Let’s face it, ants in your house can be a big nuisance. It’s not only frustrating to have ants running around, but a colony of ants can cause a lot of damage as well. It is pretty unhygienic to have ants inside your home. Some ant varieties like Fire and Harvester can even bite humans. Carpenter ants, on the other hand, are known to damage building materials.
Ants inside the house certainly contaminate the food. They carry bacteria that they can transfer to food or an open wound. Ants have a diverse family; they are around 12,000 different varieties of ants. We all hate how ants enter our houses, especially in summers. They live in our house as they own it; well some ways may help to get rid of the ants; one of them is to keep your house clean.
We suggest some amazing home remedies that you’d need right now to ensure there are no ants in your house. Here’s how you can get rid of ants at home.
1. Mint
Peppermint is a natural insect repellant. You can plant mint around your home or use the essential oil of peppermint as a natural remedy for the control of ants. Ants hate the smell, and your home will smell minty fresh! Plant mint around entryways and the perimeter of your home. Place a few drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball and use it to wipe suspected areas. You can also place a peppermint oil cotton ball in areas such as cabinets where the ants frequent.
2. Vinegar
Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray it directly on the ants to kill them, then wipe up the ants using a damp paper towel and discard them. You can also use vinegar and water as a deterrent; spray it around your windowsills, doorways, and other places where you see ants coming inside.
3. Lemon Juice
Just like vinegar, lemon juice also seems to destroy the scent trails that ants follow. Try mixing up a solution of 1 part lemon juice with 3 parts water and use it as an all-purpose spray. Spray the lemon solution around entryways and the perimeter of your home, or any areas where you see ants.
4. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a great option for killing ants. When an ant inhales cinnamon, it suffocates and dies. You can use ground cinnamon and sprinkle on the ants’ path or around an anthill opening. The cinnamon essential oil also works well to repel ants. Mix a few drops of cinnamon oil with water and spray on ant trails, around doors, windows, and cracks.
5. Cayenne Pepper or Black Pepper:
Ants hate cayenne pepper. Black pepper will work just as well too. Locate the source of the ant infestation problem, sprinkle some pepper around that area, and if possible, create a wall that will stop the ants from accessing your household. An alternative solution is to mix some pepper with water and spray the resulting solution at the ants. The pepper won’t kill the ants but it sure will deter them from returning.