- Tea tree oil – Tea tree oil is famous for killing and repelling ants. Mix 5-10 drops of tea tree oil with 2 cups of water. If you want the smell to persist, saturate cotton balls and place them around your home where you’ve noticed ants. If you think the scent is too much, mix it with peppermint oil and water. Like other essential oils, keep your cats away, because they can get very ill if they get in contact with it.
- Lemon eucalyptus oil – Lemon eucalyptus contains citronella, which is highly used in candles to repel flying bugs, like mosquitoes. Use it with cotton balls and place it in areas where you’ve seen ants. Keep the cotton balls out of reach of children and pets.
- White vinegar – If you see ants in your home, wipe them up with a solution of 50-50 vinegar and water, or plain vinegar. White vinegar is extremely effective against ants!
- Boiling water – If you have noticed ant holes near your home, pour boiling water into them. It will immediately kill many of the ants that are inside. Although ant hills might not look like a threat, you have to know that they have colonies way bigger underneath those hills. Of course, the boiling water won’t be sufficient to kill off the entire colony, but you have to make sure you take care of every ant hole you see near your house.
- Cinnamon leaf essential oil – Cinnamon leaf essential oil has a couple of compounds that kill ants, including biting red ants, such as trans-cinnamaldehyde, which is extremely efficient. Some people believe that powdered cinnamon is just as good. And the good part is, you can find it in any health food store!
- Neem oil – Neem oil comes from the neem tree, which can only be found in India. While it’s extremely popular for killing ants, diluted neem and products that contain neem extract aren’t as efficient as full-strength neem products.
