Ants marching around your home? Make a DIY ant repellent
With the arrival of summer we begin to find many insects nesting in the garden and in the parks. After all, the reawakening of nature comes with the spring and this also includes the return of nature's insects. So until the lower temperatures of autumn return, you may also notice that some insects sneak into your house, and often, these are ants.
Although these insects are not disease-carrying or particularly dangerous to humans, it is not pleasant to find ants in the pantry, so various methods are employed to drive them out. Many very aggressive products are frequently used to kill them. However, if you want to try some more eco-sustainable remedies to keep them away from your home, you can use some DIY tips. We describe some of these below:
DIY anti-ant spray
You will need:
- White vinegar - ants don't like the smell of this product.
- Peppermint essential oil: This also works as a natural repellent, and also works against other insects and pests such as mosquitoes, snails and more.
- Dish washing soap: This mostly serves to facilitate the mixture of the other two ingredients so that the oil does not remain fixed on the surface.
As you can easily guess, all you need to do is fill a small spray bottle with the vinegar, then add the essential oil (20 drops is sufficient) and also the dish washing soap (half a teaspoon should be enough, but it also depends on the amount of liquid you use).
Shake well before each use and spray in the places where you usually see ants marching, trying to focus it especially around the access points to the house, which are often near doors and windows (or maybe they are a few holes in the walls). If you find holes like this, in addition to sealing them (with putty or similar), spray this product in these areas abundantly. There are those who also use the spray on outdoor washing lines and around the pots of aromatic herbs.
Chalk (chalk powder)
There is one ancient remedy that continues to be popular: ants don't seem to like walking on chalk. The reason lies in the fact that this substance manages to interrupt the traces of the pheromones which helps ants follow very specific transit paths.
Useful tips
- Don't leave crumbs of food lying around the kitchen or the house.
- Try to always consume food in the same place, so you do not find yourself with crumbs being deposited on the sofa or in/under the bed.
- Clean out the garbage pails regularly, washing then with soap and water frequently.
- Do not leave any bits of food laying around overnight (even in the bowls of your pets) until the next day.
What are your favorite ways to keep ants away from your home?
