Getting rid of household ants

SINGAPORE – My kitchen has been infested by ants.

Someone did not close the sugar jar properly and now there are tiny black ants everywhere.

But how do you safely get rid of ants in the kitchen?

You cannot spray insecticide because there is food all around.

I would not want to leave toxic chemical residue on the countertops and shelves, where food, condiments and cooking utensils are stored.

A quick check around revealed that everyone, it seems, has an environmentally friendly solution to get rid of household ants.

My sister who lives in Perth, Australia, suggested using orange oil.

A brand of orange oil, made from cold-pressed oil from orange peel, is good at getting rid of ants.

This oil can also be used to remove sticky residue from labels and such, and as an air freshener.

Aside from orange oil, which is hard to find here, a mixture of dish detergent, water and an orange peel, will do the trick.

A direct hit of this mixture will kill the ants and prevent more from following in their tracks.

You simply put one teaspoon of liquid dish soap into a spray bottle and fill it with water. Then add an orange peel into the spray bottle.

The other solution – which I like because I drink coffee – is the use of coffee grounds.

Just empty used coffee grounds on ant hills and around the perimeter of your house.

Do this every year as a preventive measure.

Another thing you can do is to build an ant barrier.

Pour cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, chilli or – believe it or not – talcum powder in a thin line around areas where you see ants appearing.

The appearance of ants also indicates proper cleaning of the kitchen is needed.

Wipe down the counters, do not leave food out and keep sugary food – and, in fact, all types of food – well-sealed.

As for the ant infestation of my sugar jar, I merely microwaved the whole open jar for just a minute, which will kill the ants but not melt the sugar.

It was easy to pick out the dead critters and, afterwards, I made sure the lid was closed tight.

Source: Mind Your Body, The Straits Times

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Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies