Colonies of ants take up residence in homes and gardens across the UK every year, sometimes wreaking havoc on their local ecosystems.
Simply sweeping the insects away does little to control the situation, however, as they leave pheromone scents that attract yet more insects.
Thankfully, a host of common household ingredients have proven effective deterrents for insects.
A clip shared on TikTok earlier the year by Ali Ramadan suggested a concoction of orange and vinegar would do the trick if it is given enough time to ferment.
The content creator of the video liked more than 222,000 times, explained: “Did you know, if you soaked orange peels in vinegar for two weeks in a sealed mason jar, then pour the vinegar into a spray bottle, you can use this for cleaning or bug spray. It’s also great to get rid of ants.”
READ MORE: ‘Long-lasting’ method to ‘eradicate an ant infestation’ in your home
Based on their personal experience, some viewers agreed that the hack was effective and suggested adding peppermint to the mixture.
In a separate clip, another TikToker with a keen eye for DIY hacks recently suggested using clove and ground coffee to repel the pesky insects.
Anna, who posts from the account @annalanier2, regularly shares her useful hacks with more than 505k followers on the platform.
“Bugs are mosquitoes that hate the smell of coffee. I am going to sprinkle it around the outside of my house. Guess what? It smells great,” she explained in a recent video.
The content creator sprinkles cloves onto her patio as an effective and cheap solution to managing the number of ants in your garden.
There is some scientific basis for this, according to the research published in the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications in 2014.
Though the clove and coffee work wonders as a deterrent, it’s worth noting that they won’t kill the ants, meaning there’s ample chance the insects will simply migrate to another spot in their quest for food and shelter.
