They don't like strong smells, and this includes your perfume. This one is another hit-or-miss option. Toothpaste: I don't necessarily recommend this as a first option, but toothpaste has a strong mint scent that can help repel the ants.
Make sure that your toothpaste, shampoo and soap bottle in the bathroom are sealed. Ants are also attracted to the fragrance from these toiletries!
White vinegar, available at all grocery stores, is a cheap and effective way to kill and repel ants. It is also a natural cleaning agent. Try using a 1-to-1 vinegar/water mixture to clean hard surfaces, including floors and countertops, wherever ants are likely to travel.
Distilled White Vinegar
A white vinegar and water solution is a common method to wipe out ants for good. Ants don't like the smell of vinegar. It not only repels them; it can also kill them. Depending on how much you can bear the smell, mix at least one part vinegar and three parts water.
Better Than Hopscotch: Ants will not cross a chalk line. Draw a chalk line in front of exterior doors, to prevent ants from coming into the house. You can also draw a chalk line around tables on the porch or patio, to keep pesky ants away while dining outdoors.
For this DIY ant control option, it is recommended to mix together one part lemon juice with three parts water and use it as an all-purpose spray. You can spray the homemade repellent around your door frames, window sills, and other common entry points for ants.
Vinegar and Water
Vinegar mixed with water can repel and kill ants. It's also not dangerous to humans unless you have an allergy. The only drawback is the smell it leaves behind. Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle.
Carnivorous ants show no such preference. Ants prefer salty snacks to sugary ones, at least in inland areas that tend to be salt-poor, according to a new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fortunately, there are several defenses against these little intruders, and you probably already have some in your cupboards. Ants dislike vinegar, citrus scents, and spices, while pepper and baby powder are also repellent. Even the enticing aroma or perfume of a freshly brewed cup of coffee will drive ants away.
Diatomaceous Earth is one of the most effective ant-killers out there, and placing them in the ant entryways can solve the problem of “how to get rid of ants permanently”. Diatomaceous Earth is made from remains of diatoms. Basically, by sprinkling them, ants dry and die.
Most toothpastes contain Sorbitol, which is made from sugar, corn syrup to be precise. It's one of the best sweeteners in the food industry and corn syrup is the stuff that makes ants go crazy over most processed foods. Plus, Sorbitol can be metabolized, although slowly.
Toothpaste has menthol in it that provides a cooling effect. Menthol has anti-inflammatory properties to reduce swelling. Coupled with the cooling factors, toothpaste is a quick and easy remedy for ant bites.
It is advised not to squash ants, doing so will only release pheromones and trigger more ants to come to the location and cause more trouble to you and your family. Ants are known to pack a deadly bite that causes excruciating pain for a short time.
Aside from garnishing your tea, lemons can also be extremely helpful when it comes to combating ants in your home. The smell of the lemons masks the scent trails that they use to get to and from food, and also generally deters them from taking up residence.
Ants seem to be attracted to the electronic components of your AC unit, and often become stuck in between electrical contact points on the unit. When the ants burrow themselves in these tiny spaces and touch the contacts, it can cause malfunction and even permanent damage to the unit if the pests are never removed.
On the other hand, plain table salt does not. It is only effective in intercepting the ants. This should not be applied on heavy ant-infestation.
Because Windex doesn't work as a repellent, it's no more effective at getting rid of the occasional bug than using a broom to shoo the critter outdoors or a paper towel to squish it. You're better off saving the cleaning solution for its rightful use.
Ants hate the smell of strong citrus fruits. Save your orange, lemon and grapefruit peels and scatter them around entry points. It's a natural way to deter ants without harming them.
A salt spray may kill ants on contact, though a line of salt is unlikely to keep ants out of your house. Other safe and effective solutions against ants include tea tree oil, peppermint, pepper, soap, cornstarch, white vinegar, coffee grounds, boric acid, and lemon eucalyptus oil.
Ants become the pallbearer
After a few days the dead ant is carried off and placed on the “ant graveyard” by the other dead ants. This may seem like ants have complex feelings and need a few days to grieve before they dispose of the body, but in reality it's far more chemical than that.
Flour. Wondering how to get rid of ants without dangerous pesticides? Sprinkle a line of flour along the backs of pantry shelves and wherever you see ants entering the house. Repelled by the flour, ants won't cross over the line. This is the best way to get rid of ants at home.
It's highly desiccating, which is why it's used as “baby powder” so babies who dampen their diapers can be dry and not get diaper rash. Ants do not like it, and they will not cross a line of it.