Although ants are generally harmless, they can become a significant nuisance if they find their way inside your home, especially the kitchen.
Being so small, they can squeeze through the tiniest of cracks, and despite our best efforts, they always manage to find their way into our home.
However, there are a few smells that ants hate.
And with the right blend of essential oils, you can eliminate ants in your immediate surroundings.
What is eucalyptus oil?
Eucalyptus oil, also known as eucalyptus lemon oil, is obtained from the gum eucalyptus tree, which is native to Australia.
It contains PMD, which is harmful to ants and helps get rid of them.
Like other natural products such as peppermint, white vinegar, and so on, eucalyptus oil helps keep ants at bay and has proven to be very effective for pest control.
Reference:
https://schoolofbugs.com/are-essential-oils-good-for-killing-ants-the-diy-guide/
How effective is Eucalyptus as an ant and pest repellent?
Eucalyptus oil has proven to be an effective natural ant repellent and killer when exploring natural ways to get rid of ants.
[amazon box=”B0757Y3MF9″]But how exactly does eucalyptus help to keep ants away?
Well, much like other types of essential oils, eucalyptus oil has a very distinct smell.
When applied, it neutralizes the odors left behind by foraging explorer ants, which are followed by the colony.
To understand this better, let’s examine how ants behave.
Ants are scavengers by design, so it stands to reason that they would actively seek out food.
The worker ants are responsible for creating the ant trails, while some other members go out to find sustenance.
Once a food source has been located, a release of pheromones marks the area. Other ants can then follow these scents to the source of the meal.
Ants can’t find food without these scent trails leading them there. And this is where eucalyptus oil comes in.
This oil covers the scent trail ants use to find their way back to their nests and has an odor that they find offensive.
A strong whiff of Eucalyptus can be so overwhelming to ants that they run away in terror. Essential oils threaten ants because of their powerful smell and might easily prove fatal if the ants come into contact with them.
Here’s how to use eucalyptus oil to get rid of ants
You can use eucalyptus oil in its purest form to get rid of ants naturally or mix it with other substances like water, liquid dishwashing soap, and rubbing alcohol.
Using Eucalyptus in its natural state
Pure, undiluted eucalyptus oil is an effective ant-repellent.
Nonetheless, it must be applied in the correct way for it to be effective.
You can achieve the desired result by soaking cotton balls in undiluted oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Then position the cotton balls strategically along ant trails, and the ants will be driven away by the stench in no time.
The cotton balls should be changed every few days (2–4 days) to prevent the ants from returning.
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Boiling Eucalyptus Leaves
As we’ve mentioned earlier, eucalyptus oil comes from eucalyptus trees. In this case, you can use the plant rather than the oil. Take some eucalyptus leaves and boil them in water for a few minutes.
Then, try to locate the ant nest and pour the water over it without letting it cool down.
By doing so, the water solution would kill most ants, including the queen, and the lingering smell would prevent the surviving ants from returning to the nest.
Mixing Eucalyptus Oil with Dishwashing Soap
Mixing eucalyptus oil with additional ingredients like dishwashing soap and water can also help with ant control. For this, you’ll need about 2 cups of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of eucalyptus oil.
Then add a similar quantity of liquid dishwashing soap (1 tablespoon) to the water and stir properly. Once you have your mixture ready, pour it into a spray bottle. Be sure to drench any ant-infested areas with your repellent mixture thoroughly.
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Using Eucalyptus and Rubbing Alcohol
Here, you’ll need to combine eucalyptus oil with some rubbing alcohol.
Just mix one tablespoon of Eucalyptus with one cup of rubbing alcohol and give it a good stir.
Empty your concoction into a spray bottle.
Any time you see ants, give the bottle a good shake and spray them with the insecticide. Use it when you spot a line of ants to get the most out of this.
This kills them immediately. You can use the spray again whenever you encounter a cluster of ants.
Reference:
https://verminkill.com/does-eucalyptus-repel-ants/
Other types of natural ant-repellent products
Here are a few of our other favorite natural ant-repellent products:
Cayenne Pepper
Ants, like many other pests, are repelled by the spicy aroma of cayenne pepper.
Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chili peppers and is an irritant to mammals, insects, and even humans.
If you have an ant infestation, you can sprinkle cayenne pepper powder over the infested area or combine it with water to flood the anthill; this will drive the ants away.
Lavender
Linalool, a chemical found in lavender, has been shown to repel mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests efficiently.
Lavender has a strong scent that is said to be unpleasant to just about every type of insect, and it can also help keep ants out of your home.
Garlic
Garlic is widely used as a seasoning for its great flavor, a wide range of health benefits, and many more reasons.
Garlic is a cheap and excellent mosquito repellant, and a bonus is that its fragrance is off-putting to ants.
Cinnamon
Studies have shown that the intense aroma of cinnamon can be enough to send ants scrambling for cover.
It has been discovered that cinnamon oil has insecticidal and repellant properties against ants, meaning it can be used to get rid of ants on your property.
Reference:
https://insectcop.net/smells-ants-hate/
A solution to your ant problem: repel and kill ants using eucalyptus oil
You can effectively keep ants away from your home by trying out some of the steps and products we have listed above.
However, if you’ve tried various ant repellents, including eucalyptus oil and other natural products, but the ant population is growing out of control, it may be time to call in the pros.
They may resort to using powerful chemicals, but in the end, your home would be safe and free of ants.
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