How to Get Rid of Ants: 8 Home Remedies That Do the Trick

Health

Let's face it, ants in your house can be a big nuisance. It's not only frustrating to have ants running around, but a colony of ants can actually cause a lot of damage as well. It is pretty unhygienic to have ants inside your home. Some ant varieties like Fire and Harvester can even bite humans. Carpenter ants, on the other hand, are known to damage building materials. Ants inside the house certainly contaminate the food. They carry bacteria which they can transfer to food or an open wound. Ants have a diverse family; they are around 12,000 different varieties of ants.Here are some of the home remedies to get rid of ants:

1. Chalk

Chalk contains calcium carbonate, which helps in keeping ants away. Spray some powdered chalk in the areas that are the entry points of ants or draw a line of chalk at the entrance.

2. Lemons

Squeeze a lemon or place lemon peels in places from where the ants enter. You can also wash your floors with water that has a little lemon juice added to it. Ants don't like the smell of lemon juice so they will keep away.

3. Oranges

Make a paste of one cup warm water and a few orange peels. Spread this paste around entry points of ants and wipe it afterwards.

4. Pepper

Ants are pretty fond of sugar but they hate pepper. Sprinkle pepper at the areas from where ants enter your house. This is will help getting rid of ants.

5. Salt

Spreading salt near nooks and corners from where ants enter the house will help keeping ants away.

6. White Vinegar

Ants can't bear the smell of white vinegar. Prepare a solution of equal amounts of water and white vinegar. Add a few drops of essential oil to it and shake well. Store this solution and sprinkle it at the points from where the ants enter. Repeat this once daily.

7. Cinnamon

Put cinnamon and cloves on the entrance of the house and the areas from where you think the ants can enter. This a good method to also keep your house smelling fresh and earthy.

8. Peppermint

Peppermint is an insect repellent, which can help you get rid of ants. Ants don't like the smell of peppermint and are likely to avoid areas that contain traces of it. Prepare a mixture of 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and a cup of water and sprinkle it wherever you find ants. Repeat this twice a day. You can even sprinkle dried peppermint instead of the liquid mixture.

Source: Food.ndtv