How to Get Rid of Ants Cheaply and Naturally
- Vinegar - I have already written in the past on how to use vinegar for maintaining your health,
but did you that vinegar is a natural ant repellant? Put a little white
vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray at all entry points you can find and
along the pheromone trail, a chemical factor secreted by the ants, which
is recognized by the others and followed. Once the vinegar dries,
repeat the process for a couple of days. This will discourage the ants
and they will move on.
- Soapy water – This is one of the most popular and easiest
ways to get rid of ants. Simply fill a spray bottle with some
dish-washing soap and hot water. It kills the ants and obliterates the
familiar trail. It only works when wet so you will have to reapply for a
few days.
- Chalk – Amazingly, ants will not cross chalk lines! Nobody
seems to know why, but it an excellent way to put an end to ant trails
heading for your home. All you need is some ordinary white chalk, so if
you don’t mind chalk lines all over the place, go ahead and draw!
- Baby powder – has the same effect. Sprinkle some at any entrance points to block the trails.
- Lemon juice - Lemon can be used in many ways to enhance your health
but it also works well as natural ant repellant with an added of adding
nice, fresh smell to your home. Just spray pure lemon juice around the
openings. You will be surprised how the acid in the juice seems to mess
up their sense of tracking.
- Diatomaceous earth. This is something of a mouthful so
let’s refer to it as DE! DE is an amazing, multi-purpose remedy that
helps us get rid of ants as well as all sorts of other unwelcome creepy
crawly guests! You can use it outside by sprinkling it around the
perimeter of your house, and also use quite safely inside wherever you
see ants. DE does not kill instantly, but it should solve the problem
within a few days. Remember not to wet the DE, or it will not work. So
if it rains, it would be a good idea to redo the outside area. Always
use the food-grade DE as it is completely safe should one of your pets
decides to eat some of it.
- Coffee grounds – For some reason ants don’t like the smell of
coffee. If you sprinkle used coffee grounds around the edge of your
home, and at any entry points you find, the ants will not venture any
further. Coffee grounds sprinkled in the garden will also keep ants away
from the plants.
- Corn meal – Put some corn meal out for the ants to feast on.
They love corn meal and carry it back to the nest to eat. But because
they are unable to digest it, it eventually kills them, as their
stomachs expand and burst, resulting in a rather unpleasant death. This
seems something of an unusual way to deal with ants, and the popularity
of the method has not been documented.
- Salt – I have already written at the past on how to use sea salt for you skin but if you only want to get rid of ants you can use a normal salt. Salt
does not kill ants. This is contrary to the belief many people have
that it does. A salt solution is used as a deterrent to stop ants coming
into the house through cracks, holes, over windowsills etc. They will
not walk over or through any area sprayed with a salt solution. You can
also sprinkle salt along cracks in the driveway or along the sides of
the house where ants are present. Make sure that areas are dry before
applying the salt.
- As a last resort – you can squash ants with your hands and
fingers! This is only applicable if you are really desperate, but is
does work and is very cost effective. It is important to remember to
wash your hands after using this method, as it is well-known that some
ants have a very unpleasant smell!
In spite of measures you may take to make you home ant-proof,
somewhere along the line they are bound to get in. You will have to
outsmart them by keeping all your food sealed, such as the honey and jam
jars. Stand each one in a saucer of water and they will be safe from
any invading pests. Ants are very partial to pet’s food, so keep the
bowls in the fridge overnight, or place each one in a larger bowl
containing a little water.
Comments