The 39p Tesco buy that’ll stop ants invading your home this summer (2024)

FAQs

What keeps ants away from the house? ›

Natural deterrents.

Salt, baby powder, lemon juice, chalk, vinegar, bay leaves, cinnamon, or peppermint oil are a few items that you have around your home that will stop ants from coming inside. Lay these out in areas where you see ants, and they'll stop using that area as an entrance into your house.

Household items like citrus fruits, black pepper, peppermint oil, cayenne, thyme, and lavender can create natural ant repellents. Great for avoiding pesticides or conventional ant traps! Mixing parts of these substances with water in a bottle and spraying the solution around the house can keep ants at bay.

So, why do ants come in the house in summer? Just like us, they want to stay warm and comfy. Ants breed under warm conditions, but that's not the only reason they might want to invade your home. As the breeding season kicks into high gear, outdoor nests often become overcrowded with rapidly expanding colonies.

Some natural ways to permanently get rid of ants include using water-based mixtures that contain borax and Diatomaceous earth, or pouring boiling water into ant holes. If natural remedies don't help, speak with an exterminator. They'll be able to offer you advice.

A white vinegar and water solution is a common method to wipe out ants for good. Ants don't like the smell of vinegar. It not only repels them; it can also kill them. Depending on how strong you want your solution to be, mix at least one part vinegar and three parts water.

Vinegar only remains effective for as long as the scent lingers. When the solution dries up, homeowners need to reapply the solution in the problem areas to keep ants away. However, it's important to remember that vinegar shouldn't be treated as the main line of defense against ant infestations.

You may love your morning coffee, but ants could do without it. Another natural way to deter ants, sprinkle coffee grounds outside and around your garden. The smell repels them and they'll be looking for a less caffeinated place to hang out. Want to keep your home clean and clear of ants?

Mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Then add dish soap and shake the bottle to combine the ingredients. Spray the mixture directly on ants, their trails, and entry points. This spray works well because vinegar has a strong odor that disrupts scent trails and keeps ants from entering your home.

What month do ants go away? ›

Fact is, there is no single “ant season.” Ants may choose to enter buildings at any time of year seeking shelter from the elements, whether that means rain and cold or dry heat. And, of course, food and moisture are always attractants.

So when they run into a line of salt granules, they avoid crossing it. Add a heaping helping of cinnamon and cloves. Ants won't cross a line of cinnamon or cloves–either the ground spice made into a paste or essential oils–and your house will smell like you've been baking all day.

Unfortunately, ants don't go away on their own.

Ants usually come indoors in search of food or nesting habitat. Even small amounts of food, like pet food crumbs, can attract hordes of industrious ants. Ants are one of Earth's most successful animals, and comprise more than 13,000 species.

The fastest way to get rid of ants anywhere in your home is to call a licensed pest control technician to eliminate the infestation. However, if you want to do it yourself, finding the ants' nest and applying insecticide to it directly will take care of the problem.

Some of the more popular choices like vinegar, lemon juice, pepper sprinkles, cinnamon and even salt dusting are used. Pros: There are some short term and repelling effect since ants dislike the sour taste, the smell of vinegar and the pungent aroma of spices. These unflavoured scent may help to deter them away.