Get rid of ants in your home naturally, with this chemical-free DIY Ant Repellent Spray recipe – the perfect home remedy solution for your unwelcome guests.
Trying to get rid of ants can feel impossible, and like many mums, I’m not keen on using chemical ant killers in my home or garden. This is why I tried my hand at a homemade ant killer, and I’m delighted to say that it works! This is my ant repellent spray recipe that is free from nasties, and which has meant my kitchen is now free from unwanted crawly critters and Zoe (our dog) can play safely in the backyard.
Apparently ants leave an invisible trail so they can easily find the way from their homes to their food source (i.e. your food!). By regularly wiping your surfaces you remove these trails, and hence their easy access to your food.
This DIY Ant Repellent Spray will not only remove this invisible trail, it will also act as a repellent that ants will want to avoid.
Ingredients
- White vinegar – ants hate vinegar, making it a very affordable ant repellent ingredient.
- Peppermint essential oil – a natural insect repellent that’s effective at repelling ants, snails, mosquitoes and other bugs. Shop peppermint essential oil here.
- Dish liquid – the detergent helps the essential oil evenly mix through the water and vinegar solution, as opposed to rising to the surface. Shop dish liquid here.
How To Make This Ant Spray
This recipe is incredibly simple! It’s just a matter of combining all ingredients together and popping the mixture in a spray bottle – you can use our set of funnels to make it easier to get the mixture into your spray bottle. I then use the spray on my countertops, any surfaces where I’ve seen ants (like the inside of my pantry), on the ants directly, outside around my herb planters, and the clothesline.
TIP: Pop one of these Vinyl Labels on your spray bottle so you can easily tell it apart from your other cleaning sprays. Labels give instant organised gratification! I am using a small spray bottle that we stock in our shop, although it’s currently out of stock.
What Else You Can Do
In addition to using this spray, here are a few other tips that can make your home unappealing to ants:
- Wipe down kitchen benches morning and night.
- Ensure the family eat all food at the dining table (not the bedroom or lounge-room).
- Regularly wash out bins with soapy water.
- Clean your pet’s food bowls daily.
- Don’t leave pet food out all day (or use an ant-proof pet dish).
- Seal holes where ants are getting into your home (check window sills, inside kitchen cupboards, and around doors).
- Remove indoor plants that are harbouring ants (or opt for gorgeous artificial flowers and indoor plants like these ones).
YOU WILL NEED
- ½ cup vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons dish soap
- 30 drops peppermint essential oil
Instructions
Add all ingredients into a bowl, mix.
Using a funnel, pour into a spray bottle.
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS RECIPE! – If you’ve tried this DIY Ant Repellent Spray recipe, please leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes! You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my newsletters with the latest recipes or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more fabulous recipes.
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4 comments
We have a mint bush outside – are we able to substitute crushed mint leaves instead of peppermint oil?
Rachael I haven’t personally used mint, but I hear it’s also great for deterring ants. I would certainly give it a try! Let me know how you go 🙂
Can we substitute any other oils for peppermint – I heard maybe lavender would also work?
I haven’t tried lavender, but I have also heard that it could be effective. If you do try it, let me know how you go! Thanks Kat x