The Tasty Herb That'll Keep Ants Out Of Your Kitchen

Ants are the proverbial party crashers. During summer, they invade garden picnics, and during the cooler months, they conquer your kitchen. Luckily, the solution to preventing ants from infiltrating your kitchen lies in the aromatic and delightful herb, rosemary. The reason this herb supposedly works so well at keeping ants away is because of its strong scent, which humans love, but ants absolutely can't stand. Rosemary has natural compounds, like camphor, that bugs just can't handle. So, when ants catch a whiff of rosemary, they make a beeline in the other direction.

Start by gathering a few fresh rosemary sprigs or a small handful of dried rosemary leaves, then place these near entry points that ants commonly use, like window sills, cracks in walls, near doorways, or baseboards. You can also create a rosemary-infused spray by boiling rosemary leaves in water, straining the mixture, and then spraying it in these areas. Another plus is that it makes your kitchen smell really nice.

While rosemary is a great way to keep ants at bay, it's best to use it in conjunction with more heartier traps. This is because ants are great at finding other ways to sneak into your home, so if they sense rosemary, they'll just make a detour around it. On its own, rosemary is relatively potent, but it's questionable as to whether or not it's actually strong enough to do the job. To give it a boost, you might want to opt for using rosemary essential oil in tandem with the real stuff. Simply apply it to a cotton ball and strategically place it alongside your rosemary sprigs.

If you want to make things look a bit fancier, you can put those rosemary sprigs in cute pots or containers by your entry points. It's like feeding two birds with one scone — it keeps ants away and spruces up your kitchen's style. Lastly, it's also worth mentioning that this isn't a toxic herb, but it can cause digestive issues if it's consumed in large quantities. Case in point: if you have pets or small children, keep an eye on wherever you place your rosemary.