7 plants proven to naturally deter ants from your home this spring and summer

As the weather starts to warm up, ants begin to emerge from their dormant state and embark on a search for food. While an ant infestation is never a welcome sight, there are lots of natural ways you can deter these little insect intruders using plants and herbs.

“Many don’t know that a lot of fragrant plants can do a great job of deterring creepy crawlies too. Ant-deterring plants have a strong odour so the aromatic fragrance not only keeps ants away, but they smell great in your home too,” says Evie Lane, Gardening Expert at Primrose.

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So, if you’ve spotted a few ants inside your home during the warmer weather and aren’t sure what to do to deal with them naturally, here are the plants and herbs to add to your home…

1. Basil

Basil has certain aromatic oils which are known to repel creepy crawlies, such as ants, spiders, summer houseflies and mosquitos. It can actually be used to make a DIY bug-repellant spray if you mix it with witch hazel. Evie recommends simply spraying the mix onto a surface and then wiping it down.

You can grow the herb in almost any area of your home, as long as it gets access to direct sunlight for around four to five hours per day.

2. Lavender

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While lavender is a staple of many outdoor gardens, you can also grow the flowering plant indoors as long as the area gets lots of light. While the pretty bloom is commonly used as an essential oil, lavender is also great for deterring bugs.

“If you’ve got lavender in your garden, take a cutting and tie a bunch together and hang in each room of your house. Not only will it smell beautifully fragrant, your insect roommates will be nowhere in sight,” says Evie.

3. Rosemary

We may not be able to smell anything too strong when it comes to rosemary, but the herb actually releases an incredibly intense odour to ants. When it comes to growing it, rosemary is one to keep indoors as it doesn’t fare as well in cold weather, meaning that a standalone pot in a warmer environment is a much better option.

4. Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is a great multi-tasker if you’re dealing with multiple different bugs in your home. The bright blooms contain pyrethrum, an ingredient that is frequently used in natural insect repellents. And this chemical repels everything from ants to ticks, fleas, cockroaches, spider mites and even bed bugs.

“Not only do chrysanthemums produce their own insect repellent, but they’ll also brighten up your home too,” Evie explains.

5. Eucalyptus

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“The scent of eucalyptus is the driving factor that keeps insects out of your home,” says Evie. “Add sprigs of eucalyptus around your bathroom, kitchen and living room. You can also mix a few leaves with witch hazel and water and spray any areas that ants can gather.”

6. Marigolds

There’s a reason that allotment gardeners have been planting marigolds next to their vegetables for generations now. And that’s because they are universally known to repel nearly every small pest that could possibly make their way indoors such as spiders, bugs and of course, ants.

7. Mint

Fresh mint leaves can also be used to deter spiders, as well as ants, from entering our homes.

If you plan on growing mint indoors, you will need a well-draining soil and a spot that gets between four and six hours of indirect sunlight. Or, if you already have some growing in your garden, feel free to pluck a few leaves off and add it to a bottle of spray water and wait for it to absorb.

“By spraying this on the entry points to your home, any ants hiding around window sills and corners of doorways will retreat rapidly,” says Evie.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
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