The Citrusy Oil That May Keep Fire Ants Out Of Your Home

Discovering hordes of fire ants marching traitorously around your home is no fun, especially if you're struggling to get a handle on the problem. However, there is one product that may help to get rid of the fire ants on your property altogether. 

The solution we're referring to? Orange oil. And though it may seem like an unusual choice, you may find that placing this specific citrus oil around your home helps to keep fire ants out and conceal them in other areas. This preventative measure should help fix the issue in no time. 

Not only is orange oil great at keeping fire ants out of your home, but it's a natural method that will spare your living area from harsh chemicals. In addition, it's also the perfect option if you're on a budget: you shouldn't have to spend loads of cash on pricier solutions, and with orange oil, all you have to do is use it in a tactical way to target the fire ants.

In order to ward off ants from your home, you'll first need to arm yourself with your natural repellent — again, that's orange oil. You should be able to find some at your local store or online. A small bottle of Now Orange Essential Oil costs less than $6 at Walmart. To use this product, simply take some orange oil and place it where you think the ants are slipping into your home, from which you should be able to tell upon investigating the area. Once you think you've covered all bases, all you need to do is wait and see if it's effective. If you're finding it difficult to distribute around your home, you could try dispersing some product on to cotton balls or a cotton pad and putting them in place — for example, around your door, or a small hole they're entering from. 

Ideally, this works, and your problem is solved. However, what should you do if the ant problem remains? In such instances, attack the ants more aggressively: try applying some of your orange oil and dish soap directly on the nest (if you can find it). It should appear similar to a pile of dirt, so keep your eyes peeled for something of that sort. Do this with gloves and clothes to cover your skin. Now, you just need to monitor the situation, to ensure that it took care of the problem.

Why is that ants don't like orange oil, though? 

The reason why orange oil can be effective at warding off fire ants is because ants are incredibly impacted by scents, even from afar, so they can sense when the oil is present. They tend to avoid orange oil, it as it can potentially pose a threat and endanger their lives due to its inherent toxicity to their bodies — just touching it will kill them. Ants are also excellent at warning one another when it comes to danger (in this case, the orange oil), so once the toxin is present, a large amount of them will quickly be alerted to steer clear of the areas in question. 

Therefore, as a result, you should find that the amount of fire ants you see begins to decrease. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to put it on ants directly, which is why it works better as a preventative measure. Likewise, you should also make sure that you don't get it in contact with your skin — and definitely make sure it's out of reach of pets, as it could make them ill. You can always start with a small amount and raise up the oil dose if necessary, but overall, using essential oils to keep ants out of your home should be able to keep this pest problem manageable.