They are only temporarily shifted away from the original site as they avoid the chalk line. This is the same as with any other things which disrupt the ant scent trail (trail pheromones), such as water.
Chalk. A common home remedy for ants is to use a piece of chalk to draw a border around the common entry points for ants. It is thought that this works as ants won't cross the chalk line, wanting to preserve the scent trail.
Utilize Natural Repellents
Consider using essential oils like peppermint, lemon, or tea tree oil to deter ants from entering your home. Mix a few drops with water and spray the solution near entry points or along ant trails to create a barrier they won't cross.
So, it would appear, that while ants might be momentarily disturbed by a line of chalk (or just about anything) placed in their path, and it might slow them down - in the end, it won't stop them. Ants will, most certainly, cross a line of chalk.
Strong-smelling essential oils, powders, and crushed plant leaves from cinnamon, mints, catnip, thyme, cloves, geranium and rosemary can repel ants (and smell good to humans, too). Sprinkle them across their paths, on kitchen countertops and along floorboards.
Natural deterrents.
If you know where ants are getting in, you can line these entryways with things that ants hate. Salt, baby powder, lemon juice, chalk, vinegar, bay leaves, cinnamon, or peppermint oil are a few items that you have around your home that will stop ants from coming inside.
Crazy ants don't travel in a straight line like fire ants who follow a pheromone trail. They move without organization when foraging away from the colony. This quick, unpredictable pattern is what gives them the name “Crazy Ant.”
Ants won't cross a line of cinnamon or cloves–either the ground spice made into a paste or essential oils–and your house will smell like you've been baking all day. Enjoy some minty freshness. Mix one part peppermint oil with two parts dishwashing detergent and three parts water for another spicy ant deterrent.
Try pouring a line of cream of tartar, red chili powder, paprika, or dried peppermint at the place where you think ants might be entering the house; they won't cross it. You can also try washing countertops, cabinets, and floors with equal parts vinegar and water.
Flour, the type used for baking, is ideal for using in larders and kitchens. Again sprinkle a line of flour around the back and sides of shelving or wherever you see ants and they won't cross the line.
Household items like citrus fruits, black pepper, peppermint oil, cayenne, thyme, and lavender can create natural ant repellents. Great for avoiding pesticides or conventional ant traps! Mixing parts of these substances with water in a bottle and spraying the solution around the house can keep ants at bay.
Spray any areas where ants are feeding or accessing your house with WD-40. The spray will kill ants and serve as a deterrent from further access as long as residue from the spray remains. Not sure where they're coming in? Spray WD-40 along the outside perimeter of the house.
You may love your morning coffee, but ants could do without it. Another natural way to deter ants, sprinkle coffee grounds outside and around your garden. The smell repels them and they'll be looking for a less caffeinated place to hang out.
Vinegar only remains effective for as long as the scent lingers. When the solution dries up, homeowners need to reapply the solution in the problem areas to keep ants away. However, it's important to remember that vinegar shouldn't be treated as the main line of defense against ant infestations.
Unfortunately, it's not an instant knockout. It takes a bit of time for the baking soda to do its magic and wipe out the ant colony. When ants consume the baking soda mixed with a tempting treat, it gradually disrupts their digestive system, causing them to meet their untimely demise.
TERRO® Perimeter Ant Bait Plus is another excellent way to form a home insect barrier and keep ants and other pests at bay. Ants are drawn to the weather-resistant granular bait, thanks to its sweet ingredients.
Cayenne Pepper Or Black Pepper
Ants hate cayenne pepper. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper or black pepper around that area to repel ants. Make a concoction by mixing pepper + water and spray the solution at the ants.
The most effective way of getting rid of ants permanently is to call a professional pest controller. They can eliminate an infestation as well as put measures in place to ensure you're never faced with one again.
In short, no, cinnamon does not kill ants.
Yes, mice are known to dislike the scent of cinnamon, making it a potential natural mouse repellent. The strong smell of cinnamon can be overwhelming for mice, and it can also help mask the scent of food, making your home less attractive to rodents.
Scout and worker ants live to find food, so if there's any food left out on your kitchen countertops, in your cabinets, or on the floor, ants will find it. Try sweeping regularly, putting food away (including pet food… ants will eat anything), washing dishes, and wiping down countertops.
For successful, long-term control of carpenter ants, apply a contact killer, such as TERRO® Carpenter Ant Killer Aerosol or Carpenter Ant Killer Ready-to-Use Spray inside or around the home where activity has been seen.