6) lemon
While this method doesn’t seem as effective as vinegar and water, lemon juice and lemon essential oil are great at deterring ants and smelling a lot better (assuming you don’t like the smell vinegar). Mix a few tablespoons of pure lemon juice or about 10 drops of lemon essential oil in a small spray bottle filled with water and apply them liberally to the areas where you see ants. The lemon will disrupt the path of the ants and disperse them.
Although it works very well for a short-term solution, as soon as the lemon scent disappears, the ants will resume their search for what had initially attracted them. As such, you may need to reapply often until you know what awaits them.
If you currently have no ant problems in your home, you can deter these insects from harming by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing the juice around possible entry points to keep the ants at bay.
7) Spray ants with peppermint oil
Ants hate the smell of peppermint a lot, probably because it affects their ability to communicate through pheromone marks. While growing peppermint around your house is one possible method of using this popular herb to deter ants (and other pests), you can also mix a solution of peppermint essential oil and water – about 10 drops in a small bottle of water – to spray window sills and door frames or directly on the lines of ants running to get rid of these pests. At the same time, your home will be filled with the delicious scent of mint! It’s a win-win solution!
8) Fresh garlic
In the world of amazing natural foods, garlic is one of the best of the best. This awesome little herb is great for your health in many ways. It’s also a great way to keep insects out – ants included! To deter these pesky creatures from just about anywhere, simply peel a clove or two of fresh garlic and place them near ants. You can actually observe that the insects seem to bounce off an invisible force field around each pod (the aura of the scent of garlic) and run away!
Eventually, a clove of garlic will dry out and become ineffective. You may need to replace the dried pods with fresh garlic if the ants come back.
9) Diatomaceous earth
Commonly abbreviated as DE, diatomaceous earth is not actually earth, but the fossilized remains of aquatic microorganisms known as phytoplankton. Although completely harmless to large animals, DE means certain death for pests such as ants. Indeed, the diatomaceous earth is sharp and when an insect comes into contact with it, ED sticks to its waxy exoskeleton and gets into their joints. As the insect moves, the DE pierces microscopic holes in the exoskeleton, causing the insect to dehydrate and die.
Because diatomaceous earth is harmless to people and pets (unless by chance your pet wears an exoskeleton), you can sprinkle ED anywhere ants are present or where they might have access to your house to keep annoying little bugs away.
10) Aspartame
Aspartame, also known by the Nutrasweet or Equal brands, is not a natural product and we would never advise ingesting it. However, aspartame is readily available (free) everywhere. It is also the least of the many evils there is to destroying tireless ant colonies. So if you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work, don’t try to kill the extremely toxic chemical killer yet. Instead, take some of the famous “blue packages” the next time you go out. When you get home, take out and sprinkle the contents of a package around the entrance to a mound of fire, moisten lightly with waterto wet it and then watch the ants go crazy trying to collect the “sugar” that you have so graciously offered. their. The ants will take the aspartame from the mound, share it with the rest of the colony, and then mysteriously disappear in a day or two – sweet revenge for all those times they have bitten you.
