If you have been looking for a safer, healthier alternative to store bought surface cleaner and/or ant repellent, read on. This 1 recipe is good for multiple issues. It’s effective as a natural cleaning solution, a repellent, and is pleasing to the nose, too!
Following the at-home recipe, take a look at the research of each ingredient and see how they may be effective in your home. With just a few natural and eco-friendly ingredients, you may be surprised at the power of this quick recipe!
Natural Surface Cleaner & Ant Repellent
Yield: Unknown | Prep: | Process/Cook: | Ready In:
his Natural Surface Cleaner & Ant Repellent is a 2-for-1 recipe you can make in the comfort of your own home. It’s a multi-purpose surface cleaner that can double as an ant repellent. Mix it into a reusable spray bottle to have on hand, or use a cloth to wipe down counter tops and cabinets.
Ingredients / Grocery List:
- About 1 quart of water
- 1/4 – 1/2 C White Vinegar
- 2 or 3 drop Neem Oil
- 5 to 10 drops Lavender Oil
- 5 Drops Eucalyptus Oil
Instructions / Directions / Method:
- Put all ingredients into a reusable spray bottle and shake well.
- Shake well again before each use.
Lavender Oil
Lavender Essential Oil is a powerful fragrance with numerous uses, including being an effective and natural tool for the control of ants. (1) Ants enter your home in search of food. They are attracted to certain odors, and repelled by others. Lavender is one of the aromas that is a big turn off for them. (1) Its fragrance acts as a deterrent without the overpowering odor from strong-scented repellents. Lavender is used in some natural insect repellents in place of poisonous substances such as DEET. If diluted, the oil of lavender may be used directly on the skin to repel other insects, too. (1)
Neem Oil
The use of Neem oil along/around the routes of ants and anthills could be beneficial; however, there are over 12,000 different ant species, and Neem oil may only help rid some of those species. (2) Neem oil can be used as a non-toxic insecticide that terminates ants by altering their hormonal secretion. It is not suggested to use (all) Neem oil products on human/animal skin, so be sure to read labels prior to use. (2) Spraying Neem oil over plant leaves keeps the leafcutter ants away from feeding, too! (2)
White Vinegar
Ants communicate to each other using sounds, touch, and pheromones known as chemical signals, or “scent trails.” (3) Ants smell with their antennae and can determine direction and intensity of scents. Forager ants that finds food mark a trail leading back to the colony, making it easier for other ants to follow the source of the food. (3) Each time the trail is traveled, the smell intensifies. By using white vinegar on and around any and all entrances and any paths, you would be disrupting those scent trails and making it harder for the ants to creep back to the food source they’ve been invading. (3)
Eucalyptus Oil
We’ve already covered that ants navigate by smell, and because of this, ants are vulnerable to certain strong smells. This is where Eucalyptus oil comes in. It will drive away ants by leaving them unable to find food. (4) Additionally, Eucalyptus has an identifiable ‘minty fresh’ scent, which makes it a great addition for home cleaning.
Sources for this article include:
(1) www.ehow.com
(2) www.plasmaneem.com
(3) everydayroots.com
(4) www.gardens.com
Image source: flic.kr
Article originally published on RawFoodWorld.com republished with permission
