There are more than 12,000 species of ants around the world. Some of them invade our homes, some invade our cars, and most ants invade our gardens. The abundance of fresh food that our garden offers is what attracts the ants. Ants are very persistent and they are not easy to contain. Putting fences around the garden is also ineffective because the ants will just get through it. Pesticides and insecticides is also a big NO! While pesticides and insecticides may help you with your ant problem, other insects that are beneficial to your garden will also be killed by these chemicals and it is also damaging to the environment. The best way to control and rid your ant problem in your garden is by natural method and there are many ways to do these.
Here are 17 simple and effective remedies to deter ants in the garden and at home:
- Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural ant repellent. Ants leave pheromones wherever they go and that is what the ants follow to go on their business day in and day out. By using vinegar spray, we can erase these pheromone trails and at the same time repel the ants in our garden. In a spray bottle, mix equal amounts of white vinegar (you can also use apple cider) and water then spray the solution on the ants’ trails, on the leaves of your plants, and on the ant hills. You may also use this solution at home to avoid ants getting in, look out for the ants’ entry paths and spray this solution.
Ants don’t like the smell of vinegar, so they will surely avoid the places where you sprayed with vinegar.
- Citrus Peels
You can also use the peels of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits to drive off ants and discourage them from going to your garden and entering your home. Citrus peels are rich in D-limonene that acts as an odorant to ants.
Get some citrus peels and let them dry for a day or two and then turn them into a fine powder with the use of food processor. Scatter the powder on the ants’ tracks at any entry point in your house.
Another way is to blend citrus peels and water in a blender and spray the mixture directly to ants.
- Cinnamon
Scatter cinnamon powder on ants’ tracks or at any areas at home where ants usually enter. Ants hate the smell of cinnamon so they will surely avoid those places where you scatter cinnamon.
4. Dish Soap
This process is simple but it is 100% effective. Just mix liquid dish soap and water in a spray bottle and spray the solution all over your garden. This solution will kill the ants by destroying their exoskeletons and it will also erase the pheromone trails that the ants left.
To get rid of ants at home, mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of dish soap in a bowl of water. Spread the mixture on the areas where the ants usually enter, you may also spray this solution on the ants’ trails.
- Baby Powder
Ants can really destroy your garden if you don’t get rid of them they can also encourage other pests and could kill beneficial insects. Ants don’t like baby powder, so scatter baby powder in your garden or at home to get rid of ants. - Strawberry Preserves
Add ¼ cup of strawberry preserves with a cup of instant grits and mix it very well. Scoop one teaspoon of the mixture and place it on top of each ant hill. The ants will eat and carry the mixture back into their queen/s and it will kill the ants.
The instant grits will expand into the ants’ stomachs and it will kill them quickly. Do the same process until your get rid of the ants in the garden.
- Coffee Grounds
Ants and other insect pests such as slugs hate coffee grounds. The smell of caffeine that is in the coffee grounds is the main reason why ants avoid anything that has to do with coffee grounds. By sprinkling your garden with coffee grounds, the ants will surely avoid going to your garden. - Cayenne Pepper
Ants use signals to communicate with each other, these signals are also important to ants so they would know the way going back to their nests. Without any appropriate signals, the ants will not be able to find their way back home and they will not be able to survive.
Cayenne pepper has a strong odor which is helpful in destroying the signals that ants use to communicate. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on the ants’ tracks or exposed areas to confuse them and to drive them away. You may also add equal parts of cayenne pepper and turmeric powder to make a more powerful ant repellent.
- Boiling Water
One of the easiest ways of getting rid of ants in the garden is to pour boiling water on top of the ant hill. Repeat the same process 2 to 3 times to get rid of Fire Ants.
10. Cornmeal
Cornmeal acts as a double edge sword for ants. They love it so much that it is a food to die for. When the ants bring cornmeal into their nests and then feast on it, the result is death. Since ants cannot digest cornmeal, their stomachs will expand and in due time it will burst, killing the ants instantly. This may be a gruesome and brutal way for these insects to die, but if it helps you to get rid of ants in the garden and at home, then, it is a good method to consider.
- Catnip
Add catnip into water and bring it to boil until you have a strong catnip solution, to make a catnip tea. Spray the solution in the path of ants coming in your house. If you see any small entrances where ants can enter, seal them with expanding foam. - Cucumber Peels
Ants don’t like the taste of cucumber, so scatter cucumber peels in areas of your garden where you usually see the ants. Make sure to replace the peels every alternate date. Do this until the ants have disappeared.
- Salt
An ordinary salt can also be used in repelling ants. Sprinkle salt in the garden or at home where you see the ants. When ants consume the salt, they will lose water in their body and they will die of dehydration. - Chili Powder
Red chili powder acts as a toxin to ants making it a very effective ant deterrent. Scatter red chili powder on ants’ tracks and once the ants consume it they will choke and suffocate, they will lose focus on their surroundings and will eventually die. You may also mix chili powder with borax and scatter this to places where the ants pass from.
15. Lemon Juice
Best used in making delicious lemonades, lemon juice can also be used as a very effective ant deterrent. Spray lemon juice around the garden, on your plants, and in the nest of the ants. The smell of the lemon juice will mess up the ants’ sense.
To deter ants inside your home, get some cotton balls and soak them in lemon essential oil. Place the cotton balls where ants are usually found such as windowsill, cabinets, and thresholds.
- Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is a natural ant repellent. You can use this without harming your ornamental and edible plants. Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth on your plants and anthills to get rid of ants. - Borax and Sugar
Another way of getting rid of ants is by making an ant bait. Here’s what you need:
- 4 tablespoons of Borax
- 4 tablespoons of Sugar
- 1 cup of water
- Container
Add all the ingredients on a container or jar and place the lid tightly. Shake it very well, so that the ingredients will mix up very well.
The next thing you have to do is bait the Fire Ants into your ant killing solution and let them take it back to their queen/s and in their nest.
One way of doing this is by mixing up your borax solution with a wet cat food in a container. Shake the container very well.
Cat food contains proteins which Fire Ants love. So you will surely get rid of the ants in your garden using this mixture.
Scoop a spoonful of this mixture and place it on top of each Fire Ant mound. The Fire Ants will eat the mixture immediately and they will carry some of it back to their queen/s and in their nest.
Repeat the same process a few times until you are sure that you have killed all the Fire Ants. If you have pets at home, make sure that they don’t eat the poisoned cat food you put on your garden. Watch your pets closely or lock them up until the mixture is carried away by the ants.
To kill any types of ants in your yard, add cat food and a half cup of strawberry preserves to your borax mixture. Apply the same process.
Ants can be very annoying and are hard to control. They can invade your kitchen and your garden which may encourage other pests from entering your garden. However, once you know the proper ways and the right things to get rid of ants, these annoying insects will surely avoid going to your garden and entering your home.