Repelling household ants the humane way: vinegar, salt, and coffee provide the answer

While ants are incredibly hardworking and useful creatures, when they venture into our homes or gardens, it's not necessary to resort to drastic measures immediately. There are many techniques, using products you probably already have at home, to persuade these critters to vacate your space. In the following paragraphs, we'll share three such methods with you.

Vinegar mixed with water is a good starting point for encouraging ants to leave. A 1:1 ratio works well. Spray this mixture where the insects are congregating. You can boost the effect by adding the juice of one lemon to the solution. This mixture can be used both indoors and outdoors. Ants tend to dislike the smell of vinegar, thus they're likely to vacate areas where this solution has been used.

Another substance ants tend to avoid is salt. When using this method, don't skimp. Scatter the salt liberally wherever you've seen ants. This includes not only the routes they use, but also the ant mound and any cracks where the ants may be. This method is equally effective in the garden. It's worth mentioning that salt doesn't kill ants.

If you run out of salt, baking soda can be used in a similar fashion.

Ants detest the smell of coffee. If you wish to deter ants, scatter used coffee grounds along the ant trails, both inside and outside of your home. Repeat the process as necessary. This method serves the dual purpose of utilising waste that would ordinarily just be discarded.