A war is raging within your home and you’re determined to come out the victor. The problem is your enemy is the ever resilient ant and his thousands of siblings. Complicating matters is the ethical code requiring you employ only natural methods.
Honor is on your side for countless natural pesticides are at your beckon call and many leave ants alive but running for the hills. All you have to do is select your weapon, shine your armor and find your battleground.
After that, it’s all down-mound for the ants that dared to invade your yard, garden and house.
Vinegar’s Sweet Aroma
Vinegar is ideal for discouraging ants. The acrid smell disrupts the scent trail forager ants leave behind to relocate food. Thus, a vinegar spray spritzed around their entry point leaves them going elsewhere for munchies.
You need one part vinegar, one part water, a spray bottle and an idea of where the ants are entering your house. You may have to spray the vinegar mix more than once, but they will get the message.
The Power of Earth
You’re concerned about exposing your family and pets to dangerous chemicals to rid yourself of ants. Fortunately, diatomaceous earth (DE) provides a safe alternative. Made of phytoplankton, the white powder damages ants’ exoskeleton and dehydrates them.
Only use food grade DE as pool maintenance DE is not safe for humans or animals. Then, sprinkle a thin layer around doors, windows and pipes as well as under the refrigerator and cabinets to end the infestation.
Cleaning Power of Lemon
The cleansing scent of lemon is one you welcome but ants hate. Much like vinegar, lemon’s overpowering aroma prevents them from finding the scent trail they leave behind. The difference is your house won’t smell like a pickle factory.
A bottle of lemon juice and a cotton ball are your preferred weapons in this battle. Simply deposit a few drops of the acrid liquid and spread it around the entry point. You have to do this a few times but the ants will vacate the premises.
Crossing the Line
You never thought you’d use your kid’s chalk to battle ants, but it is an excellent ant deterrent. Ants don’t like calcium carbonate, an ingredient in chalk, or chalk’s tendency to coat them. In short, they avoid crossing chalk lines.
All you have to do is draw a thick line of chalk around any area you suspect ants are coming into your house. In fact, a line of chalk around windows, doors and holes where pipes and cables enter your home will help prevent ant infestations.
A Sprinkle of Powder
Baby powder is a pleasant alternative for chalk if you don’t have the colorful ant deterrent. The multipurpose substance will fill your home with a subtle aroma while chasing ants away. Fortunately, it is yet another pesticide harmless to your family, pets and yourself.
Much like chalk, baby powder coats ants thus deters them from crossing a line of the substance. The difference is it’s easier to clean up and leaves no trace beyond a lingering aroma.
Baking Soda Solution
You never thought to use baking soda against ants and, yet, it works beautifully. Chances are the pests won’t touch the substance without some coaxing such as powdered sugar.
The key is to mix equal parts powdered sugar and baking powder and spread the tasty treat anywhere you think ants are coming in. However, understand this isn’t a quick fix but rather a long-term solution. Still, they’ll carry the sweet poison home and destroy their colony.
The Ant Essentials
Aromas you find pleasant are hated by ants because of their disruptive properties. Your options include peppermint, eucalyptus and other essential oils that disrupt an ant’s ability to find food. Mixing essential oils to create a preferred aroma is also an option.
Once again, create the deterrent by mixing the oil with water, although some sources claim than an equal mix may not work. Trial, error and patience will reveal which oils and what mix puts an end to ant invasions.
Spicy Solutions
If you don’t have essential oils, use an alternative. For example, cinnamon is effective against ants whether it’s whole, powdered or in oil form. In fact, a stick of cinnamon place at entry points will send ants scampering.
Black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder sprinkled around entry points prevent ant invasions, too. However, you can avoid the mess by using herbs such as mint or bay. After all, a single bay leave place on a window sill or before a door sends a loud message to ants.
Salt of the Earth
This spicy mineral not only adds flavor to you food but also chases ants away. Simply put, they are no more fond of salt then they are chalk. However, there are a few ways you can use salt to scare ants off.
Sprinkling salt around entry points works like other ant deterrents do and forces ants to go elsewhere. Alternatively, you can cook up a nasty spray by mixing boiling water and salt. Spray the salty mix wherever you see ants and watch them run away.
The Java Factor
You swear coffee is essential to your survival but you never imagined the grounds would rid your life of ants. The potent smell, like others, disrupts ants ability to smell and prevents them from following scent trails or locating food. Better yet, placing coffee grounds in your garden nourishes the plants and deters pest.
The downside is coffee grounds are messy so place them in a bowl or on a plate. Then, put the container where ants are coming in and say goodbye to your pest problem.
The Downside of Cornmeal
Cornmeal doesn’t have a downside for you, no, but it’s poison to ants. Unfortunately for the little pests, they love cornmeal and eat it without reservation. More importantly, they carry the lethal substance cornmeal back to the colony.
The video below explains how to use cornmeal and why it is an effective natural pesticide. In addition, the video provides alternatives to cornmeal and other methods to squash your ant problem.
Wash Your Ant Problem Away
Dish soap does far more than sanitize your dishes. In truth, it works as a double-edged sword against ants by killing them and erasing their scent trail. However, a line of dish soap creates a damaging mess, so you’ll need to mix up a spray.
All you need is a half a cup of water and two tablespoons of dish soap in a spray bottle to destroy the pests. You must reapply the spray repeatedly as it’s only effective when wet.
A Drink to Ants
This article states that this all natural spray will keep ants away.
- 1 1/2 tsp. essential oil
- 2 tsp. conditioning liquid oil
- 2 T. aloe vera juice
- 1 cup vodka
You will have to use the spray repeatedly to prevent ant infestations, but it works against other pests, too. However, you can also mix equal parts of tequila or rubbing alcohol and water for a simpler and effective alternative.
Ant Cucumber Salad
You love cucumber slices in your salad, but ants despise the crisp vegetable. The good news is cucumbers are one of the more versatile, yet effective repellents.
When you make a salad, keep the cucumber peelings and place them around entry points. Spare yourself the stench and other pests by replacing them every other day.
Better yet, puree the peels, mix it with water and spread around entry points to deter ants from making themselves at home.
The Borax Equation
Borax is an efficient way to rid yourself of ants. However, this pesticide is poisonous to pets and children.
If you choose to use borax, mix with equal parts of jelly, spoon onto a plate and put the poison wherever you find the pests. Alternatively, mix equal parts borax and cornmeal with enough water to make a paste and spread it where you find ants. Again, use caution to protect your family and pets from the toxic substance.
Stop Killing Ants With Dangerous Chemicals That Might Harm You
Ants represent a never-ending battle or so you thought. The truth is you can successfully repel ants from your home and with natural repellents and pesticides. Better yet, you already have most of the ingredients you need to create your secret weapon.
All that’s left for you to do is prepare the battleground by shoring up all entry points with a repellent that ants can’t stand. Then, select your weapon and cook, spread or sprinkle away any hope that the ants had.
Whether you poison them, descent them or eliminate them you can reclaim your home the safe and natural way.