If you have an ant infestation on your hands, you might want to call a professional for ant removal in Bartlesville, OK. A pest exterminator can rid your home of ants and show you the most effective ways to prevent future invasions, such as sealing small openings and using some natural products you likely already have on hand that can keep ants away.
Ready to banish these tiny critters from your home? The following are five tried-and-true natural deterrents to take care of your ant problem:
- Vinegar: With a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water, wipe down countertops, cabinets and other surfaces where ants have been seen. Repeat this cleaning process a few more times throughout the day to be sure ants stay away. There are two reasons why white vinegar works: ants hate the smell of vinegar, and vinegar is great at removing the scent trails ants use to get around. Note that vinegar is not safe to use on natural stone, such as granite, marble and quartz.
- Herbs, spices and essential oils: If you are okay with the smell of herbs and spices like cinnamon, chili pepper, mint, clove, garlic and black pepper, sprinkle a small amount of one of these in areas where you’ve seen ants roaming around. Bay leaves can be placed inside cabinets, drawers and containers as an effective means of deterring ants. In addition to herbs and spices, some essential oils are also effective against ants. Get clean cotton balls and put a few drops of citrus, peppermint, cinnamon or eucalyptus oil on them. Set them in places where ants wander. Replace oiled cotton balls as the scent wears off.
- Coffee grounds: If you make coffee at home, save the grounds! Sprinkle used coffee grounds around the outside of your house and in the garden. This method works because the scent of coffee is super strong to these little bugs. As a bonus, this can also be an effective method of keeping neighborhood cats out of your yard and garden.
- Chalk or baby powder: Another thing you can try is drawing a line of chalk or baby powder right in front of the spot where ants are getting inside your home. This line acts as a barrier, one that ants won’t want to cross. It’s not clear why this works—it just does. It could be due to the calcium carbonate in the chalk, or that the chalk simply interrupts ant scent trails. Make sure to refresh chalk lines periodically to ensure their effectiveness.
- Cucumber or citrus peels: Stopping ants in their tracks may be as easy as leaving cucumber or citrus peels around ant entryways. These kinds of peels are toxic to the types of fungi ants feed on, so they’ll avoid them. Another option is to make or purchase a natural cleaner (listing actual cucumber or citrus oils as ingredients) to use in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Natural ant removal remedies are good for deterring ants, but an infestation requires more extensive methods. If you have a serious ant problem on your hands, don’t wait to call the professionals at Excellence Pest Control to schedule a time for ant removal in Bartlesville, OK!