ant infestation in a few weeks. Although chemical ant-killers are more effective than natural ones, they pose numerous threats to human health (especially children below the age of 9) and the surrounding.
Therefore, go natural and chemical-free from the food you eat to the ant-killer you use!
(Last Updated on October 20, 2021 by Sadrish Dabadi)
