If you see one ant, odds are that there are a thousand more nearby. This may not be a big issue when you’re having a great picnic outside, but in the home, you will want to remove them fast. There are many products on the market that you can go with, but most of them contain insecticides, which are dangerous chemicals. Alternatively, you can go with natural, chemical-free options. In this article, we’re going to look at some of these options.
Pepper
The smell of pepper is irritating to ants, so you can use cayenne or black pepper as a deterrent. This is as safe and natural as you can get when it comes to ant repellents, and you can simply spring pepper behind appliances and around your baseboards to repel ants from your kitchen.
Peppermint
Peppermint is another natural repellent which is very effective against ants and other insects such as mosquitoes. All you have to do is mix about 20 drops of peppermint essential oil into two cups of water and then spray the mix around the windows and baseboards of the home. This method does have a drawback however – it is not good for your pets, especially cats which can become ill if they are exposed to it.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil both kills and repels ants. To apply it, simply mix 10 drops of tea tree oil with two cups of water and spray it. You can also use this mixture to saturate cotton balls, and then place these balls in areas that have ant trails or an ant presence. This oil too should be kept out of the reach of pets.
Lemon eucalyptus oil
Another natural oil that acts as an insect repellent is the lemon eucalyptus oil. This oil should be used a little bit differently than the previous two – you will need to use undiluted oil to saturate cotton balls, and then place these balls wherever you have ants in the home. Make sure that this oil is out of reach of children and pets as well.
While these methods can be effective without the use of insecticides or other chemicals, some ant infestations are too large, and you will need to call over a pest control specialist to deal with them. Contact us today if you are currently dealing with a heavy ant infestation.
