Ants can be a real nuisance in the garden and house – especially when they establish their “ant farms” on trees or wreak havoc in the kitchen. Before resorting to harsh chemicals that can harm pets or beneficial insects, try a tried-and-tested home remedy.
The ultimate ant killer is ordinary baking soda combined with powdered sugar or citric acid. Ants have an acidic environment in their bodies, and as soon as they ingest baking soda, a chemical reaction occurs that reliably kills them.
Here are the 3 most effective home remedies for getting rid of ants for next to nothing:
Dry trap: Baking soda with sugar (The most effective method)
This trick works perfectly in the house, on the patio, and in dry areas of the garden. Ants love sweet things, so sugar is a perfect bait.
What you need: Baking powder and powdered sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
How to do it: Mix both ingredients thoroughly (the sugar must be finely ground so the ants can’t separate the baking powder from the sugar).
Application: Sprinkle the mixture on ant trails, near window corners, or directly around the anthill. The worker ants will carry the mixture to the queen’s nest. You’ll have peace and quiet within a few days.
Liquid repellent: Vinegar and essential oil
Ants navigate using the scent trails (pheromones) they leave behind. If these trails are removed, they become disoriented and leave the area. Vinegar is a good choice.
What you need: Plain vinegar, water, and a few drops of essential oil (ideally mint, clove, or tea tree – ants hate these scents).
Instructions: Mix vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio and add 10–15 drops of essential oil. Pour into a spray bottle.
Application: Spray door thresholds, window frames, baseboards, and any other places where ants might be entering the house.
Gardening tip: Diatomaceous earth or coffee grounds
If you want to keep ants away from flower beds or strawberry and tomato roots without using vinegar (which could acidify the soil), use coffee grounds or diatomaceous earth.
Coffee grounds: As mentioned earlier, ants hate the strong smell of coffee. Regularly sprinkle coffee grounds along their paths to deter them.
Diatomaceous earth as food: In case of a heavy ant infestation, dust your flower beds with diatomaceous earth. It is completely harmless to humans and animals, but it contains sharp microparticles that damage the protective exoskeleton of insects, causing them to dehydrate.
Finally, a tip for trees: If ants are bringing aphids to your fruit trees, wrap the trunk with double-sided tape or special tree tape. The ants cannot penetrate this barrier, and the aphids quickly disappear without their protection.