How to get rid of ants in the house?

If you encounter ants, they are probably scouts who have not accidentally ended up in your house. At this stage, the workers are looking for food. First, you need to understand that ants constantly have to get new food for the queen and offspring. They will do everything in their power to reach their goal.

Prevent ants from finding food by cleaning and mopping the floor regularly. I mean not only getting rid of crumbs or other food debris, but the pheromone paths left by the ants, informing other companions about the food found. More on this below.

How does an ant colony find food?

Ants search for food in a very efficient way. If the worker finds food, he returns to the nest and leaves a trail on the way back — a pheromone. Subsequent ants respond to the characteristic pheromone and begin to follow the marked path to the food source. A very simple and very effective method!

More and more ants are starting to use the trail. When they find food, they also leave behind a pheromone. It enhances the chemical pathway from food to nest. Thus, many workers from the colony strive to get food to the nest as quickly as possible. How to get rid of ants — 10 natural remedies:

  • cinnamon,
  • tomato leaves.
  • mint,
  • vinegar,
  • vegetable oil,
  • essential oils,
  • dishwashing liquid,
  • baking powder,
  • lemon juice,
  • vaseline.

These measures are designed to create a protective barrier through which it will be difficult for the ants to get over. Ants mainly use their sense of smell. Their sensory receptors on their antennae are very sensitive to smells. Most of these agents are designed to irritate the ants’ receptors. Therefore, they do not want to confront such an agent. The barrier works until the product has a characteristic smell. Remember that if the smell evaporates, the ants will consider the obstacle harmless and will try to break through it. Two of the substances mentioned (oil and petroleum jelly) are so thick that the ants will not want to risk crossing such an obstacle, and the few that try anyway will stick to the thick fat and die.

How to get rid of ants in the garden?

If it is easy to get rid of ants at home, then in the garden it is more difficult. Imagine that your underground garden is basically made up of a network of underground ant corridors. Ants often climb plants in search of aphids. As I mentioned earlier, the honeydew secreted by aphids is one of the ant’s delicacies.

To minimize possible losses, you can plant special plants in the garden. They will scare away the ants. The mechanism of action is similar to measures to get rid of ants at home.

ants in garden

Plants with a repellent odor include:

  • basil,
  • cinnamon,
  • share,
  • marjoram,
  • field mint,
  • lavender,
  • thyme.

Share your opinion

Thank you very much for reading the article so far. Maybe you would like to take this opportunity to describe your ant problem? Maybe you have tried these ant remedies? Or maybe you have your own idea of ​​how to get rid of ants? Feel free to comment.😉