Sprinkle mint around your home and you can forget about annoying "visitors"
There are times of the year when we have to deal with "insect invasions". Fortunately, there are some natural remedies we can use to keep these pests at bay. One of these remedies comes from the mint plant.
Pleasant-smelling for us, many insects are repelled by the scent of mint, especially ants. So, instead of using harmful commercial insecticides, we can resort to using mint (and other herbs and spices) to ward off insect pests.
Plants to use to repel ants and other insects
Creativo
Nature is wonderful in its bounty and offers a multitude of resources which we can use in our lives, including natural insect repellents.
Specifically, plants such as mint (Mentha officinalis), cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and neem (Azadirachta indica) are useful and effective. The plants have been used for millennia to repel mosquitoes, ants, mealworms/moths and more.
Using mint to repel ants
The simplest way of using mint as a repellent is to use its leaves. Freshly picked leaves or - even better - dried leaves (in which the essential oils are more concentrated) will serve this purpose. Simply spread the leaves around the areas where ants are active.
This natural repellent is eco-friendly and all it takes is for you to identify where the ants are "based" and/or gain access to your home.
Rather than using just leaves, extracts thereof are much more effective at repelling insects: these extracts come in liquid or oil form. In the latter case, plant oil extracts - including mint oil - can be purchased online (if they are difficult to find in your local shops).
With mint essential oil, all you need to do is pour a few drops onto absorbent materials: a small bowl with bicarbonate of soda, or table salt; pieces of cloth, cotton balls or even wood or cork shavings will suffice for this purpose. Just chose the method most convenient for you.
A pleasant smell for you; an effective deterrent for pesky insects!
