Repel Ants Naturally With This Common Kitchen Ingredient

Ants are tiny, but they have the power to drive humans mad. Once they cross over into your territory, they can be annoying, potentially frightening, and, depending on the species, incredibly painful. These little creatures have more work ethic than you can imagine and do wonders for the environment, but there are some places you just don't want them. If ants are too close for comfort, you can get rid of them with a little bit of cornstarch, which you probably already have on hand if you've ever tried to bake.

Cornstarch as an ant repellent can work inside and outside of the home. Since cornstarch is natural, you don't have to worry about it harming your children, plants, or pets. Since ants benefit the environment by aerating soil, breaking down dead insects, and controlling pest populations, be intentional about your ant control practices. Avoid ant hills if you can, and only go after the ones that are truly problematic.

You can use cornstarch to both repel and kill ants. As a non-lethal repellant, it can disrupt the scent trail when you sprinkle it around your home. It's a temporary roadblock, but it can be effective in a pinch. This also works with sidewalk chalk and baby powder since all it does is cover ant pheromones. If you continually apply cornstarch along ant trails, you may eventually convince the ants that it's not a good location to set up shop.

Cornstarch can also be used to kill ants. Sprinkle cornstarch where you see ants and get it wet, forming a paste. The ants will get stuck in the slurry, and once it dries, they won't be able to escape and will die there. Plus, their trail will also be disrupted. You can also vacuum up ants in your home, followed by cornstarch, to suffocate them. Most ants die in the vacuum, but you should still throw them away in a tied bag away from your home so the survivors don't find their way back.