Ant Repellents: Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Ants

We often get asked about simple DIY ant control methods. In some cases, natural ant repellents can be useful, but if you are looking to quickly and efficiently get rid of your ant problem, natural remedies are not recommended. Trained pest treatment professionals offer durable ant elimination treatments.

With that said, let’s take a look at some natural ant repellents.

Table of contents:

• Common home remedies for ants
• Does peppermint oil repel ants?
• Does lavender oil repel ants?
• What’s the best way to get rid of ants naturally?
• How to prevent ants
• What if natural methods don’t work

Here is a list of 9 commonly mentioned natural ant repellents:

• Pepper
• Peppermint oil
• Lavender oil
• Neem oil
• Tea tree oil
• Lemon
• Coffee
• Cinnamon
• Vinegar

The scent of peppermint is not a pleasant one for many bugs including ants and mosquitoes. Peppermint oil extract offers a powerful, condensed form of the mint plant that acts as a natural ant repellent.

There are compounds available in peppermint that appear to repel ants, mainly menthol and thymol. The smell caused by the oil can also confuse ants, irritate them and they can even die because of exposure.

If you want to give peppermint oil a try, you can place about 15-20 drops of peppermint oil extract in a plastic bottle and mix it with water. All you need to do then is spray the mixture in the affected areas. Repeat the process every few days if needed.

Lavender oil is another powerful plant extract that is commonly referred to when discussing DIY ant repellents. Lavender flowers are known for their strong scent and are often used not just as pest repellents, but also in perfume. Generally speaking, human beings like the smell of lavender. To the contrary, pests like ants, flies and mosquitoes are not too keen on its smell. In fact, many store-bought natural pest repellents already contain lavender oil.

So how to apply lavender oil? Similar to peppermint, you can use a spray bottle and add a mixture of water and 15-20 drops of peppermint oil. Next, apply to the affected areas. You can also use a cotton balls for applying the mixture.

There is no one right answer to this question. Each type of ant is different, each environment is different. And most importantly, the level of infestation plays a huge factor in whether or not natural ant repellents will work.

In Singapore alone, there are over 130 ant species. While many ants don’t like the natural pest repellents mentioned in this article, some will hardly be affected by it. Hence, you always need to keep a close eye on the presence of ants and consider contacting a pest control company in Singapore.

With that said, peppermint oil and lavender oil are two of the best known ant repellents that are worth trying out.

While this article focuses on getting rid of an existing ant infestation, some of you may wonder how you can prevent ants in the first place.

As with most pest prevention tips, the first and foremost thing you need to is to keep food sealed. Ants are like hoovers and will come where there is food available. Cut off the supply of food and the likelihood of encountering ants drops significantly.

Other things you will want to do is avoid any standing water and keeping things clean, including emptying out the bins regularly.

Finally, denying access points as much as possible helps as well. That means making sure there are no cracks, holes or gaps where the ants can enter.

Ants can be a real annoyance in your residence or at work. There are many treatment methods that include natural ant repellents. Some may work, some may not. The success depends on the size of the ant infestation and on the types of ants. In many cases you will need to contact a pest exterminator to get the job done once and for all.

Author: Soleha Nisaa