Most species of ants, including carpenter ants, dislike the strong scent of vinegar, which is why mixing it with water is enough to repel them. It's important to note that while the vinegar messes with the scent trail and prevents them from returning, the solution isn't enough to kill them.
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.
Erase The Ant Scent Trails
Simply sweeping and mopping your floors won't help to eliminate the scent trail that ants leave behind. Instead, mix up vinegar and water and spray areas where ants have been. Another recommendation is to use an Ammonia based cleaner to clean up the pheromone trail.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ants use scent to follow each other in their infamous marching line. Disrupt the scent with apple cider vinegar. Make a spray of one part apple cider vinegar to one part water, and apply wherever a conga line starts to form. Repeat applications until the ant parade comes to permanent halt.
Most species of ants, including carpenter ants, dislike the strong scent of vinegar, which is why mixing it with water is enough to repel them.
The reason why is vinegar enough to repel but not kill ants is because of how acidic vinegar is. Its acidic content is enough to destroy ant trails. These trails are made up of pheromones which communicate to other ants where food sources are.
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.
Vinegar. 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.
Vinegar (or acetic acid) is the ultimate product of the fermentation process in fruit, which is why fruit flies are attracted to vinegar odor.
Cayenne and Black Pepper
Both work equally well. These spices drive ants' scent receptors crazy, and they will stay far away from them. Sprinkle a line of pepper to create a barrier that ants will not cross. You can also create a pepper and water solution and spray it around the areas where ants are problematic.
White vinegar, also known as distilled vinegar or spirit vinegar, is made by fermenting grain alcohol (ethanol) which then turns into acetic acid. Water is then added to the vinegar, so white vinegar is made of five to ten percent acetic acid and ninety to ninety-five percent water.
The most common food sources that draw ants inside your home are the sweetest: spilled drops of soft drinks or fruit juices, candy, jellies and jams, cookies and other sweet baked goods, honey and syrup, and over-ripe fruit are some of their favorites. A zealous group of ants will even carry off a wad of chewed gum.
Many other common household solutions can also repel ants, including cinnamon, mint, salt, cloves, garlic, onions and bay leaves. Many ants are attracted to sugar, so you may have seen ants stop and spend some time on the circle made up of the sugar water—they may have been enjoying a snack!
Ants usually come indoors in search of food or nesting habitat. Even small amounts of food, like pet food crumbs, can attract hordes of industrious ants. Ants are one of Earth's most successful animals, and comprise more than 13,000 species.
Baking soda (or borax)
Ants hate baking soda. That's because baking soda and borax both kill ants when they eat them. To make a homemade ant bait trap, combine equal parts baking soda or borax with honey and water. Place it in a shallow container and leave it out wherever you usually find ants in your home.
Pheromones send messages of a food source, sexual desire, and death. 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.
Home Ant Control Tips
Windex, the glass cleaner, is a known insect killer. When you have an ant swarm in your house, spray them all with Windex and they will die nearly instantly. Windex can also eliminate some of the scent trails that ants follow to find food.
– Candy: The sugar in candy makes it highly desirable for ants. When there is sugar that is melty and gooey from a piece of candy, that is going to make them go crazy. – Scented Candles: If you have any candles that smell fruity or like fresh baked goods, they could be attracting ants to your home.
Nothing can be more disconcerting than a line of ants tromping through your kitchen or even an entire ant colony emerging in your lawn or garden. If all you have on hand is some bleach, you might be surprised to learn that bleach can, in fact, kill and repel ants.
Ants know to avoid pure baking soda, so you can sprinkle it around doorways, window sills, and other entry points to keep them out of your home. You can also sprinkle some in cabinets, under sinks, and in other dark, moist places where ants may find shelter in your home.
The scent of peppermint oil, lemon, and cinnamon will deter ants. Try spraying diluted oils around your kitchen, or sprinkle cinnamon where you've seen ants congregate. "The domestic spice acts as a dermal irritant, which will keep them away," Warberg Block adds.