Peppermint Essential Oil
Not only does this one really work, it smells great to boot! It’s often used to support alertness and mental clarity. Not a bad oil to have around, huh?
To use: Place a few drops on a cotton ball and wipe on baseboards and other entry points. You can also leave a peppermint-infused cotton ball in cabinets and other areas as needed. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone, or see below for how to use it as a spray.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea tree is a great all-purpose oil to have around. I use it as a disinfectant in homemade cleaners and a general antiseptic.
To use: Place a few drops on a cotton ball and wipe on baseboards and other entry points. You can also leave a tea tree-infused cotton ball in cabinets and other areas as needed. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone, or see below for how to use it as a spray.
Clove Essential Oil
In addition to disrupting scent trails, clove oil kills ants on contact.
“Eugenol is a component of clove oil. It is a fast acting contact insecticide that is effective on a wide variety of household pests such as cockroaches, ants, dust mites, flies, wasps, spiders, crickets, and fleas. It is also used on some ornamental plant pests such as armyworms, thrips, aphids and mites.
Eugenol has little or no residual activity [meaning it’s effectiveness fades quickly], although the scent of cloves will linger. Products based on eugenol are considered minimum risk pesticides with very low risk of damage to the environment or user.” (source)
To use: Clove oil works best when mixed with another oil. It is very strong, so I recommend using it in small amounts. See recipe below for ideas.
Lemon Or Orange Essential Oil
Citrus oils contain d-limonene, which is toxic to ants. It also masks their scent trails. (Orange, lemon and grapefruit essential oils all contain d-limonene)
To use: Place a few drops on a cotton ball and wipe on baseboards and other entry points. You can also leave a citrus-infused cotton ball in cabinets and other areas as needed. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone, or see below for how to use it as a spray.