I had ants everywhere but a £1 supermarket plant ‘stopped them coming inside’ – it smells lovely to us but they hate it’
AS the weather is warming up, many households will notice an unwelcome guest in their homes – ants.
Lynsey Crombie, better known to her fans as the Queen of Clean, appeared on ITV’S This Morning to reveal how you can tackle the common issue.
The whizz said: ”The ants are back out. The daffodils are popping up, the tulips are coming up – and the ants and and the insects are everywhere.”
But although these teeny insects may be annoying to deal with, Lynsey’s hacks are all eco-friendly and instead of killings ants the tips will deter them from coming into your house in the first place.
Mint plant
Chatting with the presenters, the lovely duo of Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, the cleaning pro explained that mint can be used for more than just a cup of tea – or a refreshing mojito.
”If you’ve got as massive ant problem, pop this outside your door.
”Mint smells lovely […] – and it will stop them from coming in.”
According to Lynsey, whilst we may find the scent pleasant, ants ”hate” the lovely aroma.
Cinnamon sticks
Turns out, your kitchen cupboard also has a few essentials that could work like a charm to keep pesky ants at bay – such as cinnamon sticks.
”Again, they hate cinnamon,” explained the guru, adding that the powder also works as an alternative.
”Sticks like this you can literally pop in the ground outside, if you’ve got nice plants inside […] – just pop them in.”
Talc powder
Another great hack to give a go this summer as the weather gets warmer is creating a little ”mountain”.
”So, put it under your skirting boards, squeeze it right in, and it stops them from coming in because they can’t push the talc out.”
Don’t have chalk at hand? According to Lynsey, drawing a line with some chalks works a treat too – this is a remedy her grandfather introduced her to.
Peppermint oil
With this purse-friendly trick, the cleaning guru instructed to simply spray a cotton ball with peppermint oil and put it in the cupboard.
”You could also use this cotton ball and then just go over your white PVC around your doors and windows.
”Again, they hate the smell – but it smells good, so make sure house smells lovely, fresh and clean.”
However, the whizz advised to be careful with the hack if you’ve got dogs and cats ”because they’re not good for pets”.
Zesty lemons
Lemon has become a firm favourite in the cleaning community – but did you know it also works wonders to keep ants away?
To make the solution, you will need a 50:50 ratio of lemon juice mixed with water – or water and white vinegar.
”This is like gold,” Lynsey couldn’t stop raving about the cupboard essential, which sells for around 40p at most supermarkets.
The thought behind the homemade spray is that the acidic property of the lemon juice will mask the ants’ scent trails and, as a result, deter them.
Electric Pest Repeller
If none of these cost-effective hacks have worked, you can also take more drastic measures, such as an electric pest repeller plug-in.
”They give off a sound that humans and pets can’t hear – but ants can hear and it stops them from coming in.”
The £11.99 buy comes in a four-pack and will cover ”quite a big room”.
Other store-bought items to look out for include citronella diffuser, £5.10, as well as Repell Shield Repellent Spray, £12.99.
