In the garden, all over the outdoor furniture, on the picnic rug or even throughout the house – ants can be a major pest when we want to enjoy a quiet meal outside.
Ants marching into the house in lines have traditionally been welcomed as a sign of rain, as long as it is just an occasional visit. An infestation of ants, however, can be a sign of potential structural damage to your house, as well as being a nuisance.
Killing them en masse is not really an option. They are, after all, an important part of Nature’s ecological balance and more will come, anyway. What is more effective, is to deter them by making it unpleasant for them to be where we want to be. And the best way to deter and deflect is by scent.
Here are some common household items that will deter ants without impacting your family’s enjoyment of the space. While natural, some are nevertheless toxic to the tiny critters, so take note and make use of alternatives if you prefer to avoid harm.
Coffee grounds: Dried coffee grounds can be sprinkled at entry points to your home, as well as around garden plants to keep ants away and add nitrogen to the soil. Note: they can appear ‘dirty’ and are toxic to ants.
White vinegar: Ants hate the smell and will not walk across it. Wiping or spraying white vinegar over counters and floors eliminates the pheromone trails that ants follow. Note: don’t use apple cider vinegar as an alternative, because while ants don’t like it, fruit flies love it.
Pepper: Mix one part fine ground black or cayenne pepper with ten parts water and spray around entry points to deter ants. It lasts quite a long time and will not kill the ants.
Peppermint: Long used as a natural deterrent, peppermint plants can be grown around entrances to the house; alternatively, spray peppermint oil for more specific application. Note: peppermint is toxic to ants.
Cinnamon: another lovely-smelling deterrent, cinnamon affects the ants’ sense of smell, preventing them from finding food or following pheromone trails. Sprinkle ground powder or mix essential oil with water to spray around openings. Note: for best results, should be renewed weekly.
In fact, most essential oils deter ants, including Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Clove, Lemon, Orange, Citronella or Lemongrass. Note: artificial alternatives won’t work, so make sure it is the real essential oil.
Chalk and Baby Powder: Ants will not cross a line of chalk or sprinkled baby powder, while the calcium carbonate disrupts any existing scent trails and prevents the creatures from leaving new ones. Note: these do not leave residue, so will have to be re-applied if blown away or vacuumed.