Ants are a common household pest that are drawn to food.
Use these ant-deterring tactics, both store-bought and natural, tokeep your home pest-free.
Here are the best store-bought solutions for getting rid of ants.
Credit: Marco Keusch / EyeEm
Kelsey Hansen
1.
Borax Solution
To create DIY ant bait, mix2 Tbsp.
of Boraxwith 1/4 cup honey or corn syrup (ants often have a sweet tooth).
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
double-check to replace the index cards every few days.
Place the Borax ant bait out of reach from pets and children.
Gel Ant Traps
Because of its sticky texture, gel bait traps are ant magnets.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Natural Methods for Repelling Ants
Start by identifying what attracts ants indoors.
Observe the trail they walk and consider if there are food or water sources along their route.
Never leave food out on open surfaces.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Put leftovers in sealed glassware or in the refrigerator.
If they don’t, try these remedies.
Distilled White Vinegar
A white vinegar and water solution is a common method to wipe out ants for good.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Ants don’t like the smell of vinegar.
It not only repels them; it can also kill them.
Some people use 100% vinegar in a spray bottle or a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Ants search for food using pheromones, leaving a trail for other ants to follow.
To get rid of the trail, spray this mixture anywhere you spot ants.
Don’t forget any entry points, like window sills, backdoors, or baseboards.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Use the solution to wipe down and sanitize surfaces.
If used once a week or so, you should see a marked improvement.
stash your lemon or grapefruit peels and scatter them around entryways.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
They act as natural deterrents without causing ants any harm.
“It can be used in the house or garden toprevent unwanted pestsfrom entering your home.
Salt
Spread table salt near nooks and corners to keep ants away.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
A spray of salt water solution can also help deter ants by dehydrating their exoskeletons.
Cayenne or Black Pepper
Like many people, ants find the smell of raw pepper to be irritating.
Sprinkle pepper around the areas where ants pull up the house.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
The study found that a water and pepper solution was effective at killing ants.
Coffee Grounds
Pest experts indicate that ground coffee keeps ants away.
Researchers tested three varieties of coffee on three species of ants.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Plus, thecoffee groundsalso help to repel worms, snails, and slugs.
Or, similar to other tactics, sprinkle the mixture in a thick line by baseboards and window sills.
Kim CW, Kim DI, Choi SY, Park JW, Hong CS.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis): newly identified important inhalant allergens in bronchial asthma.
Journal of Korean Medical Science.
2005;20(3):390.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Kasim NN, Ismail SNAS, Masdar ND, Ab Hamid Fatimah, Nawawi WI.
Extraction and Potential of Cinnamon Essential Oil towards Repellency and Insecticidal Activity.IJSRP.
2014;4(7):1-6.
Yeoh XL, Dieng H, Majid AHA.
Published online November 14, 2018.
