How to Get Rid of Ants in Your Home
Just a drop on the floor, and in just two minutes, they will be gone.
Home Remedies for Ants
- Ants are a common nuisance in homes, especially during summer. They always find a tiny hole to escape through to find that crumb that fell on the floor.
- It’s not enough to try not to leave food traces; ants always find them. So, here’s a trick to keep ants away.
Simple Floor Washing with Vinegar
- When it’s hot, ants tend to leave their nests and invade your home as soon as they smell food.
- To eliminate them, wash the floor with vinegar. Ants do not like the smell of vinegar and will not enter your home as soon as they smell it.
Using White Alcohol Vinegar
- It’s preferable to use white alcohol vinegar, which has a stronger smell.
- Just add about half a glass to a bucket filled with hot water and mop the floor as usual.
- However, be cautious as vinegar is corrosive on marble or natural stone floors.
Other Ingredients to Keep Ants Away
- Vinegar isn’t the only way to deter ants; there are other scents they dislike. Here are some:
- Eucalyptus Oil: This plant has a very pleasant smell that ants can’t stand. It’s perfect for mopping floors and will also freshen up your home. Just add 3-4 drops to your mop bucket.
- Lemon Juice: Besides repelling ants, it also has a degreasing action, perfect for cleaning floors. Use the juice of a large lemon or alternatively, lemon essential oil. Note that lemon should not be used on marble or natural stone floors.
- Mint: Ants dislike the smell of mint. Prepare a mint leaf infusion, filter it, and use it for mopping. Mint also brings a fresh scent to the house. Mint essential oil can also be used.
Additional Remedies to Keep Ants Away
- Mopping with ant-repellent ingredients is a good idea, but sometimes it’s not enough, and you need to act right at their entry points. Here are some other unpleasant scents for ants:
- Cloves: Perfect for placing in corners or furniture, even in the kitchen, to prevent ants from getting into food.
- Talcum Powder: Its scent is pleasant to us but not to ants. It can be placed in corners of the house, near doors and windows.
- Coffee Grounds: Similarly, can be placed in corners or near windows and doors.
- Salt: Especially useful in the kitchen but also in the bathroom and garden.
- Spices: Like cinnamon and pepper, which have strong smells that ants dislike. Simply sprinkle them in different areas of the house.