During the summer months of the year, you might dread the sight of ants welcoming themselves into your house.
Once they find their way in, they can be found crawling all over the place, including across your kitchen worktops and bins.
But if you want to find a way to stop them coming into your home naturally, there are plenty of options to try.
Leona Tooley, digital marketing lead at Faith In Nature commented: “Ants love the warm weather, and just like us, they tend to be more active when the temperatures get nicer.
@nytimes On "flying ant day" in Britain, winged ants emerge from the soil on hot summer days with one goal: find a mate — fast. Despite the name, it’s not just one day, but many days. The bugs are annoying, but experts say they play a vital role in the environment. #ants #flyingants #UK ♬ original sound - The New York Times
“While ants are an important part of nature, turning and aerating the soil, they quickly turn into annoying pests as soon as we see them inside our homes.
“It can be tempting to spray them with harsh cleaning chemicals or old pesticides from the back of the shed when you first see them inside your home, but there are many kinder, more natural ways to deter ants without causing harm.
“First and foremost, you’ll want to address how the ants are actually getting into your home. There’s no point sorting the problem if they’ve still got a way to get in.
“Take a look around the entry points of your home, starting with the doors and then the ground floor windows to see if there are any cracks or openings in the seals.
Have you got a problem with ants in your home? (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
“Ants are quite persistent, so they’ll hunt out a new spot to get in if you haven’t sealed them all.
“Similarly, you’ll also want to check that all food in your home - human or pet - is stored in sealed containers. And maybe consider ditching any kitchen-top fruit bowls and keeping fruit inside the fridge or freezer, instead.
“Ants love sweet foods, so having fruit out is a great way to invite them in.”
How can I stop ants from coming in my house without harming them?
Leona has also revealed the following ways Brits can stop ants from coming into their home without causing harm:
Chalk
You might have seen viral videos on the internet of people drawing lines around ants, causing them to be "trapped".
@jordans.jokes Easiest natural anti-ant pest control. Can have fun with it too! #pestcontrol #getridofants #getridofants #antinfestation #naturalpestcontrol ♬ Mission Impossible (Main Theme) - TV Series Music
This is because ants use pheromones to get their way around, so when the line is drawn, they’re not thrown off by the sight - rather, it’s the smell.
While we don’t recommend going outdoors and drawing lines around any ants you see with chalk, you can draw some chalk lines or grind up and sprinkle some chalk around entry points of your home as a way to deter ants from entering.
Chalk is a safe way to "distract" ants and contains something called calcium carbonate, which throws off their scent trail to whatever inside your home is attracting them.
Citrus fruits
While ants may love some sweet fruits - they aren’t big fans of citrus fruits like lemons, limes, or oranges, making them excellent natural repellants.
If you’re using lemons or limes for any summer refreshments, save your peels and scatter them around your home’s entryways. Most citrus peels contain an acidic oil called D-limonene, which can kill ants. However, they’ll know to avoid this, so placing the peels around any entry point will prevent them from coming back.
How to Get Rid of These Common Garden Pests
Alternatively, if there are any problem areas inside your home where you’ve spotted ants before, try scattering some essential citrus oils in those areas.
Recommended reading:
- Which smells do ants hate? Add these to your home and garden to keep them away
- This Morning vet issues warning to dog owners over flying ants this summer
- Where do flying ants come from and why do they appear across the UK?
Coffee grounds
Coffee is another strong, natural scent that ants aren’t big fans of. Instant coffee should do the job, but even better if you like to brew fresh coffee as the potency will be even stronger.
Coffee works to discourage ants, but it won’t kill them.
Simply place some brewed grounds near the doors and windows of outside your home, and repeat throughout the days as the strength of the coffee will weaken with time.
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