Getting rid of ants in your home: Efficient remedies

We teach you how to get rid of ants from your home with different homemade remedies and tips. Free yourself from this annoying pest for good.

If there is one thing that concerns or annoys us more than invasions of mosquitos and cockroaches, it’s invasions of ants. The three are common during summer and we are often faced with this nasty surprise when we return from holiday. 
The best way of avoiding an ant invasion is not to let them appear in the first place and keep the house clean, disinfected and tidy. Therefore, we need to avoid agents that can attract them, such as spills, crumbs of food, dirty dishes or exposed food that is within their reach. 

How to prevent invasions of ants

• Seal all cracks. If you find any type of hole or crack, you should seal it with some plaster or silicone to stop them from getting in. Because of their size, ants can filter through the smallest of spaces.
• Don’t leave crumbs. There are no ants if there is no food. Therefore, not leaving crumbs will make them die of hunger. You should keep the house crumb free, but particularly in areas where there is food around like the kitchen or dining room.  Brushing and mopping the floor and cleaning kitchen worktops or removing crumbs from the toaster is key to preventing an invasion in our home.
• Don’t leave leftover food, or leaks of water. Wash up after you’ve eaten, since the scraps can attract ants to the sink, where they will also find water. In addition, it’s important to ensure you repair leaks of water if you have any, because the damp can be another attraction for these tiny insects.
• Keep food in the cupboard in airtight containers, especially sweets. Cleaning food storage cupboards is also important, you should check the shelves regularly and try not to leave open packets of food, put things in airtight containers.
• Use vinegar as the main household cleaner. As well as being a powerful disinfectant and cleaner, the smell of vinegar repels ants and removes the traces of smell that these insects follow in search of food.
• Mixture of bicarbonate of soda and sugar. This mixture is harmful to ants, so they will flee when they smell it.

Best homemade remedies to get rid of ants

• Bay leaves. Bay leaves give off such a strong smell that they work as a natural repellent. Place the bay leaves in cupboards and drawers.
• Bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Sprinkle this mixture along the potential route of the ants until you find their nest. Add a bit more of the mixture there. They will start to disappear in a few days. As we explained above, this mixture is harmful to these insects.
• Mint. Mint leaves are a foolproof natural repellent to get rid of ants. You can place them on windows and doors to prevent these insects from coming in.
• Lemon juice. The acid from the lemon juice disorientates ants. To get rid of them, spray the areas where you can see them moving with the lemon juice.
• Coffee beans. The smell of coffee beans is another aroma that ants dislike. Hence, if you place some loose coffee beans in the places where the ants usually move around.