Keep ants away from your home: 6 home remedies for this annoying problem

May 02, 2023

With the arrival of warmer weather, many unwelcome guests such as mosquitoes, cockroaches and wasps invade our homes. Amongst the one of the most annoying of these pests are ants. Despite being harmless, they frequently get into our homes - and our food.

If you're about to rush out and buy an insecticide, stop for a moment: there is an effective way - which is absolutely natural and non-toxic - to get ants out of your home and they will never return. Do you want to know what it is? Well, read on to find out more:

But first, you can avoid attracting ants by cutting off their access to any foodstuffs. Make sure that you always close your food containers carefully, especially those containing sugar and honey; sweep the floor regularly so that there are no crumbs and other food residue on it; do not leave dirty dishes in the sink for too long. Also pay attention to pet food, another great attraction for ants.

After taking these basic steps, you will finally be ready to take action:

Bushels_for_All/Reddit

Have you already identified ant nests or ant access points to your homes? Great, then it's time to choose your favorite remedy and distribute it on the doors, windows or directly on the nests. We list below all the effective natural alternatives you can use:

Vinegar: a natural remedy of choice to combat ants, you can put vinegar into a spray bottle and use it to clean the glass and window/door frames. You can also dilute it in a bucket of water and use it to wash the floors (pay attention to your type of floor as, for some, vinegar is not a suitable cleaner). Also spray it on all surfaces in the kitchen. Not only will it sanitize and clean thoroughly, it will also keep ants away with its pungent smell.
Sodium bicarbonate: another very common remedy in our homes is bicarbonate, which can be placed directly on top of the access points and/or the nests you have found.
Talcum powder: in the same way as bicarbonate, talcum powder can also be effectively used.
Aromatic herbs: mint, oregano, basil and rosemary are often growing on our windowsills during the summer; a few leaves on the windows or near the doors will dissuade ants.
Spices: many spices with a very intense and pleasant smell for us can help keep ants away; in powder or essential oil form, just sprinkle them near the ant nests or on doors and windows. Cinnamon, cloves, chilli pepper and citrus peels are all effective here.
Finally, even lemons can be effectively used against ants: use it to clean surfaces just as you do with vinegar, but first make sure you will not damage any acid-sensitive surfaces. The ants will disappear forever.