There’s nothing quite as jarring as discovering a colony of ants under your kitchen cabinets. It feels like a violation of your space. How dare these pests invade your home?! There are a few different ways to rid your house of these unwelcome guests, but a lot of them require using harsh chemicals, which isn’t ideal for kids or pets. Instead, try out a few of these all-natural methods!
Citrus Essential Oils
Citrus oils contain one key ingredient that is toxic to ants, but harmless to humans – d-limonene. Lemon, Orange, and grapefruit essential oils all contain d-limonene which makes them very effective at getting rid of ants from your home or garden.
Simply soak a few cotton balls in the citrus essential oil(s) of your choice, and place them in your cupboards, under the sink, or wherever the problem is. You can also wipe the baseboards of your home with citrus essential oils to keep bugs out.
DIY Ant Sprays
Another effective method with immediate results is a citrus spray. Mix 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup lemon juice, and 20 drops of peppermint or orange essential oils. If you have clove essential oil use 5 to 10 drops as it is very strong.
Alternatively, vinegar spray is a sure-fire way to ward off ants once and for all. Both white and apple cider vinegar work for this. The scent of vinegar masks the ants’ scent trails, and they will be confused and thrown off track. You can spray a diluted vinegar mixture directly on the trails, cracks, and holes where ants tend to congregate, but chances are, the vinegar smell is going to bother you almost as much as it does the ants! To cover up the smell for you and to add more of a punch for the ants, add some citrus or clove essential oil to the mix.
Coffee Grounds
Looking for an all-natural bug repellant for the garden? Look no further than your morning cup of coffee! Or, rather, the coffee grounds left behind after your coffee has brewed.
The coffee grounds won’t kill the ants, but it will drive them away. Plus, the coffee will add nutrients to the soil, thus helping your plants in more ways than one! Simply scatter the coffee grounds directly onto the soil and leave it. Repeat the process if you see more ants.
Baking Soda
If the citrus spray isn’t cutting it and you’re looking for a bit more of an aggressive approach, look no further than baking soda. Inside the house, mix a 1:1 ratio of baking soda and white sugar. Sprinkle the mixture on a piece of sticky paper and set it in the problem area. The sugar will attract the ants, who will eat both the baking soda and the sugar. The baking soda will expand in their digestive system and kill the ants shortly after their last meal.
For outside the home, sprinkle baking soda over the colony of ants and then pour vinegar over it. Just like that volcano project I know you did in elementary school, the ant colony will erupt, thus ending their reign.