It's a horrible thought to discover that there are ants in the house. Mostly, though, they are just a nuisance, but it does mean that you cannot leave food out on the counter tops as it will attract them.

Most of the time, ants do not do too much harm, although they can give one a nasty bite, causing pain and discomfort and even giving you an infection if the area is not treated.

Let’s look at some ways to remove and discourage ants

Use glass cleaner

• In a clean spray bottle mix together a dish soap and glass cleaner
• Spray the area where you notice the ants seem to enter or gather
• Wipe down but leave a slight residue as this will discourage them
• You may repeat this as often as you like

Ground pepper

• Either red of black will work here
• Sprinkle the pepper around bases of cupboards and behind appliances where the ants may gather
• Ants do not like the smell and will move away

Peppermint

• Mix ten drops of peppermint essential oil with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle
• Use this around windows and cupboard bases where they gather
• Leave the mixture to dry and reapply as needed

Tea tree oil 

• Mix 5 to 10 drops of tea tree essential oil with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle
• Spray where you see any ants
• Repeat as needed
• You can also spray cotton balls with the mixture and place around the house where ants gather

Final thoughts

As with most essential oils it is important that you keep this out of reach of animals. Most essential oils can be bought at health food stores, online and even at some supermarkets.

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