Citrus essential oils such as wild orange, lemongrass, lemon, and grapefruit can be used to kill ants when sprayed directly on them.
Essential oils, specifically peppermint, clove and citrus oils, all-natural pesticides that act as a triple threat against ants. Citrus oils contain d-limonene which is toxic to ants and erases the chemical trail ants leave behind to signal their sidekicks.
Purchase a clean spray bottle and fill it with 1/4 cup of water, 15 drops of tea tree oil, 15 drops of peppermint oil and seven drops of the citrus oil of your choice. Shake it well and spray it around areas where ants are common, including baseboards.
Try combining three parts powdered sugar with one part boric acid. The sugar will lure the ants in and the boric acid will kill them, Pereira says. Liquid is better—adult ants prefer to drink their food—so water this stuff down a little. “I recommend this to a lot of people,” Pereira says.
Some of the essential oils that can kill ants include cinnamon oil, clove oil, citronella oil, orange oil and patchouli oil. By using these oils you can make an ant killing spray.
Home treatments such as repellents and orange oil have limited effectiveness against fire ant infestations. Fire ants are able to detect the repellent and will simply go around the treated areas.
Orange oil can be diluted to 1.7 - 2.3% with water and a small amount of insecticidal soap or dishwashing detergent, for spraying on trees and plants. Use a maximum of 2 to 3 oz per gallon of water (1 part orange oil to between 40 and 60 parts water).
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.
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.
There are plenty of natural pest control tips for the garden that will get rid of ants at the source. A simple eucalyptus oil solution or a concentrated garlic spray have both been known to put ants off and the best part it is this won't harm your harm your plants, or you!
Dilute essential oils with water and spray in ant-prone areas. A few known ant-banishing essential oils include peppermint, tea tree oil, and lemon eucalyptus oil. Peppermint and lemon eucalyptus oils repel ants while tea tree oil does so by killing them.
A food-safe way to get rid of ants is to use citrus, like lemons, oranges or grapefruit. D-limonene, the acidic oil found in the peels, 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.
Vinegar is often a common home remedy for insects and ants are no exception. To use vinegar as a homemade ant spray, simply fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. Spray the solution directly on the ants and then wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel.
Peppermint essential oil is a powerful ant repellent and I have found that ants will not cross a line of peppermint oil wiped on a surface. It also makes your home smell great! To treat a surface with peppermint oil, place a few drops of undiluted peppermint oil on a cotton ball or the corner of a rag.
Place the orange peels into the bucket, and cover them with vinegar until they're completely submerged. Place the bucket in a cool spot for two weeks, stirring once a day to be sure that everything is mixing together. After two weeks, strain the liquid from the orange peels using a colander.
Scented Plants
Lavender, eucalyptus, mint, basil, oregano, and thyme are all items you can plant to keep ants away since they all contain linalool, which is an effective repellent for any pests.
The results show that peppermint oil was more effective than vinegar in killing Solenopsis invicta ants in all three trials. While vinegar was less effective than peppermint oil, it still killed some of the ants.
White vinegar and water: Take a spray bottle and fill it with a solution of equal parts of vinegar and water. Spray the solution on the ants and their entry points. A mixture of dish soap and water: Make a mixture of dish soap or dishwashing liquid, put in a spray bottle and shake it well. Spray it on the ants.
Baking soda only kills ants when they ingest it – will quickly kill them within a few minutes if they do consume it. The tricky part is that ants instinctually know to stay away from baking soda, so it's difficult to put it somewhere where they will ingest if they are already in your house.
The good news is that ants can still smell Vinegar after it is dried. Always remember that Vinegar is not a permanent solution to remove an ant infestation. It is reasonable to spread the solution thrice a week over the affected areas to remove ants slowly.