Categories: DIY

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ants With Essential Oils

Just know that there are numerous means to choose from, when it comes to getting rid of ants from your home naturally.

Well, sadly most of these ways are pesticides that contain chemicals that are harmful, and you should not expose your home or family to them.

Even though pesticides are generally efficient, there are natural ant-killing solutions that can do the job, and this includes essential oils.

Essential oils have become very popular over the years, and besides their ability to reduce specific health conditions, they are also a more efficient way to get rid of ants permanently.

Benefits of Using Essential Oils to Get Rid Of Ants

Most of these essential oils also get rid of flies, which means they can be used when you are outdoors to keep flies away.
They have a pleasant scent, which means that your house and environment will always smell great.
You will not have to leave your house for a long time, because it is being fumigated.
You will not have to use insecticides as they are packed with chemicals that are harmful to the household.
They have antiseptic and anti-parasitic properties, which will keep your house germ free.

Essential Oils to Use

There are certain oils to use to get rid of ants from your environment, lots of essential oils can be used to get rid of ants, and some are more effective at killing ants than others.

Cedarwood is one of the best essential oils to use when trying to get rid of ants as shown by various studies; Cedarwood is said to be very efficient against very aggressive ant species.

You should also consider using patchouli essential oil if you prefer to kill ants rather than stopping them from coming into your home.

Patchouli oil can turn away different common ant species, and it has also been shown to have a high mortality rate for them.

Other essential oils that you can use to get rid of ants include peppermint, vetiver, orange, Lavender, Basil (Sacred Basil), Citronella, Mint, Lemongrass, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Rosemary, Clove, Geranium, Tansy, lemon, grapefruit, tea tree.

How to Make an Essential Oil-Based Spray

When making an essential oil-based spray that you can use to get rid of ants in your house, you will need a few ingredients.

You will need (10 drops of tea tree oil, 15 drops of peppermint oil, a quarter cup of water, three drops of orange oil, and a quarter cup of vodka. You will also need a spray bottle).

Pour all the ingredients together in a very large bowl. Vodka is a solvent that makes it easier to mix the three different types of essential oils together; hence, this is why you need to add it.

Mix all your ingredients thoroughly, pour them into the spray bottle. If you don’t plan to use this spray immediately or you have extra left, store it somewhere dry and cool.

Spray it in every area in your home that’s affected by ants.

You need to take note of all the small cracks and opening where you’ve noticed ants going through in your home.

Although this spray is non-toxic,ensure that you aren’t spraying it on your furniture or near your food.

Clove Essential Oil

Clove essential oil is one of the best oils to use for ant control. Like most essential oils, clove oil also can interfere with the pheromone trails that ants employ to coordinate their movements.

This oil is also very effective at killing ants.

Clove oil is a powerful essential oil, so you should dilute it with another oil before using it in your home and prevent it from touching your skin.

Peppermint Oil

Making a spray with different essential oils is the best way to use these oils on ants.

But, if you don’t have the various oils necessary to make the spray, you can still get rid of ants with just one essential oil.

Get peppermint essential oil, and spray this oil around your house to defend your home against an ant infestation.

Add some peppermint oil to cotton swabs. Then wipe the swab along your baseboards and other areas where ants can commonly be found.

The cotton swab is advised so that you don’t use too much. You can also add the oil to the swab and place it wherever the ants can be found.

How to Make an Essential Oils Pot to Get Rid Of Ants:

To make this all you need is a sealable clean container, preferably a little metal tin or a glass jar, a bathroom sponge or clean cloth and of course a bottle of essential oil.

It is advised to use lavender for this as it’s very effective for getting rid of ants and does not need to be diluted. You can also use Basil, Eucalyptus, and Citronella.

Dip your sponge or even a clean cloth in any chosen essential oil and place it into the sealable container.

Put the lid on tightly and allow it to sit for at least 12 hours after this take the lid off and place it in any area where you noticed the ants going through.

After one use, the smell that was emanating from the pot would have reduced after some time, you will need to add essential oil to the sponge or cloth and reseal it after each use.

You can make as many pots as you need and place them anywhere you like.

Conclusion

Essential oils can get rid of ants because of their scent. Naturally essential oils have a very strong fragrance, although this is usually pleasant to humans, ants are turned off by strong smells because they disturb the pheromones ants use for coordination.

Spreading essential oils around your home, masks the ant pheromone trails, making it nearly impossible for them to lead other ants to your property.

If misused, essential oils irritate the skin, read how to use to avoid skin irritation.

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