Essential Oils To Repel Ants | Tips & Tricks

Ants can be quite annoying and easily get into your house! Try 5 tried and true tips and homemade ant repellent spray to get rid of ants naturally.

In addition, I share essential oils for ants, plus other natural solutions that can help keep those pesky little insects out of your home.

Every year we will inevitably have an ant colony move into our kitchen. Now, there was a time I would pick up ant repellent from the local general store.

Yes, it did get rid of the problem, but now, with kids crawling around, I wanted something I could spray in my home without worrying about any potentially toxic ingredients. 

As soon as I had mobile toddlers and babies on the loose, I knew I would want a different solution.

Thankfully, using essential oils to repel ants naturally is quite simple, and you only need a few ingredients to do so. 

Homemade Essential Oil Ant Spray

This ant spray is made with just essential oils and water, making it a simple and natural alternative to commercial ant sprays. It has worked well at keeping ants out of my house and may help keep your space bug-free too!

Essential oils can be used to get rid of ants, ticks, mosquitos, moths, spiders, and even mice. Ants rely on their noses to get them to their food source and nest, so putting anything with a strong aroma in the way can deter them. With the strong aroma essential oils give off, it is no wonder that they work so well at repelling those pesky insects.

I use essential oils during the summer months to make a variety of pest-repellent sprays, such as my natural wasp spray, homemade fly spray, and this simple ant spray.

Ant repellent spray is one I reach for very often. I like to keep the windows, doorframes, and the basement sprayed regularly to prevent an ant problem.

What Goes Into This Recipe

• Peppermint essential oil: Peppermint oil is my go-to oil for for repelling pests. In fact, I use it in my mouse repellent, homemade bug spray for plants, and all-natural bug and tick repellent. Ants hate the smell of peppermint, and it can quickly deter them from coming into your home. 
• Clove essential oil: Clove essential oil will kill ants when it is sprayed directly on them. Like peppermint, it has a strong scent and can deter ants from entering your home too!
• Citrus essential oil: You can use grapefruit, lemon, or wild orange oil. Most citrus oils contain D-Limonene, which is an effective ant killer when the oils are sprayed directly on the ants.
• 4-ounce glass spray bottle
• Water

How to Make Natural Ant Repellent

Expert Tips

• Spray the homemade ant repellent as often as needed. Homemade insect repellent is not a one-and-done solution. It’s best to continually spray to prevent an ant problem, rather than responding to an existing problem.
• Keep your home free of crumbs, spills, and other food sources. These will attract ants and keep them coming back. If you notice a trail of ants leading to a cupboard or cabinet, check the area for spilled food that may be attracting them.
• Feel free to mix and match ant-repellent remedies. Some of these ant deterrents may work better in different areas of your house, so utilize all of the resources you have to keep your home ant-free.

5 Methods to Rid Your Home of Ants

If you have an ant problem in your home, there are a number of natural remedies that can help to kill and repel them. My go-to remedy for an ant problem is the above ant spray, but you can also try one of these simple solutions!

Before beginning, thoroughly clean your home, picking up any food or snacks that may have spilled and are attracting the ants. Simply removing the food source could be the only thing needed to get the ants back out of the house. In any case, it’s an important first step.

1. Vinegar

Vinegar is a great natural and cheap product to use to repel ants naturally from your home.

A simple, homemade all-purpose spray with vinegar can help keep ants away before they even become a problem. 

To make a quick spray for ants, combine equal parts of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the area of concern and wipe it up with a cloth.

2. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, sedimentary rock that is crumbled into a fine white-colored powder. It is frequently used by gardeners and pet owners for natural pest control.

It can be used to repel and kill ants by absorbing into their exoskeletons and drying them out. To use diatomaceous earth, sprinkle the powder on the ants and around the area where they are getting into the house.

Be sure to wear gloves when handling it as it can cause skin sensitivity. 

3. Lemon Juice

Like vinegar, lemon juice’s strong smell can naturally repel ants.

Mix a 50/50 solution of water and lemon juice and spray it anywhere you see the ants in your home. 

Adding a few drops of essential oils to the mixture can make this homemade ant repellent even stronger and more effective. I have found that adding a few drops of peppermint oil works amazingly well in my home.

4. Coffee Grounds 

Coffee grounds are another way you can repel ants naturally. No need to waste any freshly ground coffee either; used grounds work just fine.

Place a pile of coffee grounds onto a piece of paper, card, or coffee filter near the ants to keep them away.

To give this method an extra boost, add 3-5 drops of peppermint essential oil to the coffee grounds. 

5. Herbs

There are a number of herbs that work great to repel ants naturally. I even plant herbs around my garden to keep the pesky bugs off of my vegetable plants.

Use any of the herbs listed below and sprinkle them along the walls, corners of rooms, and near door frames or around any area they might be getting into the home.

• Cinnamon 
• Clove
• Black pepper
• Pink pepper 
• Cayenne 
• Garlic 
• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Peppermint 
• Thyme

Recipe FAQs

Related Content

• DIY Spider Repellent
• How to Keep Wasps Away for Good
• Essential Oils to Get Rid of Mice
• Homemade Fly Spray

If you tried this Homemade Ant Spray or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!