Add citrus rinds (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit) to a pot, then add white vinegar to cover. Gently the mixture until it's steaming, but not boiling. Turn off the stove and let the mix sit for several hours to overnight. Strain the liquid and pour it into a spray bottle, then store it in the refrigerator.
Lemon is another known home remedy for ants. The thought is that the acidic property of the lemon juice will mask the ants' scent trails and, as a result, deter them. 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.
Mix 1.5 ounces of orange oil and 3 ounces of the Dawn into 1 gallon of water, or add 0.42 ounces of horticultural soap and 2.11 ounces of orange oil to 1 gallon of water. Apply as a mound drench during early morning or late afternoon hours of the day, which is when the fire ants are most likely to be home.
Citrus Peel Spray
If you don't have vinegar or essential oils on hand, you can still put together an effective spray that will rid your home of ants. Simply put citrus peels in a pot and add just enough water to cover the peels. You can add vinegar, too, if you have it.
Tea tree oil
Mix 5 to 10 drops tea tree essential oil with 2 cups water in a clean plastic spray bottle. Spray the mixture around the house where you typically see ants. Alternatively, you can saturate cotton balls with the mixture and place them around your home.
Mix a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray it directly on the ants to kill them, then wipe up the ants using a damp paper towel and discard them. You can also use vinegar and water as a deterrent; spray it around your windowsills, doorways and other places where you see ants coming inside.
For a homemade orange cleaner, in a small saucepan, combine the peel of one orange for every 1 cup [120 ml] of water. Bring this to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Once it cools, transfer to a clean spray bottle. It will keep for up to one month.
The smell of Vinegar will cause them to stay away from it or permanently leave the house. Ants crawl in a straight line, marching towards the food sources. The Vinegar solution will interfere with these pheromones, and the ants will get lost.
HOMEMADE ORANGE CLEANER
To use your orange vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner, mix with water in a spray bottle, half vinegar, half water. Use on counters, bathrooms, floors – this stuff works all over the house. NOTE: While it DOES smell like oranges, it also still smells like vinegar.
Medina Orange Oil when mixed with Dawn dish washing liquid is an effective organic killer of fire ants. Mix 1 1/2 oz of Medina Orange Oil with 3 oz of Dawn dish washing liquid with 1 gal of water. Stir and pour onto the fire ant mound. The mixture usually kills about 90% of the ants.
Citrus oils contain d-limonene which is toxic to ants and erases the chemical trail ants leave behind to signal their sidekicks. “Sweet orange oil has one of the highest limonene contents of the cold-pressed citrus oils with a range of 80-95%, closely followed by grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and mandarin,” says Rice.
Use citrus, like lemons, oranges, or grapefruit and harnesses the power of d-limonene — the acidic oil found in the peels. This oil is toxic to ants (so it will kill them on contact) and it messes up their trail, so live ones won't be able to find the food source.
To make all-purpose cleaner, pour 1/2 cup of the vinegar into a spray bottle. Add in 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon castile soap, and 20 drops lemon essential oil, if using. Screw on lid and shake well. To use: shake the mixture well, and then spray onto surface and wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Use this white vinegar solution to spray all entry points of your home, try to spry all windows, doors, baseboards and the common paths that ants would travel within your home. Give about an hour for this solution to take effect, then after a few hours the ants should be dead.
Two of the best ways to eliminate ants are Borax and diatomaceous earth. Essential oils, including peppermint and clove, are a natural way to repel and kill ants. Food and moisture attract ants, so keep your home clean and dry to get rid of ants permanently.
Boiling water is an easy, effective way to kill ants immediately. If you see ants emerging from a crack in the concrete or a hole in the ground, pour boiling water into the area. This will kill many of the ants within it.
(I put mine under the kitchen sink for 2-4 weeks.) The orange peels will infuse the vinegar with natural scent and color. Remove from cupboard, strain out the peels, and use for cleaning.
Take a tbsp of orange powder and add 1 tbsp of sandalwood powder and a tbsp of walnut powder. Then add 2 to 3 drops of lemon juice and 2 tbsp of rose water to make a paste. Leave on the face for 5 minutes and rinse off to get bright skin which will give instant glow post gentle exfoliation.
The sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda is what kills them: It reacts with the acid in their digestive system, and they explode. Place the mixture in strategic locations and wait for the baking soda to do its thing.
Step 1: Combine 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap or ¼ cup of Castile soap for every quart of water. You can add canola oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil to make the mixture even more effective. Step 2: Spray soapy water directly on any ants you see outside the nest to kill them on contact.