Much like humans, our arch nemesis the ant also enjoys seeking shelter indoors to escape the heat and rain. I mean why not? It’s a great place to look for food and water, especially if you have little ones or animals around. I’ve you‘ve ever been on the receiving end of these unwelcome house guests, you know how difficult it is to get them evicted once and for all!
Fear not, it is possible to have an ant free home it just takes some diligent and careful planning.
Keeping Ants at Bay Naturally
Taking these simple precautions and making them a part of your normal routine will assist you in your war against the ants.
- Keep you Kitchen Sink Empty. Wash and put away your dishes immediately as opposed to letting them sit in the sink for a few days. If you have a dishwasher then keep your door closed to deter our friends.
- Use Vinegar To Clean With. Using a 50/50 vinegar/water solution to wipe down your counters/cabinets and stove top as well as mopping your floors will help. If you don’t like the smell of the vinegar then you can always infuse it with some fresh herbs such as rosemary or add some essential oils to it.
- Make your Vacuum and Broom You Bestie - Getting crumbs off the floor will help with having an ant free environment. Keep food and debris picked up. Sticky sweet spills are a beacon for these little sugar ants so mop up any messes immediately before they can be tracked around the home by feet, kids and pets. Keep up with cleaning your kitchen on a daily basis.
- Put Food and Treats Away. Use airtight containers to store your food in - make sure you don’t leave it out on the counter always put back in the cupboard or fridge. Ideally fruit and veggies need to be stored in your fridge.
- Pick Up You Pet’s food. Pick up any food you pet may have spilled or neglected to eat. Don’t leave it out all night. That’s just an open invitation.
- Be Observant For Any Standing Water. Make sure any plumbing leaks are remedied quickly as the leaking will deteriorate/ rot your floorboards, cupboards, etc.
- Stay On Top Of Your Garbage. Ideally an air tight lid is best and frequent trips to the outside garbage cans is ideal. Overflowing or particularly smelly/rotted food will entice ants.
Does Distilled White Vinegar Kill Ants?
Technically yes, if you drown them in the vinegar, but not if you just spray it on them. More importantly they hate the smell of vinegar and will avoid the areas where it’s being used. It’s a great natural way to keep these nasty pests outta the home.
DIY Ideas To Assist With Repelling Ants
They are incredibly tiny so let’s face it they can literally find a zillion different ways into a home/ business. Here’s some DIY Ideas too deter them from visiting.
- Caulk, caulk and more caulk. Make sure you caulk all open cracks and crevices in the home. Particularly around doors and windows. You could also take a syringe and fill it with a vinegar solution and place the solution in tight fitting areas that you’ve seen ants come and go from.
- Natural deterrents. Keep you eyes open and look for entry and exit points for the ants. When you have scoped out the route you can line the area with all things that ants hate… Such as but not limited to …Regular table salt, baby powder - regular scent, bottled lemon juice, white chalk, distilled vinegar, ground cinnamon, or peppermint essential oil. Typically if any of these items are present ants will stop using that route. You can soak a cotton ball with vinegar, lemon juice or peppermint essential oil.
- Keep Landscape At Least 3 Feet from Foundation. Ants love using plants to catapult themselves from the great outdoors into the great indoors. So keep you lawn well aerated, trimmed and pick up leaves, twigs and debris from the yard.
- Coffee Drinker? If so then I just found a great way to responsibly use your grounds! Toss the used grounds on top of the outdoor colonies. The grounds confuse the ants which makes them lose track of their scent trails. Once a year place fresh grounds where you see ants congregating.
Still Having Problems - Get The Help From A Professional
Sometimes no matter how diligent you are, you may get ants and the assistance of some professional help may be needed. Look for a company that participates in eco-friendly practices, so you can enjoy a pest free home without all the harmful chemicals.
Comments / 50