Ants invaded my house recently:what a pain!
Fortunately, I learned from my friends that there are natural alternatives to pesticides.
They gave me such great tips that I can't help but share them with the readers of comment-economiser.fr.
These remedies not expensive at all will eliminate this unwanted invasion.
Good news, most of these products are probably already in your closet.
Some of these remedies are repellents — that is, they keep ants away from your home. It is the ideal solution to deal with a light invasion.
The other methods are more drastic. They are used to exterminate an entire colony of ants.
So here are 12 solutions natural against ant invasions tested and approved by my friends :
Camille's tip :We put squeezed lemon juice in a spray bottle. Afterwards, it is sprayed near the strategic entrances of ants in the house.
It's always worked for us... I think it's the citric acid that must be confusing them.
Emilie's tip :Sprinkle cinnamon in front of places where ants enter the house. It works really well.
Antoine's tip :Spray cinnamon essential oil around doors, window sills, floors, etc. It prevents them from entering the house.
Lætitia's trick :I use ground cinnamon. It's easy to clean up afterwards and it's extremely effective!
Xavier's tip :Cinnamon and cloves. It smells great and the ants avoid it like death when you sprinkle it on their way.
Christelle's tip :Cinnamon oil is also used. We draw "borders" with a cotton swab soaked in oil. Ants never cross them.
Jessica's Tip :My mother-in-law tried peppermint essential oil, applied to all entrances to the house (doors and windows).
The little extra is that the house smells super good.
Julie's tip :For me, it’s peppermint liquid soap. I mix it with equal parts water in a spray bottle.
Then spray the solution directly on the ants.
Jennifer's tip :Ants have a very acidic digestive system that protects them.
I prepare a mixture of powdered sugar and baking soda that I put in cups all over the house, in strategic places.
Sugar attracts them. Once ingested because mixed with sugar, the bicarbonate reacts with this digestive acidity and the ants "explode".
For me, it made a huge difference in just a few days.
Alexander's trick :Already, we take our precautions — we keep all our food in airtight food containers.
Most of the time, ants are attracted to the container of honey.
So, we take care to clean the outside of the jar.
Afterwards, it is stored in a cupboard, placed in a small hollow plate slightly filled with water. This "little island" prevents ants from accessing it.
For ants that roam the house, they are sprayed with a mixture of water and dishwashing liquid. It does the job.
In addition, I take a short walk outside the house to try to locate the anthill.
If I find it, I pour a pot of boiling water over the anthill. It's an extreme solution, but it solves the problem.
Christine's tip :Me, I do like Alexander — the boiling water method eliminates the entire colony.
Plus it kills the weeds in my garden. We don't often talk about it, but it's an easy and natural way to eliminate an ant infestation.
Caroline's tip :YES ! Diatomaceous earth really works! But just be careful to only use food grade diatomaceous earth.
You can sprinkle it all around your house.
You can also put it inside, in places where you see ants.
There is just one thing:do not wet the diatomaceous earth, otherwise it does not work.
Diatomaceous earth is not an instant cure, but it will eliminate the problem in less than a week.
Myriam's tip :I also had a serious problem with ant infestation.
When I moved in last April, they had already settled into our house, as if they were at home.
I tried the cinnamon method and it worked well, but they kept finding entries in the house.
I noticed that they weren't really attracted to sweet foods, but rather to my dog's bowl of kibble.
I also tried to put a bowl of baking soda and sugar in the chimney — but they came back a week later…
So, I tried diatomaceous earth, and it seems to be the best and fastest method. I haven't seen one in my house for months.
Nathalie's tip :For a really fast trick, ants don't cross a line drawn with chalk!
I drew a nice thick line around my window:it keeps them away.
Monique's tip :Chalk worked really well at my grandparents.
They did not use the sticks of chalk but powdered chalk, which can be found in DIY stores.
In addition, the powdered chalk is sold in a squeeze bottle. It's really convenient to apply it with precision.
Jacques' tip :At home, we killed the ants by mixing sweets in apple juice.
Aspartame is a neurotoxin for ants. So, we really wonder why people put sweets in their coffee!
Laurence's tip :What has worked best for me is coffee grounds.
I didn't know where the ants came from. I just put them next to strategic places and they never came back.
I know coffee grounds don't kill ants. It simply forces them to change "homes".
Annick's tip :I have a tip to add! I was once told that you could use corn flour.
For me it was perfect because I had just found food moths in my cornmeal.
It really bothered me to throw it away:I hate waste.
I started by sprinkling it along my terrace.
I checked every day and thought it wasn't working — there was still a column of ants… and I gave up.
After less than a week, my daughter found a new anthill at the bottom of the garden. When I checked my patio, the ants were gone!
So I sprinkled some directly on the anthill and they were gone in less than a week.
I like this technique because it is safe for my children and my pets. And besides, it's really cheap!
Alain's tip :With us, it's semolina! The ants eat the semolina. Then they expand and explode!
I put it in my garden against ant invasions. But now I'm a little hesitant to eat it myself :-)
Martine's tip :White vinegar!
Since we use a mixture of white vinegar and water to clean our floors and kitchen worktops, not a single ant in our house.
Rene's tip :White vinegar is an effective solution.
But it must be poured directly on the anthill, not only on the places where they walk.
If you discover the anthill, pour 50 cl of white vinegar directly into it.
Catherine's tip: Last year, we used a mixture of white vinegar, dish soap and peppermint essential oil.
We followed the ants to the anthill and injected the product inside. We used a syringe through the anthill cracks.
They never came back.
Most of these products are already in your closet!
To buy now, we recommend the following products:
- cinnamon essential oil
- peppermint essential oil
- baking soda
- diatomaceous earth (food grade)
- powdered chalk
- corn flour
- semolina
There you go, now you know how to get rid of ants naturally :-)
